Pollstar, a Los Angeles-based trade publication for the concert and live music industry, has published a definitive list of the 25 Most Popular Touring Artists of the Millennium, based on global ticket sales from 2001 to the end of 2025.
U2 are in second place having sold 20.2 million tickets thanks to blockbuster tours like the 360° Tour (the highest grossing tour of all time for eight years), the Vertigo Tour and The Joshua Tree Tour.
Bono during the record-breaking U2 360° Tour
Flame-haired acoustic pop troubadour Ed Sheeran completes the UK & Ireland-centric Top 3 with 19.6 million tickets sold.
Dave Matthews Band are the highest place American artist at No.4 (19.5 million tickets) with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band at No.6 (18.6 million tickets).
Metallica are unsurprisingly the biggest heavy metal touring act of the millennium (No.8) having sold 15.6 million tickets, and they’re one place ahead of New Jersey rock royalty Bon Jovi with 13.9 million ticket sales.
Other rock acts in the Top 25 include The Rolling Stones (No.12), Guns N’ Roses (No.16), Eagles (No.18), Iron Maiden (No.19), Roger Waters (No. 21) and Paul McCartney (No. 22).
Pollstar says that the Top 25 headlining acts collectively sold more than 340 million tickets over the past 25 years, generating grosses exceeding $35.7 billion (£26.8 billion).
The Rolling Stones rock Liverpool’s Anfield stadium
Despite being in fifth spot, Taylor Swift is the highest grossing artist on the list with the huge $3.1 billion (£2.3 billion) tally largely coming from The Eras Tour, which is the top grossing tour of all time.
The average ticket price among all 25 acts is $104.83, but Taylor Swift has the highest average at $165.54 followed by The Rolling Stones at $162.96.
“Congratulations to Coldplay, U2, Ed Sheeran, Dave Matthews Band and all the top 25 acts of the last 25 years as well as their teams, their fans, and this entire industry who work tirelessly to make these shows happen,” said Andy Gensler, Pollstar editor-in-chief.
“It is staggering to consider the exponential growth this industry has undergone over the last quarter century with more superstar acts playing more shows in more territories than ever.
“This list is the perfect prelude to our 2025 Year End Special Issue in which touring continues to reach new creative and commercial heights across every genre.”
