Lovers of music have been attending tours for a long time, and musicians have been able to rake in a lot of money from ticket sales. The highest grossing tours of all time mostly include bands, considering they have more components and tend to be a bigger draw, but some solo artists have been able to top the charts.
One of the biggest discussions in regard to highest grossing tours is the conversation about Taylor Swift and Beyoncé's 2023 tours. Swift is reportedly going to make over $1 billion dollars by the end of her The Eras Tour, but some wonder if Beyoncé's tour will reach the milestone first. Here are the current highest grossing tours of all time (so far).
20 The Police's Reunion Tour (2007-2008) Grossed $358 Million
Starting out the list in the bottom spot is The Police. The biggest draw for The Police was obviously Sting, who later went on to have his own solo career. The Police had some great hits during their time, including "Every Breath You Take." When the band had their reunion tour from 2007 to 2008, they grossed $358 million.
19 The Garth Brooks' World Tour (2014-2017) Grossed $364 Million
It is not surprising that Garth Brooks makes an appearance on this list. Brooks is considered to be the most popular country music singer of all time. His most popular songs include "Friends In Low Places" and "The Dance," and many fans debate which song is his best. During his world tour from 2014 to 2017, Brooks grossed $364 million.
18 Bruno Mars' 24K Magic World Tour (2017-2018) Grossed $367 Million
Bruno Mars is certainly a master at what he does. Over the years, he has been awarded a whopping 15 Grammy Awards for his musical gifts. The 24K Magic tour was certainly his biggest success, grossing over $367 million.
17 U2's Vertigo Tour (2005-2006) Grossed $389 Million
U2 is potentially the most impressive band on this list. Not because the band is considered to be the best in their field, but because they managed to have three spots in the highest grossing tour list. Their Veritgo Tour, which lasted from 2005 to 2006, grossed $389 million.
16 U2's The Joshua Tree Tours (2017 / 2019) Grossed $390 Million
U2's second spot on the highest grossing tours list is actually a combination of tours. They embarked on the first leg of The Joshua Tree tour in 2017, but then took a short break. The band returned to the stage in 2019 to complete the tour. This tour, despite only performing 66 shows, managed to gross $390 million.
15 Pink's Beautiful Trauma Tour (2018) Grossed $397 Million
Female artists tend to have a much harder time in the music industry than their male counterparts. Rock star Pink, however, was able to crash through this glass ceiling in 2018 with her Beautiful Trauma Tour. She made over $397 million during tour.
14 Modonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour (2008-2009) Grossed $411 Million
Though Pink was able to find success in 2018 on the highest grossing tour list, Madonna was the first women to get over the touring hump for women. Madonna has transformed popular music several times, and she has some of the most quotable lyrics. Her Sticky & Sweet Tour grossed $411 million.
13 The Rolling Stones' No Filter Tour (2017-2019) Grossed $415 Million
U2 is not the only band to appear multiple times on the highest grossing tours list. The Rolling Stones hold two spots on this list, their less successful tour being the No Filter Tour. This tour occurred from 2017-2019. With only 44 shows on the tour, grossing $415 million was quite impressive.
12 Ed Sheeran's Mathematics Tour (2022-2023) Grossed $417 Million (So Far)
The placement of Ed Sheeran's Mathematics Tour on the highest grossing tours list is likely going to change, because this tour is ongoing. Sheeran began touring in 2022 in Europe and has continued through 2023 in North America. The fact that Sheeran has yet to complete the tour, and already it has grossed $417 million, is an incredible feat.
11 Metallica's World Wired Tour (2016-2019) Grossed $430 Million
Metallica toured for nearly four years around the globe in order to make this list. From 2016 to 2019, the band was on the road performing shows. They had over 140 shows, which puts them on the higher end of performances per tour on this list. Metallica grossed $430 million.
10 AC/DC's Black Ice World Tour (2008-2010) Grossed $441 Million
Though many consider AC/DC to have peaked during the height of classic rock, they continue to perform well in sales. From 2008 to 2010, their worldwide tour performed almost 170 shows. Their popular songs "Highway to Hell," "Back in Black," and "Thunderstruck" will never stop amazing crowds. The Black Ice World Tour grossed $441 million.
9 Roger Waters' The Wall Tour (2010) Grossed $459 Million
While everyone knows the name Pink Floyd, not everyone may know the name Roger Waters. He co-founded the band back in 1965, but left the band in 1985. That did not stop him in 2010 from performing the album The Wall on the tour of the same name. Not surprisingly, Pink Floyd fans flocked to the tour, and it grossed over $459 million.
8 Coldplay's A Head Full Of Dreams Tour (2016-2017) Grossed $523 Million
Coldplay is another band to hold multiple spots on the highest grossing tour list. Their 2016-2017 tour grossed roughly $523 million, but they recently outdid themselves. Their current tour is doing even better, demonstrating that their popularity is not shrinking, but actually growing.
7 The Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour (2005-2007) Grossed $558 Million
The second spot The Rolling Stones hold on this list is with their A Bigger Bang Tour. The tour occurred from 2005 to 2007 and grossed $558 million.
6 Guns N' Roses' Not In This Lifetime Tour (2016-2019) Grossed $584 Million
Some tours certainly go on for a long time, and this Guns N' Roses tour is a prime example of that. They began touring in 2016 and continued to perform shows until 2019. The hard work paid off and Guns N' Roses grossed $584 million.
5 Harry Styles' Love On Tour (2021-2023) Grossed $617 Million
Harry Styles is another solo artist that has managed to make his way into this list, which is quite an impressive feat. Styles was originally a part of the boy band One Direction, but since the band split up in 2016, he has found remarkable success as a solo artist. His Love On tour grossed $617 million from 2021 to 2023.
4 Coldplay's Music Of The Spheres World Tour (2022-2024) Grossed $617 Million (So Far)
This is another tour that has the potential to move up on this list of highest grossing tours, as the tour is still ongoing. This is also the second spot that Coldplay holds on this list. Currently, this tour is just barely beating Harry Styles's Love On tour, as both are in the $617 million range.
3 U2's 360 Tour (2009-2011) Grossed $736 Million
This is the final tour of U2 to hold a spot on the highest grossing tours of all time list. The tour ran from 2009 to 2011, and they performed more than 100 shows. This was their most successful tour, as it grossed $736 million. For a long time, this was the highest grossing tour of all time.
2 Ed Sheeran's Divide Tour (2017-2019) Grossed $888 Million
This Ed Sheeran tour went on from 2017 to 2019, and it is currently his most popular tour. Though this could change depending on his Mathematics Tour, the Divide Tour was a huge success and grossed over $888 million.
1 Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour (2018-2023) Grossed $939 Million
Currently, Elton John holds the record for the highest grossing tour of all time. His farewell tour began in 2018 and wrapped up in 2023. He performed over 300 shows and grossed $939 million. Taylor Swift and Beyoncé's current tours are estimated to bypass John, as they could both gross over $1 billion.
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