Chicago tourism gets a bump this weekend with Beyoncé, Pitchfork Music Festival
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Another big music-filled weekend is underway in Chicago.
Queen Bey is back at Solider Field, and the city is already buzzing, and tens of thousands of fans are headed to Union Park for the Pitchfork Music Festival.
CBS 2's Marissa Perlman reports this summer of music could significantly boost the city's economy.
The party at Pitchfork is on as the festival kicked off Friday afternoon. Some fans are showing their loyalty by returning almost every year for the past decade.
Even with a music-heavy weekend, including the Renaissance tour experts said don't expect record-breaking numbers this weekend.
The Pitchfork Music Festival is underway ahead of an expected 60,000 music lovers taking over Union Park.
A summer event market, it's considered one of the most crowded in the country, bringing a lot of local fans and local talent, but some fly in just for this, staying in hotels and tasting Chicago cuisine.
"I've been coming since 2012, and it's great. I love the food. There's great music here. The beer is great. I love it all," said Justin Wentworth, who traveled from Connecticut.
"All winter in Chicago, it's so cold, and all I'm thinking about is when I can do this again," added a concertgoer going to the festival.
On the heels of Taylor Swift's record-setting visit, Beyonce is bringing her hive. The setup is underway at Soldier Field. It's the first time she's back in Chicago since 2018.
And tickets can run up to $2,500 bucks on the secondary market.
Tourism experts said mega concerts like this are critically crucial for Chicago but don't expect economic numbers to be near the taylor swift weekend in early June.
That weekend also featured an annual oncology conference with more than 40,000 attendees and the James Beard Awards, creating a shortage of open hotel rooms.
Leaders with Chicago's tourism group said many rely on this visitor economy during these weekends, especially the hospitality industry.
"I think it's really exciting for the hospitality industry. We've seen so many people coming to the concerts. You have the stagehands, but then you have the restaurant industry, hotel industry; it's a really good economic development tool for the city," said
The Pitchfork Music Festival continues throughout the weekend through Sunday, and Beyonce's two-day tour at Soldier Field kicks off Saturday night.
