With megastars U2 having claimed ownership of the throne for the highest grossing tour ever, it’s time to take a walk back through the highest grossing tours of all time.
The ill-fated Spiderman musical on Broadway nonwithstanding, the Dublin rockers’ career is as strong as it’s ever been, regardless of American media’s on-again, off-again romance with the band. Back in April of 2011, U2’s second show at the Estadio Morumbi in Sao Paulo, Brazil, saw their monstrous 360 tour break the previous record of $558 million set by the Rolling Stones.
This helped the group surpass $736 million in gross touring revenue by the end of the year, putting them over the top total. The band’s manager Paul McGuinness said (from his hidden bunker made of hundred dollar bills) that achieving the record was, “something we’re very proud of having set. And to set it with a further 20-plus shows to go on the tour is kind of mind-blowing. It means that it’s a record that will probably never be outstripped.”
To honor this absolute madness, and put things into an all-time historical perspective, we’ve dug through the trophy trenches and compiled a list of the Top 10 Grossing Tours of All Time below!
Top 10 Grossing Tours of All Time
|
Gross |
Artist |
Tour |
Years |
|
|
|
|
$558 million+ |
The Rolling Stones |
A Bigger Bang Tour |
2005-07 |
|
|
|
|
$441 million+ |
AC/DC |
Black Ice World Tour |
2008-10 |
|
|
|
|
$408 million+ |
Madonna |
Sticky & Sweet Tour |
2008-09 |
|
|
|
|
$400 million+ |
Celine Dion |
A New Day… |
2003-07 |
|
|
|
|
$389 million+ |
U2 |
Vertigo Tour |
2005-06 |
|
|
|
|
$358 million+ |
The Police |
The Police Reunion Tour |
2007-08 |
|
|
|
|
$339 million+ |
The Rolling Stones |
Bridges To Babylon |
1997-99 |
|
|
|
|
$320 million+ |
The Rolling Stones |
Voodoo Lounge Tour |
1994-95 |
|
|
|
|
$311 million+ |
U2 |
U2 360 Tour |
2009-10 |
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