Five years, 278 shows and 5 million fans in attendance later, Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour became the highest grossing tour of all time and the first to gross more than $800 million, according to Billboard — surpassing the likes of touring forces Ed Sheeran, U2 and the Rolling Stones.
Key Facts
- Elton John embarked on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour in 2018, intended to be his final concert tour.
- The tour has grossed more than $817 million, becoming the highest-grossing tour of all time (surpassing Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour) and the first to gross more than $800 million, Billboard announced Monday.
- John has played 278 shows so far and sold 5.3 million tickets on his final tour, with 51 more European dates scheduled through July.
- Sheeran still retains his record of the most tickets sold on a single tour — his Divide Tour sat 8.9 million fans.
- Other acts with the highest grossing concert tours of all time include U2, The Rolling Stones, and Guns N’ Roses.
The 10 Highest Grossing Tours
- Elton John, Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour: $817.9 million (2018-ongoing)
- Ed Sheeran, Divide Tour: $776.4 million (2017-2019)
- U2, U2 360º Tour: $736.4 million (2009-2011)
- Guns N’ Roses, Not In This Lifetime… Tour: $584.2 million (2016-2019)
- The Rolling Stones, A Bigger Bang Tour: $558.3 million (2005-2007)
- The Rolling Stones, No Filter Tour: $546.5 million (2017-2021)
- Coldplay, A Head Full Of Dreams Tour: $523 million (2016-2017)
- Roger Waters, The Wall Live: $459 million (2010-2013)
- AC/DC, Black Ice World Tour: $441 million (2008-2010)
- Metallica, WorldWired Tour: $416.9 million (2016-2019)
Big Number
$1.863 billion. That’s John’s total tour gross dating back to 1986, making him the highest-grossing solo artist, ahead of Bruce Springsteen and Madonna, Billboard reported. He’s sold more than 19 million tickets in total across 1,573 shows.
Surprising Fact
No solo women have headlined any of the top 10 highest grossing tours — though that is set to change this year. Madonna’s 2008-2009 Sticky and Sweet tour is the highest grossing tour to date by a solo female artist, grossing $407 million. But Taylor Swift is set to dethrone Madonna’s record with her upcoming Eras Tour, which Billboard reported has sold $591 million in ticket sales and will place her fourth on the list of highest grossing concert tours. Swift’s tour — which inspired wide backlash and scrutiny against Ticketmaster, the ticket sale company which struggled to accommodate the overwhelming demand for tickets — kicks off in March.
Source: Forbes
