2017 was a record-setting year in the concert business, according to data released by Pollstar, the trade publication that covers the worldwide concert industry. The year’s Top 20 tours, led by U2 and Guns N’ Roses, set a new mark for ticket grosses, topping the previous best–in 2016–by a stunning $264 million.
The Top 20 tours brought in $2.66 billion in ticket revenue, none bigger than U2’s The Joshua Tree anniversary tour, which earned a whopping $316 million for its 50 dates in 38 cities. Just behind them were Guns N’ Roses, who took in $292.5 million for their 81 dates in 74 cities. While their overall grosses are close, the average gross per U2 date were a mind-blowing $8.3 million, given the larger seating capacity of their stadium shows.
According to Pollstar, the Top 100 worldwide tours generated a record $5.65 billion in revenues, a whopping 15.8% increase over 2016. That’s partly due to more tickets sold for those tour (+10.4%) and a record average ticket price of $84.63 (up nearly 5%).
Other classic rock acts in the Top 20 included Metallica, Paul McCartney, among many others. The Rolling Stones ranked ninth, despite playing just 14 shows. However, their 2017 #NoFilter European dates had the highest average grosses–a shade under $10 million per concert–thanks to high stadium capacity and their big average ticket price ($158.81). By comparison, U2’s average price was significantly lower: $116.47.
Pollstar notes that 11 tours grossed over $100 million, up from seven in 2016.
2017’s Top 20 Highest Grossing Worldwide Tours
| 38 | Dead & Company | 51.8 |
| 37 | Queen + Adam Lambert | 52.3 |
| 36 | John Mayer | 54.0 |
| 27 | Trans-Siberian Orchestra | 61.5 |
| 24 | Neil Diamond | 63.4 |
| 23 | Elton John | 63.9 |
| 22 | Green Day | 64.0 |
| 21 | Sting | 64.1 |
| 20 | Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers | 64.7 |
| 19 | Ariana Grande | 66.5 |
| 18 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | 73.5 |
| 17 | Tim McGraw/Faith Hill | 79.3 |
| 16 | The Weeknd | 80.0 |
| 15 | Billy Joel | 82.3 |
| 14 | Lady Gaga | 85.7 |
| 13 | Roger Waters | 92.1 |
| 12 | Justin Bieber | 93.7 |
| 11 | Celine Dion | 101.2 |
| 10 | Garth Brooks | 101.4 |
| 9 | The Rolling Stones | 120.0 |
| 8 | Ed Sheeran | 124.1 |
| 7 | Paul McCartney | 132.0 |
| 6 | Depeche Mode | 141.0 |
| 5 | Metallica | 152.8 |
| 4 | Bruno Mars | 200.1 |
| 3 | Coldplay | 238.0 |
| 2 | Guns N’ Roses | 292.5 |
| 1 | U2 | 316.0 |
Fresno, Calif.-based Pollstar tracks major touring acts around the world. Springsteen on Broadway took in a reported $87.8 million but apparently wasn’t deemed a tour for these calculations. (2016’s Top 5 tours were by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Beyoncé, Coldplay, Guns N’ Roses and Adele.)
Related: Listings for 100s of upcoming classic rock tours
Who are the likely candidates to top 2018’s list? Well, U2 begin their eXPERIENCE and iNNOCENCE tour in May. The Eagles have already announced dozens of dates–many at stadiums–and are expected to do somewhere between 40-50. Though Fleetwood Mac haven’t formally announced a tour, Mick Fleetwood and Christine McVie have already told interviewers that they’re planning a world tour.
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