The “Oshi-katsu” Phenomenon Unleashes a Concert Tourism Boom This Summer

Key Points

• There has been an increase in music fans traveling to cities around the world for live performances, with searches for major concerts recording triple-digit growth.

• Gen Z music fans are planning "Oshi-katsu trips" (trips centered around supporting their favorite artists) to coincide with residency performances and weekend festivals, creating new trends in how they spend their travel time.

• Airbnb is supporting fans' concert and festival excursions by offering unique accommodations and services, ensuring guests get enough rest and can fully enjoy their favorite music during their travels.

*This is an abridged translation of "Groupie getaways fuel concert tourism this summer" published on March 19, US time.

New trends created by fans are changing how people enjoy major concert tours and festivals in 2026. These fans are crossing national and regional borders, traveling to live performances in various cities to follow popular artists. Gen Z travelers are increasingly looking for places to stay with friends as part of "Oshi-katsu trips" planned around their favorite artists' residency performances. Furthermore, "festival fever" is spreading across the US, with some fans planning their trips even before the lineup is announced.

This summer, globally popular artists will grace stages across the US. Top artists like BTS, Noah Kahan, and Ariana Grande are driving more enthusiastic fans to embark on "live tours," traveling far to follow their favorite performances. Boston, in particular, is attracting significant attention as a host city for major tours this summer, experiencing a triple-digit increase in city searches within two weeks of tour announcements. For some artists, these performances are their first major tours since 2019, further intensifying interest.

• BTS: Boston search volume increased by approximately 600% *1

• Noah Kahan: Boston search volume increased by over 200% *2

• Ariana Grande: Boston search volume increased by approximately 200% *3

• Ed Sheeran: Boston search volume increased by approximately 170% *4

• Bruno Mars: Boston search volume increased by over 130% *5

Gen Z-led "Oshi-katsu Travel" Trend Brings Excitement to New York and New Jersey This Fall

This autumn, Gen Z fans are expected to gather from local areas and afar, bringing excitement to the New York and New Jersey regions to coincide with Harry Styles' highly anticipated residency performances. Since the announcement of the performances, searches for accommodations in the New York and New Jersey areas by Gen Z for specific weekends during Harry Styles' residency have increased by over 200% *6. Many fans are planning "Oshi-katsu trips," with group travel searches for staying with friends increasing by nearly 300% *7. Airbnb offers accommodations in New Jersey that allow groups to spend more time together, such as larger living areas and kitchens where everyone can cook, making group Oshi-katsu trips smooth and enjoyable.

Festival Fever Accelerates Across the US, Trips Planned Even Before Lineup Announcement

As festival season begins across the US, travelers are already making plans. Some start searching as soon as concert information is released, while others plan their trips even before official performance dates or artist lineups are announced. Gen Z, in particular, shows high interest, with a very high search ratio for representative US festivals *8. Overall, interest in major festivals is on the rise, with notable growth seen especially for the following events:

• Coachella: Searches increased by over 70%. Over 55% of searches were concentrated in September, the month the lineup was announced *9.

• Lollapalooza: Searches increased by over 40%. Searches by out-of-state travelers also increased by approximately 40%, indicating high interest even before official dates and lineups are announced *10.

• Ultra Music Festival: Overall search increase of over 10%, including approximately a 15% increase in searches by international travelers *11.

Airbnb also offers unique services to help festival-goers rest and rejuvenate, such as delicious meals by a private chef and in-home massages to soothe tired bodies. Furthermore, for those who want to make the most of their time beyond the festival, Airbnb offers experiences such as DJ experiences and private tarot readings.

• Palm Springs, California: Desert stays are anything but boring. Guests can enjoy a private after-party taco bar at their accommodation and make their trip even more special with a private tarot reading.

• Chicago, Illinois: Make the most of your time between festivals. Enjoy chef-prepared meals delivered to your accommodation or explore the city's food culture to fully enjoy your stay.

• Miami, Florida: For a weekend stay enjoying top DJ performances, you can perfect your festival-ready look with an on-site hair and makeup session at your accommodation or enjoy a DJ experience yourself.

Enjoy Concert Excursions and Festival Hopping Stress-Free with Airbnb

Planning trips around concerts and festivals is easy and comfortable with Airbnb. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your Oshi-katsu trip for your favorite music.

• Find your ideal accommodation. You can search for desired amenities and facilities using various search filters. Look for accommodations with "Guest Favorites" and "Superhost" badges, which are awarded to highly-rated accommodations and hosts, as a guide.

• Reduce stress in choosing accommodations. By sharing your "Favorites," everyone can add their preferred accommodations, comment, and vote, making it easier to decide on a suitable place to stay.

• Check reviews. Refer to reviews from previous guests. Airbnb has a system where only booked guests can leave reviews to ensure reviews are based on actual stay experiences. You can also filter reviews by specific keywords during your search. If you have any concerns, you can message the host before booking.

• Book within your budget. Airbnb offers transparent pricing where the price displayed in search results is the final amount, making it easier to stay within your budget. Furthermore, with the "Book now, pay later" feature, you can confirm your reservation early and make the payment closer to your departure date.

• Choose flexible cancellation policies. We offer flexible cancellation policies to accommodate schedule changes. You can choose an accommodation with a policy that suits you. You can check the applicable cancellation policy for your booking before reserving.

• Check before departure. Airbnb prohibits disruptive parties. Also, bookings are limited to guests 18 years of age or older, and the booking must be made by the guest themselves. Minors can only stay if accompanied by an adult listed in the reservation.

• Airbnb support is available. During your stay, 24/7 support is available as needed. All bookings come with free AirCover for guests. In the unlikely event of an issue, you can receive support for refunds or rebooking.

  Why not try an Oshi-katsu tour with Airbnb this summer?

  *1 Based on the rate of increase in searches for accommodations in Boston, Massachusetts for stays from August 4-7, 2026, compared to searches for stays from August 5-8, 2025 (based on Q1 2026 and Q1 2025 data for searches conducted from January 13-27, 2026 (when tour dates were announced) and January 14-28, 2025, respectively)

  *2 Based on the rate of increase in searches for accommodations in Boston, Massachusetts for stays from July 10-12, 2026, compared to searches for stays from July 11-13, 2025 (based on Q1 2026 and Q1 2025 data for searches conducted from February 2-16, 2026 (when tour dates were announced) and March 3-17, 2025, respectively)

  *3 Based on the rate of increase in searches for accommodations in Boston, Massachusetts for stays from July 21-26, 2026, compared to searches for stays from July 22-27, 2025 (based on Q4 2025 and Q4 2024 data for searches conducted from August 28-September 11, 2025 (when tour dates were announced) and August 29-September 12, 2024, respectively)

  *4 Based on the rate of increase in searches for accommodations in Boston, Massachusetts for stays from September 24-27, 2026, compared to searches for stays from September 25-28, 2025 (based on Q4 2025 and Q4 2024 data for searches conducted from September 18-October 2, 2025 (when tour dates were announced) and August 19-October 3, 2024, respectively)

  *5 Based on the rate of increase in searches for accommodations in Boston, Massachusetts for stays from September 4-7, 2026, compared to searches for stays from September 5-8, 2025 (based on Q1 2026 and Q1 2025 data for searches conducted from January 8-22, 2026 (when tour dates were announced) and January 9-23, 2025, respectively)

  *6 Based on the rate of increase in searches for accommodations in New York and New Jersey for stays from August 25-30, September 25-27, and October 30-November 1, 2026, compared to searches for stays from August 26-31, September 26-28, and October 31-November 2, 2025 (based on Q1 2026 and Q1 2025 data for searches conducted by Gen Z from January 23-February 6, 2026 (when tour dates were announced) and January 24-February 7, 2025, respectively)

  *7 Based on the rate of increase in searches for accommodations in the New York and New Jersey areas for stays from August 25-30, September 25-27, and October 30-November 1, 2026, compared to searches for stays from August 26-31, September 26-28, and October 31-November 2, 2025 (based on Q1 2026 and Q1 2025 data for searches conducted by Gen Z guests from January 23-February 6, 2026 (when tour dates were announced) and January 24-February 7, 2025, respectively)

  *8 Based on generation-specific search ratios for accommodations in the desert regions of Indio and Palm Springs, California for stays from April 10-12, 2026, accommodations in Chicago, Illinois for stays from July 30-August 2, 2026, and accommodations in Miami, Florida for stays from March 24-30, 2026 (based on Q4 2025 data)

  *9 Based on the rate of increase in searches for accommodations in the desert regions of Indio and Palm Springs, California for stays from April 10-12 and April 17-19, 2026, compared to searches for stays from April 11-13 and April 18-20, 2025 (based on a comparison of searches for all of 2026 conducted in H1 2025 and searches for all of 2025 conducted in H1 2024). For April 10-12, 2026, based on the search ratio in the desert regions of Indio and Palm Springs, California in 2025

  *10 Based on the rate of increase in searches for accommodations in Chicago, Illinois for stays from July 30-August 2, 2026, compared to searches for stays from July 31-August 3, 2025 (based on a comparison of searches for all of 2026 conducted by Gen Z guests in H1 2025 and searches for all of 2025 conducted in H1 2024)

  *11 Based on the rate of increase in searches for accommodations in Miami, Florida for stays from March 24-30, 2026, compared to searches for stays from March 25-31, 2025 (based on a comparison of searches for all of 2026 conducted by international travelers in H1 2025 and searches for all of 2025 conducted in H1 2024)

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