Much has been made in regards to the world touring economic system in the previous couple of years. Take, for instance, that excursions grossing over a billion {dollars} is a brand new phenomenon within the 2020s — a benchmark first crossed by Taylor Swift in 2023 together with her landmark Eras Tour and an accomplishment just lately reached by The Weeknd. But who’re the most well-liked touring artists of the final twenty years primarily based on ticket gross sales? The outcomes could shock you.
On Monday, prematurely of Pollstar’s 2025 year-end difficulty, the live performance commerce publication ranked the highest 25 “Most Popular Touring Artists of the Millennium,” primarily based on ticket gross sales from Jan. 1, 2001, to the top of 2025. Leading the listing? Coldplay with 24.8 million tickets bought. Next, is U2, with 20.2 million tickets bought, and Ed Sheeran, with 19.6 million.
Rounding out the highest 5 is Dave Matthews Band, with almost 19.6 million tickets bought, and Swift, with roughly 18.9 million. Keep in thoughts that her debut album was launched in 2006.
Pollstar chart information is pulled from reported and estimated field workplace information from occasions that occurred between 2001 and 2025.
Swift is the one lady featured within the high 10. She’s adopted by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Kenny Chesney, Metallica, Bon Jovi and Elton John.
In truth, there are solely 4 ladies within the high 25: Pink is at No. 11 with almost 13 million tickets. Beyoncé is No. 13 with 11.8 million tickets bought; Madonna is listed at No. 15 with virtually 11 million tickets.
Don’t get it twisted: It needs to be talked about that numbers of tickets bought is a distinct metric than cash grossed.
As beforehand talked about, in 2023, Swift’s Eras Tour turned the primary tour to cross the billion-dollar mark, in accordance with Pollstar’s 2023 year-end charts. Then she broke her personal file: In December 2024, Pollstar introduced that the Eras Tour introduced in $2.2 billion throughout its almost two-year run, extending its lead because the highest-grossing tour of all time.
According to the brand new chart revealed Monday, Swift has grossed over $3.1 billion within the new millennium. Compare that to Coldplay, who leads with most tickets bought, and follows with a gross of almost 2.5 billion.
In September, Pollstar reported that cumulative grosses from Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour reached $1.39 billion. It additionally launched in 2022 and ran by 2025.
And final month, The Weeknd’s After Hours ‘Til Dawn Tour formally crossed the $1 billion mark, in accordance with Live Nation.
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