From Taylor Swift to Bad Bunny, top 10 highest-grossing live concert tours of 2023 so far
The first half of 2023 has seen the continuation of 'The Stadium Era' as stars such as Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, and Coldplay are playing to packed venues despite the global economic slowdown
Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny Image: Getty Images
The Indian film industry is crawling back to normalcy in 2023 with hits such as KGF: Chapter 2, RRR, Brahmāstra: Part One–Shiva, Pathaan, and Ponniyin Selvan: II, among others. Hollywood is also looking at a proper blockbuster summer since the pandemic with a release roster that includes titles such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Oppenheimer, Barbie, Mission: Impossible-Dead Reckoning, Part One, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Dune Part 2. As the larger entertainment industry is finding its footing even amid signs of a global slowdown, the live performance segment of the industry is poised to break the bank at the box office.
Taylor Swift with her Eras Tour, the return of Bruce ‘The Boss’ Springsteen to live concerts, Harry Styles' Love on Tour, Elton John's farewell shows, and Ed Sheeran's Mathematics tour have been bringing audiences to fill up stadia to the brink. According to Pollstar, live entertainment industry analysts, the average gross per show for the top 100 live performances in the world has already crossed the $1 million threshold in the first two quarters of 2023. Live events around the globe in 2023 averaged 12,655 sold seats per show, an increase of 49.3 percent compared to last year’s ticket average of 8,475. It is also a 27.8 percent hike over 2019’s average of 9,901 tickets per show. The total box office haul of the 100 highest-grossing tours in the first half of 2023 stands at a massive $2.83 billion. And it doesn't include the numbers gathered by Beyonce's Renaissance Tour since the complete sales figures are yet to be reported.
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If we look at the top 10 tours ranked by Pollstar, every genre of music is covered, as Kevin Hart's stand-up comedy act represents the other live performance genre. Gone are the days when U2, The Rolling Stones, and other rock legends were the only bands capable of selling massive capacity stadiums. From the pop of Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran to R&B and house music of Beyonce to Daddy Yankee's hip-hop and Bad Bunny's Latin rap, every artiste and genre attracts a concert audience. People pay to watch big names perform, making them recession- and turmoil-proof.
Top 10 highest-grossing concerts of 2023 (so far)
| Artist | Tour | Gross (H1 2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Taylor Swift | Eras Tour | $300,804,808 |
| Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band | 2023 Tour | $142,605,835 |
| Harry Styles | Love On Tour | $124,000,392 |
| Elton John | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Tour | $110,328,403 |
| Ed Sheeran | (+–=÷×) Tour | $105,309,873 |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | 2023 Global Stadium Tour | $91,488,134 |
| Coldplay | Music Of The Spheres Tour | $65,436,386 |
| Daddy Yankee | La Última Vuelta World Tour | $60,461,483 |
| Kevin Hart | The Reality Check Tour | $50,041,814 |
| Bad Bunny | World's Hottest Tour | $49,112,859 |
Here's a look at the top 10 highest-grossing concerts from the first half of 2023
Image: Scott Legato/TAS23/Getty Images
