top 10 grossing tours 2022

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Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Motley Crue Among 2022’s Highest Grossing Tours

The Rolling Stones , Red Hot Chili Peppers  and Motley Crue are just three of the rock and metal bands among Billboard 's year-end ranking of the overall top-grossing tours of 2022.

In the second full year since the COVID-19 pandemic effectively shuttered all touring in 2020 , some big-time rock artists returned in an even bigger way .

Guns N' Roses , My Chemical Romance , Iron Maiden and Trans-Siberian Orchestra are just a few of the other rock artists on the list.

Overall, the top 5 highest grossing tours for the year were the Latin rapper Bad Bunny ($373.5 million in gross receipts), the rock king Elton John ($334.5 million), the pop stars  Ed Sheeran ($246.3 million) and  Harry Styles ($214.4 million), and the band Coldplay ($208 million).

The Rolling Stones land at No. 6 in the list with a total 2022 gross of $179.3 million, followed by Red Hot Chili Peppers at No 7. with $176.9 million. Motley Crue and Def Leppard's 2022 "Stadium Tour" comes in at No. 8 for the year with a take of $173.5 million.

The Beatles legend Paul McCartney  (at No. 15) toured to the tune of $105 million in gross receipts in 2022. Guns N' Roses (No. 17) put up $93.4 million for the year. My Chemical Romance hit at No. 20 with $87.9 million, Iron Maiden at No. 26 with $76.1 million, and the perennial Trans-Siberian Orchestra at No. 36 with $54.6 million. Billboard ranked the 40 top tours.

Below, check out the top 10 rock artists on the list and their positions among the highest-grossing 2022 tours. You can see the list in full at this location .

2. Elton John, $334.5 million 5. Coldplay, $208 million 6. The Rolling Stones, $179.3 million 7. Red Hot Chili Peppers, $176.9 million 8. Motley Crue and Def Leppard, $173.5 million 15. Paul McCartney, $105 million 17. Guns N' Roses, $93.4 million 20. My Chemical Romance, $87.9 million 26. Iron Maiden, $76.1 million 36. Trans-Siberian Orchestra, $54.6 million

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Who is the Highest-Grossing Touring Artist of 2022?

Who is the highest-grossing touring artist of 2022 so far? The answer may surprise you. 

In the first half of 2022, the music industry heard loud and clear that fans — particularly in North America — are ready to get out and see live music again. The box-office figures  reported to  Pollstar  for the year’s first two quarters show strong demand for live entertainment, and fans are willing to pay a pretty penny for it, too.

The average number of tickets sold, average ticket price, and average gross all showed solid upward movement this year in all 100 of the top North American tours compared with 2019 — the last full year of live activity before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gross averages in the year’s first half show an average box-office gain of $856,206 per show, a 24.4% increase over 2019’s midyear gross average of $688,535. This is partly due to the rise in the average ticket price — $108.20 compared to 2019’s average price of $91.86 — a difference of 17.8%.

So who is the highest grossing touring artist in 2022 so far? Latin superstar Bad Bunny has dominated the touring circuit in 2022 for worldwide and North American tours.

Phil Collins , Tony Banks , and Mike Rutherford’s final run with Genesis for their The Last Domino? Tour came in second globally with $72 million, with Elton John in a close third place at $70 million for his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. Others in the top ten include The Eagles’ ongoing Hotel California tour, which continues to perform well at $44 million for a solid seventh place.

Pollstar ‘s midyear lists cover concert grosses from November 18, 2021, to May 18, 2022. This gorgeous graph was compiled by Latinometrics.

Top 10 Pollstar 2022 Worldwide Tours (Midyear)

• Bad Bunny – $120.1 million
• Genesis – $72 million
• Elton John – $70 million
• BTS – $69.3 million
• Morgan Wallen – $58.3 million
• Eric Church – $56.3 million
• The Eagles – $55 million
• John Mayer – $51.8 million
• Coldplay – $44.7 million
• Garth Brooks – $44.3 million

Elton John comes in in North American tours at number two behind the incomparable Bad Bunny. The Eagles and Genesis also make the top ten in North America, as do BTS, Morgan Wallen , Garth Brooks, Eric Church, and John Mayer.

Top 10 Pollstar North American Tours 2022 (Midyear)

• Genesis – $46.5 million
• Dua Lipa – $40.1 million

Live Music Logs Record-Setting 2022 as Bad Bunny and Elton John Lead With Booming Stadium Tours

The sector grossed $6.28 billion this year, per Pollstar.

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Among the artists touring stadiums in 2022: the Weeknd, Coldplay, Daddy Yankee, Billy Joel, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Def Leppard & Mötley Crüe, Dua Lipa, Zac Brown, Eagles, Daddy Yankee, Iron Maiden, Blackpink, Morgan Wallen, the Lumineers, Dead & Co., Garth Brooks, Lady Gaga and countless others.

John’s 65-date “ Farewell Yellow Brick Road ” sits at No. 2 after first hitting the road more than four years ago and will continue raking in the gold as it finally wraps next summer. Because of its length and popularity, its likely the John tour will pit the English icon against another U.K. favorite — Ed Sheeran , who currently claims the highest gross ever for a single tour with his “Divide” trek that reached $776 million when it closed in 2019.

Sheeran once again hit the road this year in support of his previous records on the “Mathematics” tour, a European stadium trek, that earned $251 million gross this year and enters Pollstar’s chart at No. 3. Sheeran is also the only concert performer to hit the 3 million mark in sold tickets with 3,047,694 sold over 63 shows in 28 venues throughout the year for a massive average of 48,376 tickets sold per show.

Harry Styles’ “ Love on Tour ” sits at No. 4 in the Top 100 based on its box office glory that kicked off in September of last year with a string of North American arena dates. Stadiums followed in 2022 with the singer’s rescheduled 23-show European run that kicked off in June. He performed in 15 countries through the end of July, selling more than 638,000 tickets.

And who could forget the singer’s mini residencies — most notably, the historic string of 15 nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden. That run logged a total of 276,852 tickets sold and rang in a $63 million gross – the highest gross of the year for a single venue worldwide, according to Pollstar. Styles had another 12-night run at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum where he left with $38 million in sales from over 200,000 tickets sold.

The historic feats continue as this becomes the first year that each tour in the top 10 grossed over $100 million and the top five each took in more than $200 million — with inflation playing a factor. Rise in ticket prices placed the Top 100 Worldwide ticket sales in 2022 at 59.2 million, surpassing 2019’s total of 57.7 million tickets. On Pollstar’s North American Top 200 chart, ticket prices increased 19% from $87.19 in 2019 to cross the three-figure barrier of $103.71 in 2022.

And as 2022 comes to a close, it’s clear 2023 will ring in another big year for the live music industry. Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” has already managed to break the internet with an unprecedented, and drama-filled, record turnout for presales on Ticketmaster, and hints of a possible stadium/arena trek from Beyoncé has fans ready to drop thousands for a ticket. Not to mention the several confirmed tours of stars who have already made 2022 a standout year like Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Harry Styles, Dead & Co. (the band’s final trek), the Weeknd, Def Leppard/Mötley Crüe, Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks, among others.

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Top 10 highest grossing concert tours of 2022

By Amelia Langas | May 2, 2023

Aerosmith announced their farewell tour after 53 years of making music. The Grammy-winning rock band known for songs like “Dream On” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” will kick off the tour Sept. 2, 2023 in Philadelphia.

Despite skyrocketing online ticket fees from sellers like stubhub and ticketmaster, 2022 was a record-setting year for concert tours., according to trade publication pollstar, in north america alone the top 100 tours last year grossed a total of $4.77 billion and sold over 42 billion tickets., but were any of the top 10 highest grossing tours legacy bands like aerosmith here they are and how much each grossed:, bad bunny $356.5 million, elton john $201.8 million, def leppard/mötley crüe $177.4 million, harry styles $160.4 million, kenny chesney $135.3 million, the weeknd $124.5 million, morgan wallen $121.5 million, garth brooks $112.8 million, red hot chili peppers $110.6 million, paul mccartney $105.1 million, read more about aerosmith’s farewell tour on marketwatch..

Photos by:  iStock/Getty Images Google Web Story by:  Amelia Langas

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Top 10 Highest-Grossing Rock Tours of 2023

Check out our recap of Billboard Boxscore's top 10 rock tours of the year, featuring blink-182, Metallica, and more.

By Eric Frankenberg

Eric Frankenberg

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Last week, Billboard revealed its year-end Boxscore charts , ranking the top tours, venues, and promoters of 2023. That coverage included analysis of the new wave of genre diverse artists crashing stadium stages, and in turn, our charts. This week, we are breaking down the year’s biggest tours, genre by genre . Today, we continue with rock.

Rock music has been at the center of the touring industry for decades, with legendary acts like The Rolling Stones , U2 , and the Eagles controlling stadium calendars and delivering record-breaking grosses. That is still the case, as rock is responsible for more entries in the all-genre top 10, 20, 40 and 100 than any other genre.

But at 32.4% of all top 100 tours’ grosses, rock takes a dramatic hit from last year’s 42.5% figure. Combined with pop, the two central genres have lost a third of their total market share since the pandemic, as pockets of Latin and K-pop acts take up prime Boxscore real estate. And as rock accounts for many of the oldest artists in the top 100, with Latin and K-pop bringing up the chart’s youngest names, the future of rock bands as touring titans is blurrier than it was 5-10 years ago.

But with a new round of legacy tours from ‘90s and ‘00s bands, plus steady arena grosses from 21st century acts like Arctic Monkeys, Greta Van Fleet and Imagine Dragons, there is still plenty of juice for the coming years.

Scroll to check out the top 10 highest-grossing tours by rock artists, with such acts qualifying due to recent performance on Billboard ’s Top Rock Albums and/or Hot Rock Songs charts. Rankings are determined according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. All reported shows worldwide between Nov. 1, 2022 – Sept. 30, 2023 are eligible.

$76.8M / 597K tickets / 41 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: 24

Phish is among the most consistent touring acts, regardless of genre. From its annual destination event in Mexico to its reliable runs of shows at Madison Square Garden, the jam-band legends continue to one-up themselves, after winding up at No. 31 on last year’s all-genre ranking.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

$77.2M / 657K tickets / 18 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: 23

Red Hot Chili Peppers repeat in the year-end rock breakdown with shows in Asia, Europe and North America. Still, the band’s $77.2 million total doesn’t include the $48.2 million from its co-headline shows with Post Malone in Australia.

$92.7M / 1M tickets / 45 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: 20

Muse makes its first appearance among the year-end top 10 rock tours since 2013, when the glam-rock band earned $43.2 million while on The 2nd Law World Tour. The European leg did the heaviest lifting, with nine of the top 10 grosses of the year.

$95.7M / 692K tickets / 45 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: 19

Blink is back with the biggest tour of its career. The original trio of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker reunited for 45 sold-out shows in North America and Europe. Things came to a head with two nights at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium, where blink-182 grossed $8.8 million and sold 43,600 tickets.

Guns N' Roses

$96.2M / 888K tickets / 31 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: 18

Guns N’ Roses logs a second year between $90-100 million after being No. 8 on 2022’s genre Boxscore breakout. More shows after the tracking period’s cutoff puts the rock icons on tap for the ’24 ranking with $19.7 million already in the bank.

Dead & Company

$114.7M / 845K tickets / 28 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: 15

Dead & Company played its farewell tour between May 19 and July 16, yielding its first $100 million summer since launching as a touring unit in 2015. The peak was a three-night run at San Francisco’s Oracle Park to end the tour, earning $20.4 million from 118,000 tickets sold.

$125.8M / 1.2M tickets / 19 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: 14

Metallica grossed more than $10 million in seven markets between Europe and North America, doubling up in Montreal, Paris and more. The M72 World Tour continues with scheduled dates through Sept. 29, 2024.

Depeche Mode

$175.2M / 1.8M tickets / 47 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: No. 9

The first of three rock acts in the all-genre top 10, Depeche Mode scores the biggest year of its touring career, blowing past 2017’s $123.5 million. Three shows at Mexico City’s Foro Sol on Sept. 21, 23 and 25 delivered the band’s biggest gross ever, at $15.4 million from 195,000 tickets sold.

$210M / 1.3M tickets / 65 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: No. 7

Elton John notches a fifth year on the year-end Boxscore recap with the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, having topped the abridged 2020 report. After all was said and done, set a new record as the highest-grossing tour in Boxscore history, regardless of genre. Over 329 shows, the trek earned $939.1 million and sold six million tickets.

$342.5M / 3.2M tickets / 55 shows

All-Genre Top 100 Rank: No. 2

Switching places with John from last year, Coldplay takes top honors as the highest-grossing rock act of 2023. The band’s spread covers shows in North and South America, as well as Europe, with dates in Asia and Australia in the 2024 tracking window. After kicking off in 2022, the Music of the Spheres Tour has brought in $664.5 million and sold 6.7 million tickets.

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Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe’s ‘The Stadium Tour’ did especially brisk business, ranking at No. 8 on the year-end chart.

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According to Billboard , Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses , My Chemical Romance, Iron Maiden and Trans-Siberian Orchestra were among the top-grossing touring artists of the 12-month period ending on October 31.

In the magazine’s just-published year-end Boxscore chart, which was topped by Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny, The Rolling Stones were the highest-ranked rock act (and sixth overall),with a combined gross of $179 million from 20 reported concerts. The band sold 950,000 tickets around the world during the 12-month time frame that determined the chart’s rankings.

Shop the best of Def Leppard’s discography on vinyl and more .

Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe’s ‘The Stadium Tour’ did especially brisk business, as the two bands’ summer run — which ranked No. 8 on the year-end chart — grossed $173 million from sales of more than 1.3 million tickets at 35 reported shows.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s annual holiday tour continued to be a major draw, as the Yuletide rockers — who ranked 36th on the chart — sold more than 767,000 tickets at 98 reported shows during their 2021 tour for a gross of $55 million.

The only other heavy metal or hard rock group included on Billboard’s chart — which ranked artists by gross income rather than the number of tickets sold — was Iron Maiden (No. 26),which grossed $76 million from sales of 985,000 tickets across 47 reported performances.

It should be noted these figures only include gross ticket sales and do not represent an artist’s actual earnings. Each artist usually incurs significant expenses — including management, booking agent, promoter, venue, travel, equipment (sound, lights and staging), hired musicians, crew, hotels and buses.

Billboard Top-Grossing Touring Artists for 2022 included the following rock acts:

06. THE ROLLING STONES – $179,349,815 (20 shows) 07. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – $176,998,650 (31 shows) 08. DEF LEPPARD + MÖTLEY CRÜE – $173,474,649 (35 shows) 17. GUNS N’ ROSES – $93,383,197 (27 shows) 20. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE – $87,926,378 (55 shows) 26. IRON MAIDEN – $76,147,773 (47 shows) 36. TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA – $54,649,313 (98 shows).

Listen to the best of Def Leppard on Apple Music and Spotify .

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Ranked: The 20 Highest-Grossing Concert Tours Of All Time

Posted: May 27, 2024 | Last updated: May 27, 2024

Triumphant tours!

The era of the billion-dollar tour is upon us, thanks to the efforts of a certain Taylor Swift.  The Eras Tour  has become a cultural phenomenon and has even birthed the term Swiftonomics to describe the economic impact the star has when her show rolls into town. But musicians making millions on jaunts around the world is nothing new. 

Join us as we countdown the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. You can probably guess who takes the top spot, but which other bands and solo artists have made a fortune on the road?

All dollar amounts in US dollars. Figures for non-2024 tours adjusted for inflation.

The Division Bell Tour: $534 million

First up, we have 1994's  The Division Bell Tour . The final concert tour from legendary British rock band Pink Floyd, it truly marked the end of an era, with the group parting ways shortly afterward.

The psychedelic rockers mesmerized more than five million fans during 111 spellbinding shows across North America and Europe. Some lucky attendees even had the unique opportunity to witness the band's iconic 1973 album, Dark Side of the Moon , performed in its entirety at select concerts.

Though founding member Roger Waters had sensationally quit the band in the 1980s due to creative differences, his absence didn't hinder the tour's roaring financial success. According to Rolling Stone , it grossed $250 million, which equates to an impressive $534 million in today's money.

The Police Reunion Tour: $536 million

The Police sent shockwaves around the world when they announced they would be reuniting in 2007 to celebrate their 30th anniversary.

The Police Reunion Tour  (2007-2008) marked the first time the iconic 80s trio had toured together in more than 20 years. Unsurprisingly, tickets sold out within minutes, with devoted fans determined to secure their spots at the landmark gigs.

According to Rolling Stone , the band entertained audiences at a staggering 151 shows, spanning five continents. The tour grossed $362 million – an incredible $536 million in today's money – and firmly cemented The Police as one of the most successful bands of all time.

WorldWired Tour: $538 million

Heavy metal titans Metallica embarked upon their electrifying WorldWired Tour in 2016, coinciding with the release of their tenth studio album, Hardwired... to Self-Destruct.

Over a four-year period, Metallica played 143 shows spanning four continents. Over four million metalheads were treated to performances of songs from the band's latest album, as well as crowd-pleasing hits like Master of Puppets and For Whom the Bell Tolls.

However, the Australian leg had to be canceled due to frontman James Hetfield's struggles with addiction, while the South American leg was postponed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite these setbacks, the tour still grossed $433.8 million, the equivalent of $538 million in 2024 money. This makes it the highest-grossing tour in the band's decade-spanning career.

+–=÷× Tour: $556 million

Ed Sheeran's +–=÷× Tour (if you're wondering, that first part is pronounced "Mathematics") is an ongoing concert tour that began in April 2022, following the release of his fourth studio album, = .

By the time the tours wraps up later this year, the chart-topping singer-songwriter will have captivated audiences across a grand total of 117 shows, spanning five continents.

At the time of writing, the tour has already grossed an estimated $556 million and counting. However, this isn't Ed Sheeran's highest-grossing tour to date...

Sticky & Sweet Tour: $603 million

Madonna embarked on her electrifying Sticky & Sweet Tour in 2008, performing 85 shows across five legs, and enthralling over 3.5 million lucky ticket holders around the world. 

The tour is the Queen of Pop's highest-grossing to date, making $407 million (or $603m today). At the time, it was the highest-grossing tour for a solo artist.

Madonna recently made history as the only female musician to achieve six tours that have each grossed over $100 million. Her  Celebration Tour , which concluded in May 2024, grossed a respectable $225 million. 

Renaissance World Tour: $606 million

Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour was a massive money spinner in 2023, becoming the highest-grossing tour by a Black artist in history. The  Single Ladies  singer surpassed legendary acts like Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, and even her husband Jay-Z to claim the prestigious title.

The tour was a sellout success, with 2.8 million tickets snapped up for 56 shows across North America and Europe. It grossed a grand total of $580 million, which translates to a juicy $606 million in today's money. 

During these epic three-hour extravaganzas, Queen Bey treated fans to a performance of her critically acclaimed Renaissance album in its entirety, as well as a curated selection of her biggest hits, including the iconic R&B anthem  Crazy in Love .

Vertigo Tour: $613 million

Between 2005 and 2006, rock legends U2 embarked on their juggernaut Vertigo Tour . In support of their eleventh studio album,  How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb , the show spanned 131 shows across five continents.

With over 4.6 million tickets snapped up by avid fans, the tour grossed an epic $389 million, the equivalent of $613 million in 2024 money. At the time, it was the second-highest-grossing tour in history, solidifying U2's status as one of the most influential and enduring bands of all time.

Remarkably, and as impressive as the Vertigo Tour was, it isn't U2's highest-earning tour to date. More on that later...

The Wall Live: $623 million

Former Pink Floyd rocker Roger Waters took to the stage solo in 2010 when he embarked on his The Wall Live tour, marking the first time his eponymous album had been performed live in its entirety.

This epic tour spanned three years across North and South America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, with Waters captivating audiences during an incredible 219 shows that collectively grossed $459 million, a colossal $623 million today.

The trek surpassed the record set by Madonna's aforementioned Sticky & Sweet Tour as the highest-grossing by a solo artist at that time. Keep reading to discover which soloist concert tours went on to smash the record Waters set...

Black Ice World Tour: $637 million

AC/DC's electrifying Black Ice World Tour kicked off in October 2008, wrapping up 20 months later in June 2010. During this globetrotting trek, the rock veterans played a stunning 168 shows across five continents.

With more than five million tickets snapped up by their legion of devoted fans, the tour grossed $442 million. That's an impressive $637 million today, making it the band's most financially successful tour ever.

Throughout the tour's marathon run, AC/DC treated attendees to pulse-racing performances of songs from their fifteenth studio album, Black Ice , as well as classic hits like Hells Bells and You Shook Me All Night Long.

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Love on Tour: $645 million

Originally finding fame as one-fifth of One Direction, Harry Styles's solo career has helped him reach whole new heights of stardom. He kicked off his second-ever world tour, Love on Tour , in September 2021 to support the release of his critically acclaimed second and third studio albums, Fine Line and Harry's House .

Over a two-year period, the chart-topping heartthrob performed to more than five million adoring fans, fronting a staggering 169 shows across five continents. 

In total, Love on Tour grossed $617.3 million, which is an outstanding $645 million in today's money.

No Filter Tour: $653 million

The Rolling Stones'  No Filter Tour , which began in 2017 and concluded in 2021, was a testament to the band's enduring legacy and their ability to captivate audiences across generations – even in the face of profound loss. The tour, which was briefly paused due to COVID-19, saw the legendary rock icons play 58 shows across Europe and North America.

This was made all the more remarkable by the fact that during the September-November 2021 leg of the tour, the band members were mourning the loss of their beloved drummer, Charlie Watts, who had passed away in August of that year. The No Filter Tour  attracted just under three million fans, and grossed $546.5 million, a tidy $653 million in 2024 money.

But it's far from the highest-grossing tour the Stones have embarked on...

Voodoo Lounge Tour: $665 million

The Rolling Stones performed for more than six million fans between 1994 and 1995 on their  Voodoo Lounge Tour,  during which Mick Jagger and co. wowed audiences across six continents, playing 134 shows in total. The tour grossed $320 million, or $665 million in today's money.

At the time, it shattered records, swiftly becoming the highest-grossing concert tour in history and cementing the band's legendary status as touring titans.

A Head Full of Dreams Tour: $673 million

In 2015, British rockers Coldplay announced their  A Head Full of Dreams Tour , in support of their critically acclaimed studio album of the same name. Between 2016 and 2017, the band embarked on a 122-show tour around the world, performing to over five million fans across five continents and 31 countries.

At the time, A Head Full of Dreams Tour was the third highest-grossing tour ever, raking in $523 million, or $673 million in 2024 money.

However, despite this impressive gross, it isn't Coldplay's highest-earning tour to-date. More on that soon...

Not in This Lifetime... Tour: $725 million

Rock veterans Guns N' Roses embarked on a landmark reunion tour in 2016, titled Not in This Lifetime... Tour . It marked the first time that Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan had performed together on stage since the band's  Use Your Illusion Tour in 1993.

Unsurprisingly, fans were desperate to witness the band's long-awaited reunion, with around 5.3 million tickets snapped up. Over a three-and-a-half-year period, Guns N' Roses rocked audiences across a staggering 158 shows spanning six continents, with the tour grossing $584.2 million.

In today's money, that's an incredible $725 million, making it the band's most lucrative tour ever.

Music of the Spheres Tour: $810 million

Next on our list is Coldplay, again, with the band's ongoing Music of the Spheres Tour kicking off in March 2022.

By the time it wraps in November of this year the mammoth jaunt will have included more than 170 performances across five continents. At the time of writing, it's already grossed a juicy $810 million. 

However, by the time the final curtain falls on this epic tour, it's anticipated to gross over $1 billion. If so, Coldplay will make history as the first band to achieve the feat of passing the billion-dollar gross mark (not factoring in inflation).

A Bigger Bang Tour: $861 million

Featuring for the third and final time is The Rolling Stones and their  A Bigger Bang Tour , which took place from 2005 to 2007. At the time, the monumental tour was the second highest-grossing concert tour by a band, and it's also The Rolling Stones' highest-grossing tour to date. 

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, and the late, great Charlie Watts played an impressive 147 shows spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. The tour attracted 4.7 million fans and grossed a grand total of $558 million. In today's money, that's a spectacular $861 million. 

÷ Tour: $962 million

Next up, we have Ed Sheeran's ÷ Tour , pronounced "the Divide Tour," which ran between 2017 and 2019. The British singer-songwriter sold an incredible 8.9 million tickets and played an epic 260 shows across six continents.  

An astonishing success, the tour grossed $776 million, which is a phenomenal $962 million in today's money. During his juggernaut trek around the globe, Sheeran made history as the first artist to perform solo at London's iconic Wembley Stadium for four consecutive, sold-out nights in June 2018.

Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour: $980 million

Elton John's epic  Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour , which began in September 2018 and wrapped up in July 2023, marked the legendary British singer-songwriter's final global trek before retiring from life on the road. The veteran superstar played a staggering 330 shows across Oceania, Europe, and North America, attended by a grand total of 6.1 million adoring fans.

Unsurprisingly, this epic swan song grossed an astronomical $939.1 million, which equates to $980 million in 2024 money. These jaw-dropping figures confirm Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour as the second-highest-grossing tour by a solo artist of all time.

However, one solo star has managed to dethrone Sir Elton and claim the top spot (no prizes for guessing who).

360° Tour: $1 billion

U2's groundbreaking 360° Tour , which ran between 2009 and 2011, reigns supreme as the highest-grossing concert tour of all time by a band (with Coldplay primed to claim the title later this year). The legendary Irish band embarked on a gargantuan global adventure that included 110 shows in 30 countries across North America, Europe, Oceania, Africa, and South America.

The tour was attended by a staggering 7.3 million fans and grossed a total of $736 million. In today's money, that's a cool $1 billion.

The Eras Tour: $1 billion

Claiming the top spot on our round-up is Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour , which kicked off in March 2023 and is set to wrap up its record-shattering run this December. By the end of the landmark tour, the pop megastar will  Shake It Off during 152 performances across five continents.

These epic three-hour extravaganzas see Swift belt out her biggest hits from all 11 studio albums, taking her fans on a journey through each era of her illustrious career. In December 2023, The Eras Tour crossed an unprecedented $1 billion threshold, claiming the title of the highest-grossing concert tour of all time and becoming the first tour to ever surpass the billion-dollar mark.

By the time the final curtain falls,  Variety projects it will have grossed an eye-watering $1.4 billion in ticket sales alone, further confirming Swift's status as a global entertainment icon to be reckoned with.

Now discover some of the incredible numbers behind The Eras Tour

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Even without Taylor Swift, 2024 midyear top 10 tours gross is up 83%; Seventeen is the highest-ranking Asian act

Although taylor swift's eras tour is the first to gross over the billion mark, her concert numbers weren't reported to billboard boxscore..

2024 is merely crossing the midyear mark, but it's already proved to be a considerably king-sized year vis-a-vis the grosses of the concert industry, reflecting a staggering spike from last year's cumulative tally.

According to Billboard Boxscore's midyear recap, the Top 10 tours of the year thus far have already racked up unprecedented collections, which have gone up 83% from last year's combined grosses. Billboard's analysis only takes into account global data voluntarily reported to Boxscore by promoters, venues and artists. What may strike one as a shocking plot twist in these revelations is that these numbers don't include Taylor Swift 's sales information for the Eras Tour because the ‘Anti-Hero’ songstress didn't report those grosses. The pop diva played 26 shows across South America, Australia and Asia during the tally period.

Despite those missing figures, the 83% spike represents the top 10 tours, including talents like U2, Pink, Madonna, Coldplay and others, scoring total combined grosses surpassing $1.5 billion. Billboard Boxscore's midyear tally recorded data for these top 10 concert tours from October 1, 2023, to March 30, 2024.

Also read | BTS announces cryptic 2024 Festa timeline for 11th debut anniversary

The historic milestone for the concert industry also documented 8 out of the top 10 tours crossing the $100 million gross mark this year. However, only two tours (Elton John and Harry Styles ) achieved this feat in last year's midpoint records.

As far as Billboard's genre breakdown is concerned, rock and pop dominated the list, with country tailing behind them.

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour impact

The significantly startling fact here is that if Taylor Swift's Eras Tour records were to be included in the midpoint analysis, being cognisant of the reality that her shows have already concocted the highest-grossing tour of all time, the numbers would have skyrocketed off the roof. According to Pollstar's estimations, The Eras Tour is the first concert series to eclipse the $1 billion mark in total gross. Moreover, Swift's tour achieved this milestone in December 2023, while her world tour schedule is far from over.

Not only Taylor Swift, but even Beyonce led the concert landscape with her Renaissance shows, leaving Pollstar with no choice but to declare 2023 the “historic golden age” for such tours.

Also read | HT Exclusive: Kino reveals K-pop's ‘strength & weakness,’ Pentagon's ‘lifelong commitment' on solo rebirth with ‘Naked’

Top tours of 2024 (so far)

Irish rock band U2 led the chart period. During this time, the group performed 38 shows and grossed $231.6 million from the Las Vegas Sphere residency alone.

Next up, Pink and Madonna are the second and third-highest-grossing acts, respectively. While the former amassed $196 million from 42 shows, the latter secured $190.6 million from 67 dates of her 80-day Celebration Tour during that chart period.

Here's the complete list of the Top 10 tours recorded during the 6 months:

K-pop groups on Billboard's Boxscore midyear recap 2024

The 13-member South Korean boy group SEVENTEEN earned the top rank among K-pop tours as the act's reported concerted welcomed 552k fans, grossing $67.5 million from 13 shows in 5 Asian countries. Overall, the ‘Maestro’ hitmaker ranked the 16th largest tour, taking the cake as the highest-ranking Asian presence on the chart.

Seventeen's label-mates under the multi-label system of HYBE Corporation, ENHYPEN, was the overall 34th biggest tour at the midyear point. The K-pop septet grossed $35.5 million from 18 reported shows, with 198k attendees.

Lastly, girl group TWICE, formed and managed by JYP Entertainment, was the only Asian female act to rank on the chart. The nonet earned the 46th spot on the ranking tally upon bringing in 220k fans and grossing $24.2 million from only five reported shows.

• Taylor Swift

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