The era of the billion-dollar tour is upon us, thanks to the likes of Taylor Swift and Coldplay. The Eras Tour and Music of the Spheres Tour have both crossed the 10-figure threshold this past year.
However, musicians making millions on jaunts around the world is nothing new. Join us as we count down the highest-grossing concert tours of all time.
All dollar amounts in US dollars. Figures for non-2024 tours adjusted for inflation.
First up, we have 1994's The Division Bell Tour. The final concert tour from legendary British rock band Pink Floyd, it truly marked the end of an era, with the group parting ways shortly afterwards.
The psychedelic rockers mesmerised more than five million fans during 111 spellbinding shows across North America and Europe. Some lucky attendees even had the unique opportunity to witness the band's iconic 1973 album, Dark Side of the Moon, performed in its entirety at select concerts.
Though founding member Roger Waters had sensationally quit the band in the 1980s due to creative differences, his absence didn't hinder the tour's roaring financial success. According to Rolling Stone, it grossed $250 million, which equates to an impressive $534 million (£424m) in today's money.
The Police sent shockwaves around the world when they announced they would be reuniting in 2007 to celebrate their 30th anniversary.
The Police Reunion Tour (2007-2008) marked the first time the iconic 80s trio had toured together in more than 20 years. Unsurprisingly, tickets sold out within minutes, with devoted fans determined to secure their spots at the landmark gigs.
According to Rolling Stone, the band entertained audiences at a staggering 151 shows, spanning five continents. The tour grossed $362 million – an incredible $536 million (£425m) in today's money – and firmly cemented The Police as one of the most successful bands of all time.
Heavy metal titans Metallica embarked upon their electrifying WorldWired Tour in 2016, coinciding with the release of their tenth studio album, Hardwired... to Self-Destruct.
Over a four-year period, Metallica played 143 shows spanning four continents. Over four million metalheads were treated to performances of songs from the band's latest album, as well as crowd-pleasing hits like Master of Puppets and For Whom the Bell Tolls.
However, the Australian leg had to be cancelled due to frontman James Hetfield's struggles with addiction, while the South American leg was postponed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite these setbacks, the tour still grossed $433.8 million, the equivalent of $538 million (£426m) in 2024 money. This makes it the highest-grossing tour in the band's decade-spanning career.
Ed Sheeran's +–=÷× Tour (if you're wondering, that first part is pronounced "Mathematics") is an ongoing concert tour that began in April 2022, following the release of his fourth studio album, =.
By the time the tours wraps up later this year, the chart-topping singer-songwriter will have captivated audiences across a grand total of 117 shows, spanning five continents.
At the time of writing, the tour has already grossed an estimated $556 million (£441m) and counting. However, this isn't Ed Sheeran's highest-grossing tour to date (more on that soon)...
Madonna embarked on her electrifying Sticky & Sweet Tour in 2008, performing 85 shows across five legs, and enthralling over 3.5 million lucky ticket holders around the world.
The tour is the Queen of Pop's highest-grossing to date, making $407 million (or $603m/£478m today). At the time, it was the highest-grossing tour for a solo artist.
Madonna recently made history as the only female musician to achieve six tours that have each grossed over $100 million (£79m). Her Celebration Tour, which concluded in May 2024, grossed a respectable $225 million (£178m).
Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour was a massive money spinner in 2023, becoming the highest-grossing tour by a Black artist in history. The Single Ladies singer surpassed legendary acts like Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, and even her husband Jay-Z to claim the prestigious title.
The tour was a sellout success, with 2.8 million tickets snapped up for 56 shows across North America and Europe. It grossed a grand total of $580 million, which translates to a juicy $606 million (£480m) in today's money.
During these epic three-hour extravaganzas, Queen Bey treated fans to a performance of her critically acclaimed Renaissance album in its entirety, as well as a curated selection of her biggest hits, including the iconic R&B anthem Crazy in Love.
Between 2005 and 2006, rock legends U2 embarked on their juggernaut Vertigo Tour. In support of their eleventh studio album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, the show spanned 131 shows across five continents.
With over 4.6 million tickets snapped up by avid fans, the tour grossed an epic $389 million, the equivalent of $613 million (£486m) in 2024 money. At the time, it was the second-highest-grossing tour in history, solidifying U2's status as one of the most influential and enduring bands of all time.
Remarkably, and as impressive as the Vertigo Tour was, it isn't U2's highest-earning tour to date. More on that later...
Former Pink Floyd rocker Roger Waters took to the stage solo in 2010 when he embarked on his The Wall Live tour, marking the first time his eponymous album had been performed live in its entirety.
This epic tour spanned three years across North and South America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, with Waters captivating audiences during an incredible 219 shows that collectively grossed $459 million, a colossal $623 million (£494m) today.
The trek surpassed the record set by Madonna's aforementioned Sticky & Sweet Tour as the highest-grossing by a solo artist at that time. Keep reading to discover which soloist concert tours went on to smash the record Waters set...
AC/DC's electrifying Black Ice World Tour kicked off in October 2008, wrapping up 20 months later in June 2010. During this globetrotting trek, the rock veterans played a stunning 168 shows across five continents.
With more than five million tickets snapped up by their legion of devoted fans, the tour grossed $442 million. That's an impressive $637 million (£505m) today, making it the band's most financially successful tour ever.
Throughout the tour's marathon run, AC/DC treated attendees to pulse-racing performances of songs from their fifteenth studio album, Black Ice, as well as classic hits like Hells Bells and You Shook Me All Night Long.
Originally finding fame as one-fifth of One Direction, Harry Styles's solo career has helped him reach whole new heights of stardom. He kicked off his second-ever world tour, Love on Tour, in September 2021 to support the release of his critically-acclaimed second and third studio albums, Fine Line and Harry's House.
Over a two-year period, the chart-topping heartthrob performed to more than five million adoring fans, fronting a staggering 169 shows across five continents.
In total, Love on Tour grossed $617.3 million, which is an outstanding $645 million (£511 million) in today's money.
The Rolling Stones' No Filter Tour, which began in 2017 and concluded in 2021, was a testament to the band's enduring legacy and their ability to captivate audiences across generations – even in the face of profound loss.
The tour, which was briefly paused due to COVID-19, saw the legendary rock icons play 58 shows across Europe and North America. This was made all the more remarkable by the fact that during the September-November 2021 leg of the tour, the band members were mourning the loss of their beloved drummer, Charlie Watts, who had passed away in August of that year.
The No Filter Tour attracted just under three million fans.and grossed $546.5 million, a tidy $653 million (£517m) in 2024 money. But it's far from the highest-grossing tour the Stones have embarked on...
The Rolling Stones performed for more than six million fans between 1994 and 1995 on their Voodoo Lounge Tour, during which Mick Jagger and co. wowed audiences across six continents, playing 134 shows in total.
The tour grossed $320 million, or $665 million (£527 million) in today's money. At the time, it shattered records, swiftly becoming the highest-grossing concert tour in history and cementing the band's legendary status as touring titans.
In 2015, British rockers Coldplay announced their A Head Full of Dreams Tour, in support of their critically acclaimed studio album of the same name. Between 2016 and 2017, the band embarked on a 122-show tour around the world, performing to over five million fans across five continents and 31 countries.
At the time, A Head Full of Dreams Tour was the third highest-grossing tour ever, raking in $523 million, or $673 million (£533 million) in 2024 money.
However, despite this impressive gross, it isn't Coldplay's highest-earning tour to-date. More on that soon...
Rock veterans Guns N' Roses embarked on a landmark reunion tour in 2016, titled Not in This Lifetime... Tour. It marked the first time that Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan had performed together on stage since the band's Use Your Illusion Tour in 1993.
Unsurprisingly, fans were desperate to witness the band's long-awaited reunion, with around 5.3 million tickets snapped up.
Over a three-and-a-half-year period, Guns N' Roses rocked audiences across a staggering 158 shows spanning six continents, with the tour grossing $584.2 million. In today's money, that's an incredible $725 million (£574m), making it the band's most lucrative tour ever.
Featuring for the third and final time is The Rolling Stones and their A Bigger Bang Tour, which took place from 2005 to 2007. At the time, the monumental tour was the second highest-grossing concert tour by a band, and it's also The Rolling Stones' highest-grossing tour to date.
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, and the late, great Charlie Watts played an impressive 147 shows spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
The tour attracted 4.7 million fans and grossed a grand total of $558 million. In today's money, that's a spectacular $861 million (£682m).
Next up, we have Ed Sheeran's ÷ Tour, pronounced "the Divide Tour", which ran between 2017 and 2019. The British singer-songwriter sold an incredible 8.9 million tickets and played an epic 260 shows across six continents.
An astonishing success, the tour grossed $776 million, which is a phenomenal $962 million (£759m) in today's money.
During his juggernaut trek around the globe, Sheeran made history as the first artist to perform solo at London's iconic Wembley Stadium for four consecutive, sold-out nights in June 2018.
Elton John's epic Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, which began in September 2018 and wrapped up in July 2023, marked the legendary British singer-songwriter's final global trek before retiring from life on the road.
The veteran superstar played a staggering 330 shows across Oceania, Europe, and North America, attended by a grand total of 6.1 million adoring fans. Unsurprisingly, this epic swan song grossed an astronomical $939.1 million, which equates to $980 million (£776m) in 2024 money.
These jaw-dropping figures confirm Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour as the second-highest-grossing tour by a solo artist of all time. However, one solo star has managed to dethrone Sir Elton and claim the top spot (no prizes for guessing who).
U2's groundbreaking 360° Tour, which ran between 2009 and 2011, reigns supreme as the highest-grossing concert tour of all time by a band (with Coldplay primed to claim the title later this year).
The legendary Irish band embarked on a gargantuan global adventure that included 110 shows in 30 countries across North America, Europe, Oceania, Africa, and South America.
The tour was attended by a staggering 7.3 million fans and grossed a total of $736 million. In today's money, that's a cool $1 billion (£790m).
Claiming the top spot on our round-up is Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour, which kicked off in March 2023 and is set to wrap up its record-shattering run this December.
The pop megastar was scheduled to Shake It Off during 152 performances across five continents. The epic three-hour extravaganzas see Swift belt out her biggest hits from all 11 studio albums, taking her fans on a journey through each era of her illustrious career.
In December 2023, The Eras Tour crossed an unprecedented $1 billion (£790m) threshold, claiming the title of the highest-grossing concert tour of all time and becoming the first tour ever to surpass the billion-dollar mark.
At the time of this writing, the tour has grossed $1.15 billion (£880m). By the time the final curtain falls, Variety projects it will have grossed an eye-watering $1.4 billion (£1.1bn) in ticket sales alone, further confirming Swift's status as a global entertainment icon to be reckoned with.
Now discover how Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour boosted economies around the world