One decade later: When Taylor Swift performed her only show of 2016 at the United States Grand Prix

This year marks a decade since Taylor Swift performed at the United States Grand Prix, and helped Austin become one of that season’s biggest events. The international pop star helped pull in huge crowds at the Circuit of The Americas – including plenty of ‘Swifties’ – and the love for the hitmaker has been felt far and wide in the paddock since.

For Swift, the 2016 United States Grand Prix would be only her second performance that year – and her only public show – after appearing at the Grammys in February. After a hugely popular 1989 album world tour in 2015, Swift wanted time to rest and recover, but an invitation from COTA’s race organisers certainly got her interest.

The United States Grand Prix has long embraced its Texas roots, from cowboy hats in the paddock to special Stetson podium hats for the top three drivers.

As someone who began her career as a country star, Swift felt like the ideal headliner for the entertainment, and ticket sales reflected that. A Saturday general admission ticket gained you access to Qualifying and the huge stage show later on in the evening. For a racing fan who’s also a Swiftie, of which there are many, it was the ultimate crossover.

The 15-song set drew an estimated crowd of around 80,000 people, helping deliver a welcome boost for the organisers.

Long before Drive to Survive introduced many new fans to F1, Swift's appearance offered an example of how major entertainment acts could bring fresh audiences to the sport.

How COTA became a blueprint for circuits

In only its fifth year, Circuit of The Americas had secured one of the world’s biggest music stars to perform over the race weekend – offering fans a ticket to excellent racing action but also a super show in the evening.

“I think at that moment, not many Formula 1 tracks were doing the ‘concert model’ and a lot of circuits were focused on more of the racing side, as opposed to the whole fan event that goes around it – which is very much the norm nowadays,” F1 journalist Luke Smith of The Athletic explained to F1.com.

“COTA was very much ahead of the curve, and it managed to tap into that younger, more female audience that, again, in F1 nowadays is very much the norm,” Smith continued.

“We have seen that big shift happen since the Liberty takeover in the last five to ten years. The boom of Drive to Survive has played a big part in that, but I think that the route of having the concert did help open F1 up to a wave of new fans who perhaps came to the circuit chiefly for the concert and then became interested in F1 because of that.

“COTA has been one of the tracks leading the way on that. They do really put a lot of effort into ensuring that it is a festival around what is happening on the circuit and it’s not just a race, which is a blueprint and a model that a lot of other circuits have followed.”

The Swifties of the F1 paddock

Several drivers have shown their support for the Shake It Off singer in recent years, from including her hits in their pre-race playlists to going with family and friends to the Eras Tour.

Both Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc attended the 2024 tour in Milan, with their respective partners – with both drivers declaring themselves fans of her music.

At one of her Wembley shows in London, George Russell showed his support with his niece and even sported a pink fluffy cowboy hat for the occasion.

Ollie Bearman also had five Swift songs in his Apple Music playlist that was shared earlier this year, including ...Ready For It?, Bad Blood, Cruel Summer and Love Story.

Nearly a decade later, concerts have become an established part of many Grand Prix weekends, while F1's audience has continued to expand. Swift's appearance at COTA offered an early glimpse of how music and motorsport could combine to create a wider fan experience.