List of most-attended concert tours

The following is a list of the most-attended concert tours with at least 3.5 million ticketed sold, as well as the tours with the most tickets sold by year and the most tickets sold in a single day. The number of attendance is often considered to measure the success of a tour. However, the most-attended tours do not necessarily generate the largest profit due to ticket pricing. Rankings of most successful tours are generally based on gross revenue instead of number of attendance.[1] Pollstar and Billboard provide boxscores which are the primary data showing the commercial performance of tours. However, since not all concerts are reported to those publications, especially prior to the 2000s decade, the number of tickets sold may rely on estimations by other reliable sources.

Ed Sheeran's ÷ Tour is the most-attended tour of all time, with a total of 8.9 million tickets sold in 260 shows

Tours may score a very large attendance in total because of their extensive number of shows which can span multiple calendar years. Currently, Ed Sheeran's ÷ Tour is the most-attended tour of all time, with a total of 8.9 million tickets sold in 260 shows across three different years (2017–2019).[2] It also holds the record for the most-attended tour in a year, attracting 4.86 million people in 2018. U2 scored the annual most-attended tours at least six times since 1997, more than any other act. Meanwhile, Tina Turner, Cher, Madonna and Taylor Swift are the only women having a tour attended by 3.5 million people or more. According to Pollstar and Billboard reports, Taylor Swift is the only woman who has ever achieved the largest tour attendance in a single year.[a] Swift also holds the record for the fastest-selling tour of all time, with a total of 2.4 million tickets sold in a single day for the 2023 U.S. leg of the Eras Tour (2023–2024).

Most-attended tours

Over 5 million attendance

Key
Indicates an ongoing concert tour
Tours attended by 5 million people or more
Year(s)Tour titleArtistTickets soldShowsRef.
2017–2019÷ TourEd Sheeran8.8 million[b]260[2]
2022–2024Music of the Spheres World TourColdplay7.6 million132[4]
2009–2011U2 360° TourU27.3 million110[5]
1994–1995Voodoo Lounge TourThe Rolling Stones6.5 million[c]129[7]
2014–2017The Garth Brooks World Tour (2014–2017)Garth Brooks6.3 million390[8]
2018–2023Farewell Yellow Brick RoadElton John6 million[d]330[10]
1989–1990Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle TourThe Rolling Stones6 million115[11]
2022–2024+–=÷× TourEd Sheeran5.8 million94[12]
1994The Division Bell TourPink Floyd5.5 million112[13]
1996–1998The Garth Brooks World Tour (1996–1998)Garth Brooks5.5 million220[6]
2016–2017A Head Full of Dreams TourColdplay5.38 million114[14]
2016–2019Not in This Lifetime... TourGuns N' Roses5.37 million175[3]
1992–1993Zoo TV TourU25.3 million157[15]
1984–1985Born in the U.S.A. TourBruce Springsteen · E Street Band5 million156[16]
2021–2023Love On TourHarry Styles5 million169[17]

3.5–4.9 million attendance

Tours attended by 3.5 to 4.9 million people
Year(s)Tour titleArtistTickets soldShowsRef.
1997–1998Bridges to Babylon TourThe Rolling Stones4.8 million[e]108[18][better source needed]
2008–2010Black Ice World TourAC/DC4.8 million168[19]
2005–2007A Bigger Bang TourThe Rolling Stones4.7 million147[6]
1996–1997HIStory World TourMichael Jackson4.5 million82[20]
2005–2006Vertigo TourU24.6 million131[21]
1987–1989BadMichael Jackson4.4 million125[22]
2023The Eras TourTaylor Swift4.35 million[a]60[23]
1987–1990A Momentary Lapse of Reason TourPink Floyd4.25 million198[24]
2010–2013The Wall LiveRoger Waters4.1 million220[25]
2016–2019WorldWired TourMetallica4.1 million159[26]
1987–1988Break Every Rule World TourTina Turner4 million218[27]
1997–1998PopMart TourU23.9 million[f]93[19][28]
2012–2013Wrecking Ball World TourBruce Springsteen · E Street Band3.65 million127[g]
1992–1993Dangerous World TourMichael Jackson3.5 million69[31]
2003–2004Licks TourThe Rolling Stones3.5 million117[6]
2008–2009Sticky & Sweet TourMadonna3.5 million85[32]
2014Where We Are TourOne Direction3.5 million[h]69[34]
2002–2005Living Proof: The Farewell TourCher3.5 million[i]325[19]

Most-attended tours by year

U2 frontman Bono at the Joshua Tree Tour 2017, their sixth annual most-attended tour since 1997
Annual most-attended tours according to Pollstar or Billboard
YearArtistTour titleTickets soldSourceTop-grossing
tour of the year
Ref.
1997U2PopMart Tour1.70 millionPollstarYes[36]
1999NSYNCNSYNC in Concert1.80 millionPollstarNo[37]
2000No Strings Attached Tour1.65 millionPollstarNo[37]
2001U2Elevation Tour2.06 millionBillboardYes[38]
2002Dave Matthews BandDave Matthews Band 2002 Tour1.35 millionBillboardNo[39]
2003The Rolling StonesLicks Tour3.47 millionBillboardYes[40]
2004PrinceMusicology Live 2004ever1.47 millionBillboardNo[41]
2005U2Vertigo Tour3.00 millionBillboardYes[42]
2006The Rolling StonesA Bigger Bang Tour3.50 millionBillboardYes[43]
2007The PoliceThe Police Reunion Tour1.85 millionBillboardYes[44]
2008Bon JoviLost Highway Tour2.15 millionBillboardNo[45]
2009U2U2 360° Tour3.07 millionBillboardYes[46]
2010Bon JoviThe Circle Tour1.90 millionPollstarYes[47]
2011U2U2 360° Tour2.88 millionBillboardYes[48]
2012Bruce SpringsteenWrecking Ball World Tour2.28 millionPollstarNo[29]
2013Bon JoviBecause We Can2.65 millionPollstarYes[30]
2014One DirectionWhere We Are Tour3.43 millionPollstarYes[49]
2015On the Road Again Tour2.36 millionPollstarNo[50]
2016ColdplayA Head Full of Dreams Tour2.67 millionPollstarNo[51]
2017U2The Joshua Tree Tour 20172.71 millionPollstarYes[52]
2018Ed Sheeran÷ Tour4.86 millionPollstarYes[53]
20192.45 millionPollstarNo[54]
2020Trans-Siberian OrchestraChristmas Eve and Other Stories Tour0.88 millionPollstarNo[55]
2021Harry StylesLove On Tour0.66 millionPollstarNo[56]
2022ColdplayMusic of the Spheres World Tour3.80 millionPollstarYes[57]
2023Taylor SwiftThe Eras Tour4.35 million[a]PollstarYes[23]

Fastest-selling tours

Taylor Swift at the Eras Tour, the fastest-selling tour ever with 2.4 million tickets sold in a single day
Key
*Indicates previous record holder for the fastest-selling tour
Tours with the most tickets sold in a single day
YearArtistTour titleTickets soldNotesRef.
2023Taylor SwiftThe Eras Tour2.4 millionFirst North American leg[58]
2005Robbie WilliamsClose Encounters Tour*1.6 million[59]
2022ColdplayMusic of the Spheres World Tour1.4 millionSecond European leg[60]
2010Take ThatProgress Live1.3 million[61]
2017U2The Joshua Tree Tour 20171.1 million[62]
2016Guns N' RosesNot in This Lifetime... Tour1.1 million[63]
2000NSYNCNo Strings Attached Tour*1.0 million[64]
2016Bruno Mars24K Magic World Tour1.0 million[65]
2021ColdplayMusic of the Spheres World Tour1.0 millionFirst European leg[66]
2023RBDSoy Rebelde Tour0.8 million[67]
2017Ed Sheeran÷ Tour0.7 millionOceanian leg[68]
2023MadonnaThe Celebration Tour0.6 million[69]
2009AC/DCBlack Ice World Tour0.5 million[70]

See also

Notes

References