Madonna Extends Record as Highest-Grossing Solo Touring Artist: $1.31 Billion Earned
With the wrap of Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour on March 20 in Sydney, the pop superstar solidifies her status as the highest-grossing solo touring artist in Billboard Boxscore history. Based on…
With the wrap of Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour on March 20 in Sydney, the pop superstar solidifies her status as the highest-grossing solo touring artist in Billboard Boxscore history. Based on Billboard’s Boxscore archives that stretch back to 1990, her overall concert grosses reached $1.31 billion with the tour’s final show.
The Rebel Heart trek grossed $169.8 million from 1,045,479 tickets sold at 82 performances. The tour launched on Sept. 9, 2015, in Montreal, spanned over seven months and visited four continents. It hit 20 arenas in the U.S. and Canada through the end of October. A European run through 16 cities in 11 countries followed in November and December, and a second North American stint began in January. Seven Asian cities were on tap in February, and the tour’s final leg wrapped Down Under with a four-city sweep through Australia and New Zealand.
The Rebel Heart Tour’s top-grossing venue was the Saitama Super Arena in the Tokyo market with $9.6 million earned at sold out shows on Feb. 13 and 14. Top box office counts among the North American markets came at New York City’s Madison Square Garden with $5.2 million in sales on Sept. 16 and 17.
The diva first earned the top solo touring distinction in 2009 after the conclusion of her Sticky & Sweet tour. With the closing of that year-long run she became the highest-grossing solo artist and held that title until Bruce Springsteen surpassed her during his successful Wrecking Ball and High Hopes tours from 2012 through 2014. With the Rebel Heart Tour, however, she takes back the title.
Overall, Madonna ranks third on all-time top-grossing Billboard Boxscore list, with just The Rolling Stones ($1.84 billion) and U2 ($1.67 billion) ahead of her. Madonna is also one of only six artists — and the only woman — who have topped the $1 billion mark in overall concert grosses since 1990.
Top Grossing Billboard Boxscore Touring Acts*
- The Rolling Stones — $1.84 billion
- U2 — $1.67 billion
- Madonna — $1.31 billion
- Bruce Springsteen — $1.25 billion
- Elton John — $1.05 billion
- Bon Jovi — $1.03 billion
* through March 23, 2016
Madonna’s first tour reported to Billboard Boxscore was the Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990. She first joined the billion-dollar club in 2012 with the wrap of her MDNA Tour that brought her overall ticket sales total to $1.14 billion.
Also, Madonna has been the highest-grossing female touring artist for the past 12 years. She staked that claim in 2004 with the wrap of her Re-Invention World Tour and has remained the top solo female concert headliner ever since.
More From Pro
