List of highest-grossing concert tours
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a list of concert tours that have generated the most gross income. The data and rankings come largely from reports made by trade publications Billboard and Pollstar. Billboard, which launched the boxscore ranking in 1975 through Amusement Business, has featured the ranking on its own magazine since October 3, 1981.[1] Pollstar began reporting data on November 29, 1981,[2] but it has relatively little information about pre-2000 tours.[3] In the 21st century, tour revenue skyrocketed, as record sales collapsed and musicians began relying on live shows for their income.[4]
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The first tours to surpass $100 million were Michael Jackson's Bad World Tour and Pink Floyd's Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour, both running from 1987 until 1989. Tina Turner became the first female act to achieve the feat, with her Wildest Dreams Tour (1996–1997). Pollstar estimated that Taylor Swift's Eras Tour was the first to collect $1 billion in 2023,[5][6] though Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour became the first to officially report the number in August 2024.[7] The Eras Tour concluded in December 2024 with $2.07 billion, becoming the first tour to reach $2 billion.[8]
The Rolling Stones set the all-time record for touring revenue three times (1990, 1995 and 2006), more than any other act. Their Voodoo Lounge Tour remained the highest-grossing tour of all time for 11 years (1995–2006), longer than any other record-holder. They are the only musicians to achieve the highest-grossing tour of the decade twice, in the 1990s and the 2000s. The Rolling Stones and U2 have mounted the highest-grossing tour of the year eight times each, more than any other act. Some of the highest-grossing tours had extensive schedules. Inside the Top 20, Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road is the longest (330 shows in five years), while Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour is the shortest (56 shows in a single year).
Highest-grossing tours
| † | Indicates an ongoing tour |
| * | Indicates a tour with dates split between two different calendar decades |
Ed Sheeran on the +−=÷× Tour
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| Rank | Peak | Actual gross | Adjusted gross (in 2025 dollars) |
Artist | Tour title | Year | Shows | Average gross |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | $2,077,618,725 | $2,132,275,503 | Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | 2023–2024 | 149 | $13,943,750 | [8] |
| 2 | 2 | $1,524,423,018 | $1,524,423,018 | Coldplay | Music of the Spheres World Tour | 2022–2025 | 223 | $6,835,978 | [9] |
| 3 | 1 | $939,100,000 | $992,332,077 | Elton John | Farewell Yellow Brick Road | 2018–2023 | 330 | $2,845,758 | [10] |
| 4 | 4 | $875,700,000 | $875,700,000 | Ed Sheeran | +−=÷× Tour | 2022–2025 | 169 | $5,181,657 | [11] |
| 5 | 1 | $776,200,000 | $977,448,262 | Ed Sheeran | ÷ Tour | 2017–2019 | 255 | $3,043,922 | [12] |
| 6 | 1 | $736,421,586 | $1,053,976,160 | U2 | 360° Tour | 2009–2011 | 110 | $6,694,742 | [13] |
| 7 | 6 | $729,700,000 | $729,700,000 | Bruce Springsteen · E Street Band | 2023–2025 Tour | 2023–2025 | 129 | $5,656,589 | [14] |
| 8 | 8 | $693,269,933 | $693,269,933 | The Weeknd | After Hours til Dawn Tour † | 2022–2026 | 110 | $6,796,764 | [A] |
| 9 | 4 | $617,325,000 | $652,317,538 | Harry Styles | Love On Tour | 2021–2023 | 169 | $3,652,811 | [17] |
| 10 | 8 | $584,700,000 | $600,081,945 | Pink | Summer Carnival | 2023–2024 | 97 | $6,027,835 | [18] |
| 11 | 3 | $584,200,000 | $735,667,708 | Guns N' Roses | Not in This Lifetime... Tour | 2016–2019 | 158 | $3,697,468 | [19] |
| 12 | 7 | $579,879,268 | $612,749,227 | Beyoncé | Renaissance World Tour | 2023 | 56 | $10,353,571 | [20] |
| 13 | 13 | $563,000,000 | $577,811,075 | Rammstein | Stadium Tour | 2019–2024 | 141 | $3,992,908 | [21] |
| 14 | 1 | $558,255,524 | $866,814,668 | The Rolling Stones | A Bigger Bang Tour | 2005–2007 | 144 | $3,876,774 | [22] |
| 15 | 5 | $546,500,000 | $649,316,898 | The Rolling Stones | No Filter Tour | 2017–2021 | 58 | $9,422,414 | [23] |
| 16 | 3 | $523,033,675 | $686,987,620 | Coldplay | A Head Full of Dreams Tour | 2016–2017 | 114 | $4,588,015 | [24] |
| 17 | 17 | $517,500,000 | $517,500,000 | Metallica | M72 World Tour † | 2023–2026 | 70 | $7,392,857 | [B] |
| 18 | 3 | $459,000,000 | $634,403,571 | Roger Waters | The Wall Live | 2010–2013 | 219 | $2,094,401 | [27] |
| 19 | 3 | $441,900,000 | $652,431,329 | AC/DC | Black Ice World Tour | 2008–2010 | 165 | $2,678,182 | [28] |
| 20 | 8 | $430,000,000 | $541,487,700 | Metallica | WorldWired Tour | 2016–2019 | 143 | $3,006,993 | [29] |
Timeline of the highest-grossing tour
| Year | Record gross | Adjusted gross (in 2025 dollars) |
Artist | Tour title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | $75,000,000 | $232,423,126 | The Jacksons | Victory Tour | [30] |
| 1985 | $90,000,000 | $269,415,223 | Bruce Springsteen · E Street Band | Born in the U.S.A. Tour | [31] |
| 1989 | $125,000,000 | $324,664,430 | Michael Jackson | Bad World Tour | [32] |
| $135,000,000 | $350,637,584 | Pink Floyd | A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour | [33] | |
| 1990 | $175,000,000 | $431,259,552 | The Rolling Stones | Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour | [34] |
| 1994 | $250,000,000 | $543,051,190 | Pink Floyd | The Division Bell Tour | [35] |
| 1995 | $320,000,000 | $676,130,159 | The Rolling Stones | Voodoo Lounge Tour | [36] |
| 2006 | $333,000,000 | $531,821,558 | U2 | Vertigo Tour | [37] |
| $437,000,000 | $697,915,979 | The Rolling Stones | A Bigger Bang Tour | [38] | |
| 2007 | $558,255,524 | $866,814,668 | [22] | ||
| 2011 | $736,421,586 | $1,053,976,160 | U2 | 360° Tour | [13] |
| 2019 | $776,200,000 | $977,448,262 | Ed Sheeran | ÷ Tour | [12] |
| 2023 | $939,100,000 | $992,332,077 | Elton John | Farewell Yellow Brick Road | [10] |
| $1,039,263,762 | $1,098,173,536 | Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | [5] | |
| 2024 | $2,077,618,725 | $2,132,275,503 | [8] |
Highest-grossing tours by decade
1980s
Michael Jackson on the Bad World Tour
David Bowie on the Glass Spider Tour
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| Rank | Actual gross | Adjusted gross (in 2025 dollars) |
Artist | Tour title | Year | Shows | Average gross |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $135,000,000 | $350,637,584 | Pink Floyd | A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour | 1987–1989 | 197 | $685,279 | [33] |
| 2 | $125,000,000 | $324,664,430 | Michael Jackson | Bad World Tour | 1987–1989 | 123 | $1,016,260 | [32] |
| 3 | $98,000,000 | $254,536,913 | The Rolling Stones | Steel Wheels Tour | 1989 * | 60 | $1,633,333 | [C] |
| 4 | $90,000,000 | $269,415,223 | Bruce Springsteen · E Street Band | Born in the U.S.A. Tour | 1984–1985 | 156 | $576,923 | [31] |
| 5 | $86,000,000 | $243,717,047 | David Bowie | Glass Spider Tour | 1987 | 86 | $1,000,000 | [40] |
| 6 | $75,000,000 | $232,423,126 | The Jacksons | Victory Tour | 1984 | 55 | $1,363,636 | [30] |
| 7 | $60,000,000 | $170,035,149 | Genesis | Invisible Touch Tour | 1986–1987 | 111 | $540,541 | [41] |
| 8 | $60,000,000 | $163,337,085 | Tina Turner | Break Every Rule World Tour | 1987–1988 | 220 | $272,727 | [42] |
| 9 | $56,000,000 | $158,699,473 | U2 | The Joshua Tree Tour | 1987 | 109 | $513,761 | [43] |
| 10 | $50,000,000 | $177,068,082 | The Rolling Stones | American Tour 1981 | 1981 | 50 | $1,000,000 | [44] |
1990s
U2 on the PopMart Tour
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| Rank | Actual gross | Adjusted gross (in 2025 dollars) |
Artist | Tour title | Year | Shows | Average gross |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $320,000,000 | $676,130,159 | The Rolling Stones | Voodoo Lounge Tour | 1994–1995 | 129 | $2,480,620 | [36] |
| 2 | $274,000,000 | $541,231,115 | The Rolling Stones | Bridges to Babylon Tour | 1997–1998 | 108 | $2,537,037 | [45] |
| 3 | $250,000,000 | $543,051,190 | Pink Floyd | The Division Bell Tour | 1994 | 110 | $2,272,727 | [35] |
| 4 | $173,610,864 | $344,314,933 | U2 | PopMart Tour | 1997–1998 | 93 | $1,866,783 | [46] |
| 5 | $165,000,000 | $330,923,507 | Michael Jackson | HIStory World Tour | 1996–1997 | 83 | $1,987,952 | [47] |
| 6 | $152,900,000 | $313,878,103 | Eagles | Hell Freezes Over Tour | 1994–1996 | 122 | $1,274,107 | [D] |
| 7 | $151,000,000 | $336,541,120 | U2 | Zoo TV Tour | 1992–1993 | 157 | $961,783 | [50] |
| 8 | $133,000,000 | $257,046,544 | Celine Dion | Let's Talk About Love World Tour | 1998–1999 | 97 | $1,371,134 | [51] |
| 9 | $130,000,000 | $260,727,612 | Tina Turner | Wildest Dreams Tour | 1996–1997 | 255 | $509,804 | [52] |
| 10 | $105,000,000 | $207,406,084 | Garth Brooks | The Garth Brooks World Tour | 1996–1998 | 220 | $477,273 | [53] |
2000s
Madonna on the Sticky & Sweet Tour
U2 on the Vertigo Tour
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| Rank | Actual gross | Adjusted gross (in 2025 dollars) |
Artist | Tour title | Year | Shows | Average gross |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $558,255,524 | $866,814,668 | The Rolling Stones | A Bigger Bang Tour | 2005–2007 | 144 | $3,876,774 | [22] |
| 2 | $411,000,000 | $616,786,878 | Madonna | Sticky & Sweet Tour | 2008–2009 | 85 | $4,835,294 | [3] |
| 3 | $389,000,000 | $621,257,016 | U2 | Vertigo Tour | 2005–2006 | 131 | $2,969,466 | [54] |
| 4 | $358,825,665 | $536,574,700 | The Police | Reunion Tour | 2007–2008 | 146 | $2,457,710 | [55] |
| 5 | $311,637,730 | $467,674,118 | U2 | 360° Tour | 2009 * | 44 | $7,082,676 | [E] |
| 6 | $311,000,000 | $544,306,259 | The Rolling Stones | Licks Tour | 2002–2003 | 117 | $2,658,120 | [45] |
| 7 | $279,200,000 | $418,994,881 | Celine Dion | Taking Chances World Tour | 2008–2009 | 129 | $2,164,341 | [F] |
| 8 | $264,100,000 | $396,334,342 | AC/DC | Black Ice World Tour | 2008–2009 * | 127 | $2,079,528 | [G] |
| 9 | $250,000,000 | $412,123,019 | Cher | Living Proof: The Farewell Tour | 2002–2005 | 325 | $769,231 | [H] |
| 10 | $235,000,000 | $351,410,355 | Bruce Springsteen · E Street Band | Magic Tour | 2007–2008 | 104 | $2,259,615 | [64] |
2010s
Ed Sheeran on the ÷ Tour
Coldplay on the Head Full of Dreams Tour
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| Rank | Actual gross | Adjusted gross (in 2025 dollars) |
Artist | Tour title | Year | Shows | Average gross |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $776,200,000 | $977,448,262 | Ed Sheeran | ÷ Tour | 2017–2019 | 255 | $3,043,922 | [12] |
| 2 | $584,200,000 | $735,667,708 | Guns N' Roses | Not in This Lifetime... Tour | 2016–2019 | 158 | $3,697,468 | [19] |
| 3 | $523,033,675 | $686,987,620 | Coldplay | A Head Full of Dreams Tour | 2016–2017 | 114 | $4,588,015 | [24] |
| 4 | $459,000,000 | $634,403,571 | Roger Waters | The Wall Live | 2010–2013 | 219 | $2,094,401 | [27] |
| 5 | $430,000,000 | $541,487,700 | Metallica | WorldWired Tour | 2016–2019 | 143 | $3,006,993 | [29] |
| 6 | $424,783,856 | $607,956,184 | U2 | 360° Tour | 2010–2011 * | 66 | $6,436,119 | [E] |
| 7 | $415,600,000 | $523,354,159 | The Rolling Stones | No Filter Tour | 2017–2019 * | 44 | $9,445,455 | [65] |
| 8 | $397,300,000 | $500,309,449 | Pink | Beautiful Trauma World Tour | 2018–2019 | 156 | $2,546,795 | [66] |
| 9 | $396,100,000 | $507,854,161 | Bruno Mars | 24K Magic World Tour | 2017–2018 | 191 | $2,073,822 | [67] |
| 10 | $390,778,581 | $513,274,881 | U2 | The Joshua Tree Tours 2017 & 2019 | 2017 · 2019 | 66 | $5,920,888 | [68] |
2020s
Harry Styles on the Love On Tour
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| Rank | Actual gross | Adjusted gross (in 2025 dollars) |
Artist | Tour title | Year | Shows | Average gross |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,077,618,725 | $2,132,275,503 | Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | 2023–2024 | 149 | $13,943,750 | [8] |
| 2 | $1,524,423,018 | $1,524,423,018 | Coldplay | Music of the Spheres World Tour | 2022–2025 | 223 | $6,835,978 | [9] |
| 3 | $875,700,000 | $875,700,000 | Ed Sheeran | +–=÷× Tour | 2022–2025 | 169 | $5,181,657 | [11] |
| 4 | $729,700,000 | $729,700,000 | Bruce Springsteen · E Street Band | 2023–2025 Tour | 2023–2025 | 129 | $5,656,589 | [14] |
| 5 | $693,269,933 | $693,269,933 | The Weeknd | After Hours til Dawn Tour † | 2022–2025 | 110 | $6,302,454 | [A] |
| 6 | $617,325,000 | $652,317,538 | Harry Styles | Love On Tour | 2021–2023 | 169 | $3,652,663 | [17] |
| 7 | $584,700,000 | $600,081,945 | Pink | Summer Carnival | 2023–2024 | 97 | $6,027,835 | [18] |
| 8 | $579,800,000 | $612,665,465 | Beyoncé | Renaissance World Tour | 2023 | 56 | $10,353,571 | [69] |
| 9 | $517,500,000 | $517,500,000 | Metallica | M72 World Tour † | 2023–2025 | 70 | $7,392,857 | [B] |
| 10 | $471,400,000 | $498,120,904 | Elton John | Farewell Yellow Brick Road | 2020–2023 * | 136 | $3,466,176 | [I] |
Highest-grossing tours by year
This list represents the top-grossing tour of each year according to data provided by either Pollstar or Billboard Boxscore (formerly Amusement Business). The two publications may differ on their annual figures due to different total of dates reported or different year-end tracking period. For example, Pollstar listed Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour as the top tour of 2008 with $281.6 million, but Billboard ranked it third on their year-end chart whose tracking period ended on November 11, 2008, thus excluding 20 shows by Madonna.[73][74] In 2019, Billboard listed Ed Sheeran's ÷ Tour as the top tour of the year ($223.7 million), instead of Pink's Beautiful Trauma World Tour ($215.2 million) as reported by Pollstar. However, Billboard's figure included Sheeran's gross from November 2018 shows; therefore, Pollstar's figure is closer to accurate for the 2019 calendar year.[75][76]
U2 on the Joshua Tree Tour 2017, the most recent of their eight that achieved highest-grossing tour of the year
The Rolling Stones on the No Filter Tour, the most recent of their eight that achieved highest-grossing tour of the year
Madonna on the MDNA Tour, the most recent of her three that achieved highest-grossing tour of the year
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| Year | Actual gross | Adjusted gross (in 2025 dollars) |
Artist | Tour title | Shows | Average gross |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | $35,100,000 | $99,470,562 | U2 | The Joshua Tree Tour | 79 | $444,304 | [77] |
| 1988 | $27,600,000 | $75,135,059 | Pink Floyd | A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour | 35 | $788,571 | [78] |
| 1989 | $98,000,000 | $254,536,913 | The Rolling Stones | Steel Wheels Tour | 60 | $1,633,333 | [39] |
| 1990 | $74,100,000 | $182,607,616 | New Kids on the Block | The Magic Summer Tour | 152 | $487,500 | [79] |
| 1991 | $34,700,000 | $82,023,577 | Grateful Dead | Summer Tour | 76 | $456,579 | [80] |
| 1992 | $67,000,000 | $153,717,097 | U2 | Zoo TV Tour | 73 | $917,808 | [81] |
| 1993 | $45,600,000 | $101,630,961 | Grateful Dead | Grateful Dead Tour 1993 | 81 | $562,963 | [82] |
| 1994 | $121,200,000 | $263,271,217 | The Rolling Stones | Voodoo Lounge Tour | 60 | $2,020,000 | [83] |
| 1995 | $225,668,374 | $476,816,230 | 84 | $2,686,528 | [84] | ||
| 1996 | $60,300,000 | $123,785,805 | Eagles | Hell Freezes Over Tour | 45 | $1,340,000 | [85] |
| 1997 | $138,500,000 | $277,775,187 | U2 | PopMart Tour | 78 | $1,775,641 | [86] |
| 1998 | $193,350,000 | $381,923,489 | The Rolling Stones | Bridges to Babylon Tour | 82 | $2,357,927 | [87] |
| 1999 | $89,200,000 | $172,395,126 | No Security Tour | 45 | $1,982,222 | [88] | |
| 2000 | $122,500,000 | $229,021,739 | Tina Turner | Twenty Four Seven Tour | 108 | $1,134,259 | [89] |
| 2001 | $143,000,000 | $260,012,216 | U2 | Elevation Tour | 113 | $1,265,487 | [90] |
| 2002 | $126,100,000 | $225,720,167 | Paul McCartney | Driving World Tour | 58 | $2,174,138 | [91] |
| 2003 | $299,520,230 | $524,214,585 | The Rolling Stones | Licks Tour | 115 | $2,604,524 | [92] |
| 2004 | $125,000,000 | $213,068,182 | Madonna | Re-Invention World Tour | 56 | $2,232,143 | [93] |
| 2005 | $260,000,000 | $428,607,940 | U2 | Vertigo Tour | 90 | $2,888,889 | [94] |
| 2006 | $425,100,000 | $678,910,944 | The Rolling Stones | A Bigger Bang Tour | 110 | $3,864,545 | [95] |
| 2007 | $212,227,302 | $329,529,634 | The Police | Reunion Tour | 66 | $3,215,565 | [96] |
| 2008 | $281,600,000 | $421,094,281 | Madonna | Sticky & Sweet Tour | 58 | $4,855,172 | [59] |
| 2009 | $311,637,730 | $467,674,118 | U2 | 360° Tour | 44 | $7,082,676 | [56] |
| 2010 | $201,100,000 | $296,908,668 | Bon Jovi | The Circle Tour | 80 | $2,513,750 | [97] |
| 2011 | $293,281,487 | $419,748,282 | U2 | 360° Tour | 44 | $6,665,488 | [58] |
| 2012 | $305,158,363 | $427,947,117 | Madonna | The MDNA Tour | 88 | $3,467,709 | [45] |
| 2013 | $259,500,000 | $358,666,071 | Bon Jovi | Because We Can | 102 | $2,544,118 | [98] |
| 2014 | $290,000,000 | $394,398,369 | One Direction | Where We Are Tour | 69 | $4,202,899 | [99] |
| 2015 | $250,733,097 | $340,564,750 | Taylor Swift | The 1989 World Tour | 85 | $2,949,801 | [100] |
| 2016 | $268,300,000 | $359,928,245 | Bruce Springsteen · E Street Band | The River Tour 2016 | 76 | $3,530,263 | [101] |
| 2017 | $316,990,940 | $416,357,228 | U2 | The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 | 50 | $6,339,819 | [102] |
| 2018 | $432,400,000 | $554,395,706 | Ed Sheeran | ÷ Tour | 94 | $4,600,000 | [103] |
| 2019 | $215,200,000 | $270,995,705 | Pink | Beautiful Trauma World Tour | 68 | $3,164,706 | [76] |
| 2020 | $87,100,000 | $108,357,014 | Elton John | Farewell Yellow Brick Road | 38 | $2,292,105 | [70] |
| 2021 | $115,500,000 | $137,229,829 | The Rolling Stones | No Filter Tour | 12 | $9,625,000 | [104] |
| 2022 | $342,192,313 | $376,473,804 | Coldplay | Music of the Spheres World Tour | 64 | $5,346,755 | [105] |
| 2023 | $1,039,263,762 | $1,098,173,536 | Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | 60 | $17,321,063 | [5] |
| 2024 | $1,043,421,552 | $1,070,871,276 | 80 | $13,042,769 | [106] | ||
| 2025 | $407,600,113 | $418,323,018 | Beyoncé | Cowboy Carter Tour | 32 | $12,737,504 | [107] |
See also
Notes
- The Weeknd's After Hours til Dawn Tour grossed $693.2 million for 110 shows reported to Pollstar between 2022 and 2025.[15] According to Live Nation, the tour has generated $1.004 billion from 153 shows, including its unrealized 2026 dates.[16]
- Metallica's M72 World Tour grossed $476 million from April 2023 to August 2025 (64 shows).[25] They expanded the number with $41.5 million in November 2025 (6 shows).[26]
- Eagles' Hell Freezes Over Tour grossed $79.4 million in 1994, $63.3 million in 1995, and $10.2 million in 1996.[48][49]
- Celine Dion's Taking Chances World Tour grossed $236.6 million in 2008 and $42.6 million in 2009.[59][60]
- Within the 2000s decade, AC/DC's Black Ice World Tour grossed $37.5 million in 2008 and $226.6 million in 2009.[61][60]
- Cher's Living Proof: The Farewell Tour grossed $194,683,927 from 280 reported shows according to Billboard, bringing an average gross of $695,000 per show.[62] Total gross for the tour's 325 dates is estimated between $200 million and $250 million.[63]
- Within the 2020s decade, Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road grossed $87.1 million in 2020,[70] $274 million in 2022,[71] and $110.3 million in 2023.[72]