The Top 25 Most Popular Touring Artists of the Millennium: A Look at Ticket Sales and Revenue
The global touring economy has been a hot topic in recent years, with tours grossing over a billion dollars becoming a new trend. The top 25 "Most Popular Touring Artists of the Millennium" have been ranked by Pollstar based on ticket sales from 2001 to 2025. Coldplay leads the list with 24.8 million tickets sold, followed by U2 and Ed Sheeran with 20.2 million and 19.6 million tickets sold, respectively. Dave Matthews Band and Taylor Swift round out the top five with nearly 19.6 million and 18.9 million tickets sold.
Pollstar's data is derived from reported and estimated box office data from events held between 2001 and 2025. Taylor Swift is the only woman in the top 10, with other notable artists like Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Chesney, Metallica, Bon Jovi, and Elton John also making the list. Pink, Beyoncé, and Madonna are the other women featured in the top 25, with Pink at No. 11, Beyoncé at No. 13, and Madonna at No. 15.
It's important to note that the number of tickets sold is a different metric than the money grossed. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour set a new record by becoming the first tour to surpass the billion-dollar mark in 2023. By December 2024, the tour had generated $2.2 billion, solidifying its position as the highest-grossing tour of all time. Swift has grossed over $3.1 billion in the new millennium, surpassing Coldplay, who leads in tickets sold but follows with a gross of nearly $2.5 billion.
In September, Coldplay's Music of the Spheres tour reached cumulative grosses of $1.39 billion, while The Weeknd's After Hours 'Til Dawn Tour recently crossed the $1 billion mark. The touring industry continues to thrive, with artists like Taylor Swift and Coldplay setting new benchmarks in ticket sales and revenue generation.