The Year in Touring Charts: Ed Sheeran Claims 2018's Top Tour; Taylor Swift, Beyoncé & Jay-Z Do Big Business
By Eric Frankenberg | Billboard | December 5, 2018
Billboard's Year-End Boxscore charts are based on engagements that played between Nov. 1, 2017 and Oct. 31, 2018
2018 TOP 25 TOURS
Rank; Act; Total Gross; Total Attendance; Number of Shows 1; Ed Sheeran; $429,491,502; 4,800,441; 99 2; Taylor Swift; $315,186,362; 2,636,355; 48 3; Beyoncé and Jay-Z; $253,514,983; 2,177,049; 48 4; Bruno Mars; $237,770,168; 1,929,456; 100 5; Pink; $180,402,074; 1,271,730; 88 6; Justin Timberlake; $149,277,272; 1,175,216; 76 7; U2; $119,203,900; 840,151; 55 8; The Rolling Stones; $117,844,618; 750,874; 14 9; Kenny Chesney; $114,333,176; 1,298,089; 42 10; Journey & Def Leppard; $97,095,894; 1,003,198; 60 11; Eagles; $93,454,297; 574,721; 34 12; Drake; $81,446,702; 693,189; 44 13; Depeche Mode; $78,804,765; 926.682; 54 14; Foo Fighters; $77,750,695; 930,310; 47 15; Celine Dion; $76,465,107; 376,431; 51 16; Billy Joel; $70,227,385; 589,813; 24 17; Luke Bryan; $67,572,102; 935,668; 50 18; Luis Miguel; $64,935,983; 612,818; 72 19; Harry Styles; $61,073,923; 774,473; 65 20; Dead & Company; $56,220,873; 689,783; 42 21; Andre Rieu; $55,933,149; 640,284; 88 22; Elton John; $55,387,328; 351,817; 45 23; Shania Twain; $52,587,060; 630,441; 55 24; Trans-Siberian Orchestra; $50,228,977; 864,132; 86 25; Jay-Z; $45,496,805; 401,921; 30
For the eighth non-consecutive year, Kenny Chesney has the Top Country Tour. His biggest run yet brought in $114.3 million and sold 1.3 million tickets, making it the year’s fifth most attended tour overall. Next up are Luke Bryan ($67.6 million) and Shania Twain ($52.6 million), both of whom have claimed the Top Country Tour in years past, Bryan in 2016 and 2014 and Twain in 2004 and 1999.