List of highest-grossing concert tours

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The 360° Tour by U2 is the highest grossing concert tour of all time

This is an incomplete list of the highest-grossing concert tours. Only tours using reliable references and having grossed over $100 million (adjusted for inflation) have been added to the list. Some of the gross may be higher than reported on this list because not all concerts are reported. Billboard and Pollstar regularly provide the official figure of concerts' gross revenue worldwide.

Tours that span multiple decades are included in the decade that they concluded.

In bold, the tours which, when completed, became the highest-grossing of all time.

Highest-grossing tours of all time

This list represents the top 20 grossing tours (by actual gross, not adjusted for inflation) of all time.

Rank Actual gross Inflation
(adjusted 2016 gross)
Artist Tour name Year(s) Shows Attendance Average
gross (millions)
Average
attendance
Ref.
1 $736,421,584 $774,658,859 U2 U2 360° Tour 2009–11 110 7,272,046 6.7 66,110 [1]
2 $558,255,524 $637,097,582 The Rolling Stones A Bigger Bang Tour 2005–07 144 4,680,000 3.8 32,500 [1]
3 $458,673,798 $465,947,054 Roger Waters The Wall Live 2010–13 219 4,129,863 2.09 18,858 [2]
4 $441,121,000 $478,683,264 AC/DC Black Ice World Tour 2008–10 167 4,846,965 2.6 29,023 [3][4][5]
5 $408,000,000 $450,021,405 Madonna Sticky & Sweet Tour 2008–09 85 3,545,899 4.79 41,716 [6]
6 $389,047,636 $456,671,796 U2 Vertigo Tour 2005–06 131 4,619,021 2.96 35,259 [7]
7 $362,000,000 $397,864,297 The Police The Police Reunion Tour 2007–08 156 3,300,912 2.3 21,160 [8]
8 $355,600,000 $361,238,800 Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball World Tour 2012–13 127 3,650,535 2.8 28,744 [9][10]
9 $320,000,000 $496,946,932 The Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge Tour 1994–95 124 6,336,776 2.6 51,103 [11]
10 $311,000,000 $400,058,068 The Rolling Stones Licks Tour 2002–03 115 3,470,945 2.6 30,182 [12]
11 $305,158,363 $314,535,602 Madonna The MDNA Tour 2012 88 2,212,345 3.47 25,140 [12]
12 $290,178,452 $290,056,083 One Direction Where We Are Tour 2014 69 3,439,560 4.2 49,848 [13]
13 $279,200,000 $306,861,082 Celine Dion Taking Chances World Tour 2008–09 132 2,200,000 2.1 16,667 [3][4][14]
14 $275,700,000 $275,700,000 Paul McCartney Out There! Tour 2013–15 84 1,958,754 3.28 23,319 [10][15][16]
15 $274,000,000 $397,797,877 The Rolling Stones Bridges to Babylon Tour 1997–98 108 [12]
16 $259,500,000 $263,614,929 Bon Jovi Because We Can 2013 102 2,657,502 2.67 27,397 [10]
17 $251,112,882 $272,495,606 Eagles Long Road out of Eden Tour 2008–11 155 2,001,773 1.6 12,915 [3][4][5][17]
18 $250,733,097 $250,733,097 Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour 2015 85 2,278,647 3.02 33,477 [18]
19 $250,000,000 $399,135,608 Pink Floyd The Division Bell Tour 1994 120 6,000,000 2.3 45,000 [19]
20 $250,000,000 $302,905,095 Cher Living Proof: The Farewell Tour 2002–05 325 3,500,000 0.6 10,800 [20]

Highest-grossing tours by decade

1980s

Rank Actual gross Inflation
(adjusted 2016 gross)
Artist Tour name Year(s) Shows Attendance Average
gross (millions)
Average
attendance
Ref.
1 $135,000,000 $257,714,094 Pink Floyd A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour 1987–89 199 4,250,000 0.68 21,250 [21][22]
2 $125,738,964 $251,584,067 Michael Jackson Bad 1987–89 123 4,498,300 1.02 36,571 [23][24]
3 $98,000,000 $187,081,342 The Rolling Stones Steel Wheels Tour 1989–90 115 3,253,563 0.85 28,291 [25][26]
4 $86,000,000 $179,128,881 David Bowie Glass Spider Tour 1987 86 3,000,000 1.0 34,884 [27][28]
5 $85,000,000 $187,015,780 Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. Tour 1984–85 156 0.55 [29]
6 $75,000,000 $170,827,995 The Jacksons Victory Tour 1984 55 2,750,000 1.36 50,000 [30]
7 $56,278,095 $117,221,304 U2 The Joshua Tree Tour 1987 109 3,176,952 0.5 29,146 [31]
8 $52,000,000 $135,348,463 The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones American Tour 1981 1981 50 3,000,000 1.04 60,000 [30]

1990s

Rank Actual gross Inflation
(adjusted 2016 gross)
Artist Tour name Year(s) Shows Attendance Average
gross (millions)
Average
attendance
Ref.
1 $320,000,000 $496,946,932 The Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge Tour 1994–95 124 6,336,776 2.6 51,103 [11]
2 $274,000,000 $397,797,877 The Rolling Stones Bridges to Babylon Tour 1997–98 108 [12]
3 $250,000,000 $399,135,608 Pink Floyd The Division Bell Tour 1994 120 6,000,000 2.3 45,000 [19]
4 $171,677,027 $253,067,027 U2 Popmart Tour 1997–98 93 3,936,841 1.8 42,332 [31]
5 $165,000,000 $243,224,502 Michael Jackson HIStory World Tour 1996–97 83 4,500,000 2.01 54,878 [32]
6 $151,000,000 $247,353,375 U2 Zoo TV Tour 1992–93 157 5,350,554 0.96 34,080 [31][33]
7 $142,700,000[lower-alpha 1] $221,607,272 Eagles Hell Freezes Over Tour 1994–95 [34][35]
8 $105,000,000 $152,440,792 Garth Brooks The Garth Brooks World Tour 1996–98 220 5,500,000 0.49 25,346 [36][37]
9 $74,000,000 $134,033,113 New Kids on the Block The Magic Summer Tour 1990 3,291,987 [26]
10 $70,000,000 $114,667,127 Madonna The Girlie Show 1993 39 1.79 [38]
11 $65,000,000 $117,731,788 Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 1990 117 2,000,000 [39][40]
12 $62,700,000 $113,565,894 Madonna Blond Ambition World Tour 1990 57 1.1 [41]

2000s

Rank Actual gross Inflation
(adjusted
2016 gross)
Artist Tour name Year(s) Shows Attendance Average
gross (millions)
Average
attendance
Ref.
1 $558,255,524 $637,097,582 The Rolling Stones A Bigger Bang Tour 2005–07 144 4,680,000 3.8 32,500 [1]
2 $408,000,000 $450,021,405 Madonna Sticky & Sweet Tour 2008–09 85 3,545,899 4.79 41,716 [6]
3 $389,047,636 $456,671,796 U2 Vertigo Tour 2005–06 131 4,619,021 2.96 35,259 [7]
4 $362,000,000 $397,864,297 The Police The Police Reunion Tour 2007–08 156 3,300,912 2.3 21,160 [8]
5 $311,000,000 $400,058,068 The Rolling Stones Licks Tour 2002–03 115 3,470,945 2.6 30,182 [12]
6 $279,200,000 $306,861,082 Celine Dion Taking Chances Tour 2008–09 132 2,600,000 2.1 19,697 [3][4][14]
7 $250,000,000 $302,905,095 Cher Living Proof: The Farewell Tour 2002–05 326 3,500,000 0.6 10,800 [20]
8 $235,000,000 $258,282,071 Bruce Springsteen Magic Tour 2007–08 100 2,198,353 2.4 21,983 [42]
9 $221,500,000 $284,928,817 Bruce Springsteen The Rising Tour 2002–03 120 3,232,384 1.8 31,081 [43]
10 $210,650,974 $231,520,723 Bon Jovi Lost Highway Tour 2007–08 99 2,157,675 2.1 21,794 [42]
11 $194,754,447 $228,606,615 Madonna Confessions Tour 2006 60 1,210,294 3.2 20,171 [44]
12 $167,000,000 $184,199,938 Bruce Springsteen Working On A Dream Tour 2009 80 1,831,770 2.1 22,897 [4]
13 $142,844,463 $190,897,759 U2 Elevation Tour 2001 112 2,162,282 1.3 19,306 [45]
14 $141,000,000 $160,913,337 Tim McGraw and Faith Hill Soul2Soul II Tour 2006–07 117 1,673,667 1.2 14,304 [46]
15 $132,500,000 $146,146,657 Tina Turner Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour 2008–09 90 1,176,199 1.47 13,068 [3][4]
16 $131,800,000 $145,374,562 Britney Spears The Circus Starring Britney Spears 2009 97 1,500,000 1.4 15,488 [4]
17 $131,388,461 $154,226,369 Bon Jovi Have A Nice Day Tour 2005–06 89 1,823,834 1.7 23,382 [47]
18 $129,059,653 $147,286,662 Genesis Turn It On Again: The Tour 2007 46 1,262,393 2.8 27,443 [48][49]
19 $126,800,000 $144,707,880 Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveShow 2007 119 1,600,000 1 13,445 [50]
20 $126,165,542 $165,987,635 Paul McCartney Driving World Tour 2002 58 988,077 2.2 17,036 [51][52]

2010s

Rank Actual gross Inflation
(adjusted 2016 gross)
Artist Tour name Year(s) Shows Attendance Average
gross (millions)
Average
attendance
Ref.
1 $736,421,584 $774,658,859 U2 U2 360° Tour 2009–11 110 7,272,046 6.7 66,110 [1]
2 $458,673,798 $465,947,054 Roger Waters The Wall 2010–13 219 4,129,863 2.09 18,858 [2]
3 $441,121,000 $478,683,264 AC/DC Black Ice World Tour 2008–10 167 4,846,965 2.6 29,023 [3][4][5]
4 $355,600,000 $361,238,800 Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball World Tour 2012–13 127 3,650,535 2.8 28,744 [9][10]
5 $305,158,363 $314,535,602 Madonna The MDNA Tour 2012 88 2,212,345 3.47 25,140 [12]
6 $290,178,452 $290,056,083 One Direction Where We Are Tour 2014 69 3,449,560 4.2 49,848 [13]
7 $275,700,000 $275,700,000 Paul McCartney Out There! Tour 2013–15 84 1,958,754 3.28 23,319 [10][15][16]
8 $259,500,000 $263,614,929 Bon Jovi Because We Can 2013 102 2,657,502 2.67 27,397 [10]
9 $251,112,882 $272,495,606 Eagles Long Road out of Eden Tour 2008–11 155 2,001,773 1.6 12,915 [3][4][5][17]
10 $250,733,097 $250,733,097 Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour 2015 85 2,278,647 3.02 33,477 [18]
11 $231,700,000 $231,602,291 Justin Timberlake The 20/20 Experience World Tour 2013–15 134 1,986,386 1.81 15,765 [53][54]
12 $229,727,960 $229,631,083 Beyoncé The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour 2013–14 132 2,082,848 1.7 15,779 [10][15]
13 $227,400,000 $239,207,308 Lady Gaga The Monster Ball Tour 2009–11 201 2,500,000 1.13 12,438 [5][17][55]
14 $224,000,000 $235,630,769 Take That Progress Live 2011 35 2,144,977 6.4 61,285 [17]
15 $219,900,000 $235,744,494 Metallica World Magnetic Tour 2008–10 164 2,744,413 1.34 16,734 [3][4][5]
16 $209,200,000 $212,517,314 Justin Bieber Believe Tour 2012–13 133 2,398,514 1.57 18,033 [9][10]
17 $208,008,704 $208,008,704 One Direction The On the Road Again Tour 2015 80 2,337,938 2.6 29,224 [18]
18 $204,300,000 $204,213,846 Katy Perry The Prismatic World Tour 2014–15 149 1,984,503 1.37 13,319 [15][16]
19 $201,000,000 $218,115,520 Bon Jovi The Circle Tour 2010 85 1,909,234 2.8 36,023 [5]
20 $200,200,000 $200,200,000 Eagles History of the Eagles – Live in Concert 2013–15 146 1,434,406 1.37 9,824 [10][15][16]

Notes

  1. Figure for Hell Freezes Over Tour only includes North American dates. Official data for the rest of the world tour is unavailable.

References

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  42. 1 2 Total gross for the Magic Tour
  43. Total gross for The Rising Tour
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