TAMPA, Fla. — 2023 has been a big year for concert stops in Tampa. Big names like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Luke Combs have played shows at Raymond James Stadium, and in a couple of days, Beyonce will join the ranks.
In Tampa, the anticipation for the "Renaissance World Tour" stopping in Tampa Bey is picking up.
Staring at his work of art, Cam Parker, known as Painkiller Cam, can't help but soak it in.
"I've had this dream, literally this dream, for like three years now. And I knew when Renaissance was announced, and when it was gonna be released, that was like the time," he said.
While Beyonce may not be getting the keys to the city like Taylor Swift got back in April, local artist Cam Parker is taking the welcome to Tampa into his own hands.
"We are the only city to give Beyonce a Renaissance celebration mural, as far as I know, in the world. You know what I mean? So like, whether she knows about it or not, which I feel like she does, we're the city to do that. And I'm proud to be a part of that," he said.
Along Tampa Street, Parker's own version of a Renaissance painting captures the essence of Beyonce's latest work of art.
"I wanted it to feel like her music when you're visually passing it by. I wanted it to feel like that first time that you played it the whole way through and was like, 'Oh, my god,'" he said.
Parker's dream is to get Queen Bey herself to notice his work. He wants everyone to stop by the mural at 1703 N. Tampa Street to pose for a picture with the mural. He wants every social media post to tag Beyonce, hoping she sees it by the time she makes it to Tampa for her concert.
"I told my parents, no matter what happens, if nothing happens, if no shout-out happens, I'm still proud of this work. And I'm still proud that I attacked it the way that I did in six days," he said.
Forbes predicts this tour could bring in $2.1 billion. Just this spring, Tampa welcomed Taylor Swift's Eras tour, which is estimated to bring in $1.6 billion.
Visit Tampa Bay said the Eras Tour brought in a 26% spending increase for the city compared to the two weeks before and after the tour.
51% of the concertgoers were visitors, leading to a 168% increase compared to the overall destination mix.
As for hotels, Tampa said 94.4% occupancy, with an 11% increase compared to similar time frames. That translates to $19.6 million in revenue, a 45% increase compared to similar time frames for hotels.
Businesses are seeing how beneficial these concerts can be. For Joyful Notion, a clothing boutique in Sparkman Wharf, big events like concerts mean more feet through their doors.
"It definitely brings in a lot of people looking for those special items. So we definitely appreciate all the events that we have in Tampa," said owner Crystal Johnsen.
Johnsen said she makes sure what's inside her store is perfect for people looking to look their best where ever they go.
"I try to stay up on what's coming up and just think, 'Okay, well, what would people like to wear?' and I just really go on and just try to find the perfect pieces," she added.
Whether the canvas is a building wall or your body, Tampa wants Queen Bey to know it's about the visuals, even if they're still waiting on her to release them.
