Top 25 Most Popular Touring Artists of the Millennium: A Look at the Global Touring Economy's Growth
The global touring economy has seen significant growth in recent years, with tours grossing over a billion dollars becoming more common. Pollstar, a concert trade publication, recently released a list of the top 25 "Most Popular Touring Artists of the Millennium" based on ticket sales from 2001 to 2025. Coldplay leads the list with 24.8 million tickets sold, followed by U2 and Ed Sheeran.
Dave Matthews Band and Taylor Swift round out the top five, with Swift being the only woman in the top 10. Other artists in the top 25 include Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Chesney, Metallica, Bon Jovi, and Elton John. Pink, Beyoncé, and Madonna are the other women featured in the list.
It's important to note that the number of tickets sold is different from the money grossed. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour set a record by grossing over $2.2 billion, making it the highest-grossing tour of all time. Swift has grossed over $3.1 billion in the new millennium, while Coldplay follows with a gross of nearly $2.5 billion.
Coldplay's Music of the Spheres tour reached cumulative grosses of $1.39 billion, and The Weeknd's After Hours 'Til Dawn Tour crossed the $1 billion mark. The touring industry continues to thrive, with artists breaking records and reaching new milestones in ticket sales and revenue.