Key Takeaways from a File-Setting Yr in Reside Music

Because the yr attracts to an in depth, the dwell music business can take consolation in having achieved record-setting revenues for 2022, thanks largely to the post-pandemic enhance of recent festivals, world stadium excursions and astronomical field workplace receipts, correlating to sky-high ticket costs.

Reside Nation’s most up-to-date quarter report claims 16 excursions crossed the $100 million mark this yr, with the variety of live performance tickets bought within the first three quarters of 2022 exhibiting a rise of 37% for the reason that pre-pandemic benchmarks of 2019. That yr, touring was already on the up-and-up, logging a record-breaking gross of $5.5 billion. In 2022, that quantity has climbed dramatically with the yr ending at a record-setting gross complete of $6.28 billion, based on Pollstar’s Yr Finish High 200 Worldwide Excursions chart. The rise might be linked to a mix of things, however usually boosted by an increase in demand for live-music and the touring revival of legacy acts like top-selling artists like Los Bukis and Swedish Home Mafia.

The largest touring story of the yr, not surprisingly, is the increase in stadium engagements. In complete, Pollstar’s listing of high 100 stadiums tallied over $2.68 billion in gross this yr — a rise of greater than 81% from 2019’s stadium haul of $1.48 billion.

Among the many artists touring stadiums in 2022: the Weeknd, Coldplay, Daddy Yankee, Billy Joel, Crimson Sizzling Chili Peppers, Def Leppard & Mötley Crüe, Dua Lipa, Zac Brown, Eagles, Daddy Yankee, Iron Maiden, Blackpink, Morgan Wallen, the Lumineers, Lifeless & Co., Garth Brooks, Girl Gaga and numerous others.

Nevertheless, two distinct artists led the pack. Bad Bunny and Elton John high Pollstar’s Worldwide Touring chart, with the Puerto Rican rap titan grossing $393.3 million, and John logging $274 million gross for the yr. Bunny managed to swing two different-sized excursions operating in the identical yr. His first sold-out trek “El Último Tour Del Mundo,” was a 36-date enterprise which ran from Feb. 2022 in Denver and led to Miami on April 3. In complete, it grossed $113 million. The latter half of 2022 was dominated by his “World’s Hottest Tour,” which hit stadiums throughout the U.S. beginning in August earlier than heading to Latin America and grossing $269 million with 1.3 million tickets by the year-end’s Nov. 16 chart closing date.

John’s 65-date “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” sits at No. 2 after first hitting the highway greater than 4 years in the past and can proceed raking within the gold because it lastly wraps subsequent summer season. Due to its size and recognition, its seemingly the John tour will pit the English icon in opposition to one other U.Okay. favourite — Ed Sheeran, who at the moment claims the best gross ever for a single tour along with his “Divide” trek that reached $776 million when it closed in 2019.

Sheeran as soon as once more hit the highway this yr in assist of his prevous data on the “Arithmetic” tour, a European stadium trek, that earned $251 million gross this yr and enters Pollstar’s chart at No. 3. Sheeran can be the one live performance performer to hit the three million mark in bought tickets with 3,047,694 bought over 63 exhibits in 28 venues all year long for an enormous common of 48,376 tickets bought per present.

Harry Kinds’ “Love on Tour” sits at No. 4 within the High 100 based mostly on its field workplace glory that kicked off in September of final yr with a string of North American area dates. Stadiums adopted in 2022 with the singer’s rescheduled 23-show European run that kicked off in June. He carried out in 15 nations by the top of July, promoting greater than 638,000 tickets.

And who may neglect the singer’s mini residencies — most notably, the historic string of 15 nights at New York’s Madison Sq. Backyard. That run logged a complete of 276,852 tickets bought and rang in a $63 million gross – the best gross of the yr for a single venue worldwide, based on Pollstar. Kinds had one other 12-night run at Los Angeles’ Kia Discussion board the place he left with $38 million in gross sales from over 200,000 tickets bought.

The historic feats proceed as this turns into the primary yr that every tour within the high 10 grossed over $100 million and the highest 5 every took in additional than $200 million — with inflation taking part in an element. Rise in ticket costs positioned the High 100 Worldwide ticket gross sales in 2022 at 59.2 million, surpassing 2019’s complete of 57.7 million tickets. On Pollstar’s North American High 200 chart, ticket costs elevated 19% from $87.19 in 2019 to crossing the three-figure barrier of $103.71 in 2022.

And as 2022 involves an in depth, it’s clear 2023 will provide one other huge yr for the dwell music business. Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” has already managed to interrupt the web with an unprecedented, and drama-filled, file turnout for presales on Ticketmaster, and hints of a potential stadium/area trek from Beyoncé has followers on the prepared all over the world. To not point out the a number of confirmed excursions of stars who’ve already made 2022 a standout yr like Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Harry Kinds, Lifeless & Co. (the band’s closing trek), the Weeknd, Def Leppard/Mötley Crüe, Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks, amongst others.