Draft:2019 Rapture Tour
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2019 Rapture Tour was a series of five sold-out stadium concerts by American rapper Eminem, held in Australia and New Zealand in February and March 2019.[1][2] The tour supported his 2018 album Kamikaze and included shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Wellington. It also marked Eminem's first performances in Perth and Wellington.[3][4]
Submission declined on 25 March 2026 by ChrysGalley (talk).
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
|  |
This draft is not adequately supported by reliable sources. Wikipedia's verifiability policy requires that all content be supported by reliable sources.
This draft's references do not show that the subject meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion. The draft requires multiple published secondary sources that:
Declined by MCE89 4 months ago.
| |
Comment: Concerns of previous reviewers have not been addresses. Just some external links were added. ChrysGalley (talk) 19:36, 25 March 2026 (UTC)
- Comment: There are still signs of clear AI-generated text and failed verification throughout the draft. To give one example, does not support the claim
Across seven shows performed in 2019, the tour grossed approximately $42.8 million, with the five Oceania dates accounting for about $34.9 million.
MCE89 (talk) 14:34, 14 December 2025 (UTC)
 | This is a draft article. It is a work in progress open to editing by anyone. Please ensure core content policies are met before publishing it as a live Wikipedia article. Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL Last edited by ChrysGalley (talk | contribs) 30 days ago. (Update)
Finished drafting? |
The tour was attended by more than 304,000 people, making it Eminem’s largest run in Australia and New Zealand to date. It also set new concert attendance records at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Wellington’s Westpac Stadium.[5][6] Supporting acts on the tour included Hilltop Hoods, Royce da 5'9", and Boogie.[7] The setlist combined long-standing hits with newer material from Kamikaze.[8]
Background
The 2019 Rapture Tour was the second installment of Eminem’s Rapture concert series in Australia and New Zealand, following the 2014 edition. Anticipation for Eminem’s return to the region was high, as the rapper had not toured Oceania since 2014. The 2019 run ultimately became his most attended series of concerts in the region, drawing more than 300,000 fans and breaking multiple venue records.[9]
Context and motivation
The tour supported Eminem's tenth studio album, Kamikaze, released in August 2018. The album debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart and was widely discussed in the lead-up to the tour, contributing to strong demand for tickets.[10]
The 2019 shows marked Eminem’s fourth series of concerts in Australia and New Zealand since 2001, reflecting a long-standing and consistent audience base in the region.[11]
The tour also coincided with the 20th anniversary of The Slim Shady LP, which influenced the structure of the setlist, combining early-career material with songs from Kamikaze.[12]
Tour planning and production
The 2019 tour was promoted by TEG Dainty, continuing their long-running association with Eminem’s concert tours in Oceania.[13] The itinerary introduced new locations to Eminem’s touring history, including his first performances in Perth and Wellington.[14]
The concerts featured large-scale staging and visual production, notably a custom LED video system incorporating more than 13 million pixels designed to support cinematic and high-resolution visuals.[15]
Supporting acts for the tour were selected by Eminem and included Royce da 5'9", Boogie, and Australian hip-hop group Hilltop Hoods.[16]
Legacy
The 2019 Rapture Tour reinforced Eminem’s strong commercial presence in Oceania. The run drew more than 300,000 attendees, broke attendance records at several major venues, and was widely reported as one of the most successful hip-hop concert runs in the region that year.[17]
Opening acts
The opening acts for all dates of Eminem's 2019 Rapture Tour in Australia and New Zealand were Australian hip-hop group Hilltop Hoods and American rappers Royce da 5'9" and Boogie. Each of the three artists performed at every show on the tour.[18][19]
Tour organisers and venue announcements noted that the support lineup was personally selected by Eminem.[20]
Featured artists
- Hilltop Hoods — The Australian hip-hop trio served as the primary local support act throughout the entire tour.[21]
- Royce da 5'9" — A long-time Eminem collaborator and member of Bad Meets Evil. Royce also appeared on the Kamikaze track "Not Alike".[22]
- Boogie — A Shady Records artist whose debut album Everything's for Sale was released shortly before the tour and includes a collaboration with Eminem.[23]
The supporting acts appeared in a consistent running order across all concerts: Boogie opened first, followed by Royce da 5'9", with Hilltop Hoods performing directly before Eminem, who headlined each show.[24]
Setlist
Eminem's 2019 Rapture Tour featured a 32-song setlist combining material from Kamikaze, earlier catalogue highlights, and several collaborative performances. The setlist remained largely consistent across all dates in Australia and New Zealand.[25][26]
Guest vocalist Skylar Grey appeared at multiple shows to perform her collaborative tracks, while opening acts Royce da 5'9" and Boogie joined Eminem for their featured songs.[27][28]
Standard setlist
The typical setlist for the 2019 Rapture Tour consisted of the following 32 songs:
- "Greatest"
- "Won't Back Down"
- "3 a.m."
- "Square Dance"
- "Kill You"
- "White America"
- "Rap God"
- "Sing for the Moment"
- "Like Toy Soldiers"
- "Lucky You"
- "Forever"
- "Just Don't Give a Fuck"
- "Fall"
- "Criminal"
- "The Way I Am"
- "Majesty"
- "Berzerk"
- "Till I Collapse"
- "Cinderella Man"
- "River"
- "My Name Is"
- "The Real Slim Shady"
- "Without Me"
- "Not Afraid"
Collaborative performances included:
- Skylar Grey – "Walk on Water", "Stan", "Love the Way You Lie", "The Monster"
- Royce da 5'9" – "Caterpillar", "Fast Lane"
- Boogie – "Rainy Days"
Encore
Tour dates
The 2019 Rapture Tour consisted of five sold-out stadium shows across Australia and New Zealand between February and March 2019.[31][32] The run included Eminem's first-ever performances in both Perth and Wellington.[33]
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 February 2019 | Brisbane | Australia | Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre |
| 22 February 2019 | Sydney | Australia | ANZ Stadium |
| 24 February 2019 | Melbourne | Australia | Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) |
| 27 February 2019 | Perth | Australia | Optus Stadium |
| 2 March 2019 | Wellington | New Zealand | Westpac Stadium |
Critical reception
The 2019 Rapture Tour received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics across Australia and New Zealand, with praise directed at Eminem’s energy, technical skill, large-scale production, and ability to command stadium-sized crowds.
Reviewers repeatedly emphasized the power and intensity of Eminem’s performance, describing the shows as “breathless, exhilarating and seriously loud from start to finish”.[37] Critics highlighted his “athletic” stage presence, noting that even in his mid-40s he maintained exceptional stamina throughout the two-hour set.[38]
Eminem's lyrical precision was widely praised. Performances of “Rap God” and his rapid-fire verse on “Majesty” were singled out as proof that he had “lost none of his potency or verbal dexterity”.[39]
Reviewers also commended the tour's large-scale production, describing it as a cinematic stadium experience featuring massive LED screens, pyrotechnics, and tightly coordinated visuals.[40] Although some noted occasional moments where backing vocals or effects overpowered certain verses, the overall sound design and staging were considered impressive.
The 32-song setlist also received strong acclaim for balancing classic hits with material from Kamikaze. Guest vocalist Skylar Grey was frequently highlighted for her “mesmeric” and “spine-tingling” performances on “Stan”, “Love the Way You Lie”, and “The Monster”.[41] Critics also praised appearances by Royce da 5'9" and Boogie, who joined Eminem during their collaborative tracks.[42]
Reviewers noted Eminem's connection with the crowd, observing that he addressed fans as “family” and reflected on his career and influences, creating what some described as a powerful generational moment.[43] New Zealand media similarly reported overwhelming praise, calling the Wellington show “historic” and noting the massive turnout at Westpac Stadium.[44]
Overall, critics agreed that the 2019 Rapture Tour was a major artistic and commercial triumph, reinforcing Eminem's continued relevance and confirming his ability to deliver stadium-level performances at the highest level.[45]
Commercial performance
The 2019 Rapture Tour was a major commercial success, with all dates selling out and multiple attendance records broken across Australia and New Zealand.[46]
Total gross revenue: Across seven shows performed in 2019, the tour grossed approximately $42.8 million, with the five Oceania dates accounting for about $34.9 million.[47]
Total attendance: The five stadium shows in Australia and New Zealand drew a combined 304,016 attendees, all of which sold out.[48]
Highest-grossing single show: Eminem’s concert at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on 24 February 2019 earned over $8.7 million, which was reported as the highest-grossing rap concert at the time.[49]
Record-breaking achievements
The tour set several venue attendance records, including:
- Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG): 80,708 attendees, surpassing the stadium’s previous concert attendance record set in 2009.[50]
- Wellington Stadium (Westpac Stadium): 46,474 attendees, the largest crowd in the venue’s history and the fastest sell-out on record.[51][52]
The tour’s overall attendance and revenue exceeded those of the Rapture Tour (2014), which drew approximately 201,355 fans across four shows.[53]
- Reliable sources include: reputable newspapers, magazines, academic journals, and books from respected publishers.
- Unacceptable sources include: personal blogs, social media, predatory publishers, most tabloids, and websites where anyone can contribute.
Replace any unreliable sources with high-quality sources. If you cannot find a reliable source for the material, it should be removed.