The larger entertainment industry has managed to find a strong foot even amid the long-lasting impact of the global pandemic and now, the segment for live performances is the highest in the industry; helping generate millions of revenue. Breaking the bank, global music tours and live music concerts have grown in popularity and the number of attendees is also increasing each day. According to live entertainment industry analysts, the average gross income per show for the top 100 live performances around the world has already crossed the threshold of $1 million even only in the first two quarters of 2023.
Starting from Taylor Swift with her Eras Tour to Harry Styles' Love on Tour, every live concert has witnessed a record number of attendees along with a huge demand for tickets. In 2023, an average of 12,655 sold seats per show could be noticed which shows an increase of of 49.3 percent compared to last year’s ticket average of 8,475. The hike is vivid compared to 2019’s average of 9,901 tickets per show. The live concerts around the globe have managed to earn more than $2.83 billion only in the first half of 2023. Let’s take a better look at the Top 10 Highest-Grossing Live Concert Tours in 2023.
1. Taylor Swift - Eras Tour
It is not required to say that Taylor Swift with her Eras Tour is currently the hot topic of the music industry and with the latest concert film release, it reaching newer heights of success. The singer has performed live onstage on the "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Ford Field on June 09, 2023, in Detroit, Michigan. Not only the Swifties but this concert was quite captivating for all kinds of listeners. The Eras Tour has offered a tribute to the four studio albums namely Lover (2019), Folklore (2020), Evermore (2020), and lastly, Midnights (2022).
• Gross: $300,804,808
• Average Ticket Price: $253.56
• Average Tickets Sold Per Show: 53,923
• Total Tickets: 1,186,314
• Average Gross: $13,627,946
2. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - 2023 Tour
This is the first time since 2017 when Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band decided to create magic through their live performance. They performed at RDS Arena on May 05, 2023, in Dublin, Ireland and their comeback performance did not fail to make the crowd go crazy. It filled the stadium with mass and energy.
• Gross: $142,605,835
• Average Ticket Price: $211.80
• Average Tickets Sold Per Show: 18,702
• Total Tickets: 673,277
• Average Gross: $3,961,273
3. Harry Styles - Love On Tour
The Worldwide popularity of Harry Styles is more noticeable when he performs live and that is what happened during his performance at the BRIT Awards 2023 ceremony. He performed live in London on February 11, 2023. The real purpose behind ‘Love On Tour’ was to promote his second and third albums, namely ‘Fine Line’ and ‘Harry's House’.
• Gross: $124,000,392
• Average Ticket Price: $115.07
• Average Tickets Sold Per Show: 31,694
• Total Tickets: 1,077,622
• Average Gross: $3,647,070
4. Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Tour
Legendary singer Elton John performed on day 5 of the Glastonbury Festival and put a perfect climax to the concert with the most number of attendees on the last day of the fest. The event took place in the village of Pilton in Somerset, southwest England, on June 25, 2023. This performance on a fine Sunday is considered to be his final UK performance. The 76-year-old pop superstar is putting an end to his live performances with style.
• Gross: $110,328,403
• Average Ticket Price: $163.95
• Average Tickets Sold Per Show: 20,392
• Total Tickets: 672,950
• Average Gross: $3,343,284
5. Ed Sheeran - (+–=÷×) Tour
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Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran also does not fall behind in the game with his highly acclaimed performance on NBC's "Today" show which was held at Rockefeller Center in New York, U.S. It took place on June 6, 2023, which is also known as the The Mathematics Tour, marking his fourth concert tour.
• Gross: $105,309,873
• Average Ticket Price: $104.20
• Average Tickets Sold Per Show: 40,424
• Total Tickets: 1,010,616
• Average Gross: $4,212,394
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers - 2023 Global Stadium Tour
RHCP has just made an epic comeback in the music industry and there is no way to hold the energy back. Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante, and Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers offered an epic performance on Day 3 of BottleRock Napa Valley Music Festival which took place at Napa Valley Expo on May 28, 2023, in Napa, California. The band has also released two recent albums namely, ‘Unlimited Love’ (April 2022) and ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’ (October 2022), and the songs could be heard on the world tour.
• Gross: $91,488,134
• Average Ticket Price: $123.87
• Average Tickets Sold Per Show: 38,873
• Total Tickets: 738,601
• Average Gross: $4,815,164
7. Coldplay - Music Of The Spheres Tour
Coldplay is best for their captivating live performances and the fans have witnessed it again at the ‘Music Of The Spheres Tour’ that took place at the Manchester Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. This is the first time after the pandemic that this British Rock band has decided to join the audience live onstage. This tour was also set to promote their ninth studio album, with the same name as the tour.
Gross: $65,436,386
Average Ticket Price: $88.86
Average Tickets Sold Per Show: 66,949
Total Tickets: 736,439
Average Gross: $5,948,762
8. Daddy Yankee - La Última Vuelta World Tour
It is all about power, energy, and dance beats when it comes to the live performances of Daddy Yankee. The artist performed at the Estadio Mobil Super on November 23, 2022, in Monterrey, Mexico. This versatile Puerto Rican rapper and singer started his musical tour on July 16, 2022, which offered great support to his latest album ‘Legendaddy’.
• Gross: $60,461,483
• Average Ticket Price: $96.62
• Average Tickets Sold Per Show: 27,206
• Total Tickets: 625,748
• Average Gross: $2,628,760
9. Kevin Hart - The Reality Check Tour
When it comes to the largest live entertainment industry, Kevin Hart deserves a mention as this man generated much revenue this year. The Reality Check Tour offered a complete dose of entertainment by discussing the topics of personal life and experiences as well as hot takes on current events, from politics to pop culture and many others.
• Gross: $50,041,814
• Average Ticket Price: $107.00
• Average Tickets Sold Per Show: 8,503
• Total Tickets: 467,686
• Average Gross: $909,851
10. Bad Bunny - World's Hottest Tour
Last time Bad Bunny was seen at the El Último Tour Del Mundo at FTX Arena on April 01, 2022, which is situated in Miami. After that, Bunny performed on the World's Hottest Tour which includes 43 concert dates in a short duration of four months. This is the first-ever stadium tour where he promoted his fourth studio album 'Un Verano Sin Ti'. DJ Alesso and Diplo joined forces with him as opening acts.
• Gross: $49,112,859
• Average Ticket Price: $102.81
• Average Tickets Sold Per Show: 39,807
• Total Tickets: 477,688
• Average Gross: $4,092,738
Quite evidently, 2023 is a successful year for most music artists, and with a high demand for live performances; there is a chance to get more exciting musical concerts in the coming days.
