It is dubbed as the Highest Grossing Concert Tour of All Time.
Evaluating the best-selling concert tour of all time is not a very easy thing to do. Many factors are taken into consideration – quantity of shows, average ticket price, merchandising, sponsorships, and others The difference in prices due to inflation is another problem that complicates the comparison of tours of different decades. There is one tour that makes all other tours pale in terms of revenue – U2’s 360 Tour.
The 360 Tour that took place from 2009 to 2011 witnessed U2 breaking records with ticket sales of over seven million for a hundred and ten shows and a total gross of over seven hundred and thirty-six million three hundred and thirty-four thousand and four hundred and forty-four dollars. The tour was in support of the band’s 2009 album, No Line on the Horizon, and featured stadium and open-air shows due to the increased crowd capacity. The element that was cited as the main reason for the tour’s staggering revenues was the exceptional and innovative stage show.
Popularly referred to as ‘The Claw’, the stage had a giant four-legged steel design giving a view of the audience from every angle and complete with sound, light, and video facilities. The total production costs reached over $40 million, which made it the most expensive set that had ever been built. But the augmented concert value met all expectations, a factor that saw the fans pay more for the better standing and vantage points. It ensured that the tour was also planned in a way that would allow for performances of as many shows as possible across Europe and North America.
In the case of U2, the average attendance and ticket price thresholds were set to new records. The paid attendance was more than 67,000 fans for each event, and the cost of each ticket was approximately $101. Although the general admission tickets were cheaper, the massive halls and the number of shows pushed massive revenues to new heights to overcome previous records. There were also secondary markets that emerged with other online resellers charging higher prices due to shows’ quick sellouts.
Merchandise sales also formed another source of impressive revenues, with expectations of generating over $15 million. They also sold various merchandise such as tour shirts, programs, scarves, and other merchandise at the shows. Another source of revenue included sponsors that offered seven and eight figures to own and operate the golf tour while cross promotions with other brands including Blackberry and Bank of America paid nine figures.
The final count of more than $736 that was realized from the 360 Tour makes it to be among the highest-grossing tours in history. The nearest rival was The Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang Tour which generated $558 million. Other tours such as Guns N Roses Not In This Lifetime, AC/DC Rock Or Bust World Tour, and Cold Play’s A Head Full of Dreams Tour are other tours that ranked third, fourth, and fifth highest grossing respectively.
Yet, even this might change with time as artists innovate more elaborate experiences and overlapping ticket/merchandise concepts. It is still possible that another act will capitalize on state-of-the-art stages, smart routing, and fans’ craving for concerts after COVID-19 restrictions to challenge or even beat 360 Tour numbers. However, it is a very big record to beat and U2 will for sure always be reminded of being the band behind the highest-grossing concert tour in history.
The 360 Tour explained that a revolutionary stage concept in conjunction with a group’s history and the international audience could translate into record sales and profits. Each show was the ultimate live performance – an audiovisual extravaganza with timeless hits, old and new. A decade later, the numbers in terms of production and tour earnings are staggering. U2 ensured that the fans got their value for their tickets by performing what is still considered the highest-grossing concert tour ever.
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