For the second year in a row, Taylor Swift tops the ranking of the summer’s highest-grossing tours, ahead of Coldplay, Zach Bryan and Bruce Springsteen. This year was marked by a record for the music industry: the ten artists in the ranking raised a total of three billion dollars thanks to their respective tours.
Article by Lisette Voytko-Best for Forbes US – translated by Flora Lucas
When success is there for an artist, as was the case for Taylor Swift in 2023, notably with the tour Eras Tour who has broken all records, it is easy to imagine what he will do to extend this success: organize a new tour! With 65 performances across Europe, Asia and Oceania in 2024, Forbes estimates that Taylor Swift took home $1.15 billion before taxes and fees, with a pre-tax profit of $400 million, $100 million more than last year. According to ForbesTaylor Swift’s fortune currently stands at $1.6 billion.
2024 was also a banner year in the music industry, with Pollstar reporting an increase over last year in the number of tickets sold, number of shows and total artist revenue. Additionally, 2024 was the year with the highest average ticket price on record, at almost $127 for a seat.
“There is no doubt that touring is more expensive than ever”says agent Jbeau Lewis, who represents Latin trap megastar Bad Bunny (seventh in this year’s ranking). Evolution of technology and ticket pricing (like Ticketmaster’s dynamic model) has allowed high-end tours to make more money than ever before, largely offsetting rising costs.
According to Peter Paterno, the veteran lawyer who signed Queen’s first recording contract in the United States, having a strong fan base at each stop is essential to the success of the tour. “Some tours aren’t successful because they book shows they don’t have a fan base for,” he explains, citing as an example Jennifer Lopez’s 2024 tour, which was canceled.
Globally, Forbes estimates that the ten highest-grossing tours in the ranking this year brought in more than three billion dollars from January to the end of August, an increase of almost 10% compared to the same period last year. Coldplay, whose tour Music of the Spheres earned the band an estimated $131 million, and billionaire Bruce Springsteen, who took home $101 million for another tour alongside the E Street Band, also made the chart.
Next year’s ranking could be very different, since the Eras Tour by Taylor Swift will end in December. So far, some big names, including Billie Eilish, Metallica and BTS, have announced tours for 2025. And if Oasis’ highly anticipated reunion tour lasts longer than Jane’s Addiction, the Britpop group could find themselves in the rankings next year.
Here is the ranking of the ten most lucrative tours from January to August 2024.
#1. Taylor Swift
Eras Tour | Number of concerts: 65
Gross revenue in 2024: $1.15 billion | Net revenue: 400 million dollars
In addition to the 65 concerts she has performed so far this year, Taylor Swift released her 11e album studio and avril, The Tortured Poets Department, which became the most streamed album of all time on Spotify within the first 12 hours of its release. Tracks were quickly added to the concert list of his tour Eras Tourwith new outfits to accompany them, including a white Vivienne Westwood dress covered in lyrics from the album. Swifties were quickly able to buy a t-shirt bearing her image (for $45), and Taylor Swift raked in an additional $70 million thanks to clothing, postcards and other merchandise from the tour.
#2. Coldplay
Music of the Spheres Tour | Number of concerts: 40
Gross revenue in 2024: $302 million | Net revenue: $131 million
Chris Martin and the rest of Coldplay dethroned the tour Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John as the biggest tour in rock history. Elton John held the record with $939 million in revenue in 2023, while Coldplay now sits at $946 million in revenue. Even more impressive, the band has sold 8.8 million tickets since the start of their 2022 tour, showing that the public’s appetite for Coldplay’s music is greater than the previous record holder, U2, with 7.3 million tickets.
#3. Zach Bryan
Quittin’ Time Tour | Number of concerts: 63
Gross revenue in 2024: $318 million | Net revenue: $113 million
Zach Bryan’s melancholy country style has made him the highest-grossing country singer of 2024, with earnings estimated at $113 million to date. The Navy veteran and crooner still has several dates remaining across North America through the end of the year.
#4. Bruce Springsteen
Springsteen and E Street Band 2024 Tour | Number of concerts: 36
Gross revenue in 2024: $250 million | Net revenue: $101 million
New Jersey’s favorite son headed to Europe for the 2024 leg of his world tour with the E Street Band, earning him an estimated $101 million. Thanks to this income, Forbes Bruce Springsteen’s net worth now estimates to be $1.2 billion. The Boss has earned his place in rock history. Audio recordings of every concert on the tour are available online, while a Hulu documentary about the tour launches October 25.
#5. P!nk
Trustfall Tour | Number of concerts: 44
Gross revenue in 2024: $267 million | Net revenue: $87 million
The aptly named Trustfall Tour from the Pennsylvania-born singer made 44 new stops in 2024 and attracted more than 2.1 million fans. This makes P!nk the second artist behind Taylor Swift in total viewers for 2024.
#6. Bad Bunny
Most Wanted Tour | Number of concerts: 63
Gross revenue in 2024: $208 million | Net revenue: $76 million
After deciding to take the year 2023 to recharge, Bad Bunny finished his tour Most Wanted Tour with revenues estimated at $76 million. Performing primarily in Spanish, the 30-year-old king of trap showed that Latin music is now a mainstream genre. “If you go to a Taylor Swift concert, sure, they might speak a lot of English, but chances are a lot of them also speak Spanish.”explains the artist’s agent, Jbeau Lewis, to Forbes. “So there may be a lot more in common than we think. »
#7. Madonna
Celebration Tour | Number of concerts: 47
Gross revenue in 2024: $135 million | Net revenue: $63 million
Madonna continued to dominate the road in 2024, earning an estimated $63 million for the final leg of her Celebration Tour. Thanks to this income, Forbes estimates that she now has a net worth of $877 million. There Material Girl66, closed her tour with a free concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which attracted an estimated 1.6 million people, breaking records for the largest number of spectators at an independent concert and the largest crowd in history for a female artist.
#8. Justin Timberlake
Forget Tomorrow Tour | Number of concerts: 33
Gross revenue in 2024: $128 million | Net revenue: $55 million
The “Cry Me A River” pop star’s drunk driving arrest in June ultimately didn’t ruin the world tour. Justin Timberlake earned around $55 million from the tour Forget Tomorrow Tour, with more than a million tickets sold, according to Pollstar.
#9. Luke Combs
Growin’Up and Gettin’ Old Tour | Number of concerts: 28
Gross revenue in 2024: $167 million | Net revenue: $54 million
After going viral in 2023 for his cover of Tracy Chapman’s signature song “Fast Car,” Luke Combs had a breakout 2024, grossing an estimated $54 million for his tour Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old across North America. In 2025, he will travel to Oceania, where he will give his first concerts in Australia and New Zealand.
#10. U2
UK:UV Achtung Baby Live Tour | Number of concerts: 15
Gross revenue in 2024: $86 million | Net revenue: $51 million
Although they only played 15 shows this year at the Sphere in Las Vegas, the rockers fromAttention baby brought in approximately $51 million before taxes, which corresponds to an estimated revenue of eight million dollars per concert. Even more impressive, the Sphere’s exceptional technological capabilities, including responsive seats that shake to accommodate the sound system, mean the venue’s capacity is relatively low at just 17,000 seats.
METHODOLOGY
Revenue figures represent pre-tax receipts for 2024, from 1is January to August 31, less entertainment fees (managers, lawyers, agents) and tour operating costs. Sources include data from Billboard and Pollstar, as well as interviews with industry experts and analysts.
Also read: FORBES RANKINGS | The most lucrative tours in 2023 in the United States
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