The ten highest-grossing concert tours in history ranked by total box office revenue — from Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and Elton John's Farewell tour to Roger Waters and AC/DC.
Quick answer: 1. Taylor Swift — The Eras Tour, 2. Elton John — Farewell Yellow Brick Road, 3. Ed Sheeran — ÷ Tour, 4. U2 — 360° Tour, 5. Coldplay — Music of the Spheres World Tour, 6. Guns N' Roses — Not in This Lifetime... Tour, 7. Beyoncé — Renaissance World Tour, 8. The Rolling Stones — A Bigger Bang Tour, 9. Roger Waters — The Wall Live, 10. AC/DC — Black Ice World Tour.
Concert touring has become the dominant revenue stream for major artists in the streaming era, and the top tours now generate numbers that rival blockbuster films. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour shattered every record, becoming the first tour to surpass $2 billion in gross revenue — more than double the previous record. This ranking uses reported box office gross from Billboard Boxscore, the industry-standard tracking service, adjusted for inflation only where noted. All figures are in nominal U.S. dollars as reported at the time of the tour's conclusion.
The Eras Tour is the highest-grossing concert tour of all time by a staggering margin, earning over $2.077 billion across 149 shows from March 2023 to December 2024. It is the first tour in history to surpass $1 billion and $2 billion, and it sold over 10 million tickets worldwide.
Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour earned $939 million across 330 shows from 2018 to 2023, making it the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist until Swift's Eras Tour surpassed it. The tour spanned five continents and marked the end of the legendary performer's touring career.
Ed Sheeran's ÷ Tour (pronounced "Divide Tour") earned $776 million over 255 shows from 2017 to 2019. It was the highest-grossing tour of all time at the time of its conclusion, before being surpassed by Elton John's farewell tour and then Taylor Swift.
U2's 360° Tour earned $736 million across 110 shows from 2009 to 2011, setting the record for the highest-grossing tour at the time. The tour featured a massive claw-shaped stage structure that covered the entire stadium floor, allowing audiences of up to 100,000 per show.
Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour earned over $700 million and counting, making it the fifth-highest-grossing tour ever. The band's commitment to sustainability — including kinetic dance floors, solar-powered stages, and plant-a-tree initiatives — has not stopped them from selling out stadiums worldwide.
Guns N' Roses' highly anticipated reunion tour featuring Slash and Duff McKagan alongside Axl Rose earned $584 million across 158 shows from 2016 to 2019. It was the highest-grossing rock tour of all time at its conclusion and the fourth-highest overall.
Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour — her first solo tour in seven years — earned $579 million from 56 shows in 2023. It was one of the highest-grossing tours by a female artist, featuring elaborate staging, costume changes, and a 30-plus-song setlist spanning her entire catalog.
The Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour earned $558 million across 147 shows from 2005 to 2007, making it the highest-grossing tour at the time. The tour was the band's most extensive in over a decade and cemented their reputation as one of the most lucrative live acts in history.
Roger Waters' The Wall Live tour earned $458 million across 219 shows from 2010 to 2013, featuring a full production of Pink Floyd's iconic album including a massive wall constructed across the stage during the performance. It was the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist at the time.
AC/DC's Black Ice World Tour earned $441 million across 168 shows from 2008 to 2010. It was the second-highest-grossing tour of all time at its conclusion and the highest-grossing tour by a hard rock band, powered by the success of the Black Ice album released in 2008.
| # | Name | years | shows | tickets_sold | average_per_show_usd | continents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taylor Swift — The Eras Tour | 2023–2024 | 149 | ~10.1 million | ~13.9 million | 5 |
| 2 | Elton John — Farewell Yellow Brick Road | 2018–2023 | 330 | ~6.5 million | ~2.8 million | 5 |
| 3 | Ed Sheeran — ÷ Tour | 2017–2019 | 255 | ~8.9 million | ~3.0 million | 6 |
| 4 | U2 — 360° Tour | 2009–2011 | 110 | ~7.3 million | ~6.7 million | 4 |
| 5 | Coldplay — Music of the Spheres World Tour | 2022–2024 | 150 | ~8.0 million | ~4.7 million | 5 |
| 6 | Guns N' Roses — Not in This Lifetime... Tour | 2016–2019 | 158 | ~5.4 million | ~3.7 million | 5 |
| 7 | Beyoncé — Renaissance World Tour | 2023 | 56 | ~2.7 million | ~10.3 million | 3 |
| 8 | The Rolling Stones — A Bigger Bang Tour | 2005–2007 | 147 | ~4.7 million | ~3.8 million | 4 |
| 9 | Roger Waters — The Wall Live | 2010–2013 | 219 | ~4.1 million | ~2.1 million | 5 |
| 10 | AC/DC — Black Ice World Tour | 2008–2010 | 168 | ~5.0 million | ~2.6 million | 5 |
Tours are ranked by total gross box office revenue in U.S. dollars, highest first (rank 1 = highest grossing). All figures are nominal (not adjusted for inflation) as reported by Billboard Boxscore, Pollstar, or verified artist-investor statements. The data reflects the most recent complete tour run for each artist; multi-leg tours are aggregated. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour figure is the confirmed total across all legs as reported by Billboard in December 2024. The order is fully reproducible from the gross revenue column alone.
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour grossed $2.077 billion — more than double the previous record held by Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road ($939 million). It sold over 10 million tickets at an average of about $206 per ticket, with many shows selling out in minutes. The economic impact of the tour was estimated at over $5 billion across the cities it visited.
Older tours from the 1960s and 1970s had much lower ticket prices (often under $10) and ran fewer shows. Even adjusting for inflation, the scale of modern stadium tours — with premium pricing, VIP packages, and enormous production budgets — produces nominal gross revenues that older tours cannot match. The Beatles' entire touring career grossed roughly $50 million in nominal terms.
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour leads with approximately $13.9 million per show, followed by Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour at about $10.3 million per show, and U2's 360° Tour at about $6.7 million per show. The Eras Tour's per-show average is extraordinary because it played exclusively in stadiums with premium-priced floor seats and strong VIP package sales.