Spurred on by neighbouring Singapore’s success with Taylor Swift, Malaysia is offering financial incentives for promoters to bring international stars to the country.

In a bid to boost event tourism, the Malaysian government has pledged a RM10 million (€2m) annual grant to support “high-impact” concerts and large-scale events (defined as over 15,000-capacity). A 30% production rebate will also be made available to organisers who book at least 30% domestic talent.

The Concert and Event in Malaysia Incentives (CEMI) scheme will be managed by government-backed investment arm MyCreative Ventures with support from the Ministry of Communications.

“This move will not only elevate Malaysia’s image as a regional entertainment hub, but also stimulate the tourism sector through the increase in domestic and international visitor arrivals,” says Music Malaysia chair Freddie Fernandez.

Dato’ Alan Foo, chair of national trade body ALIFE, says the initiative is a “pivotal moment” for the Malaysian live scene.

“We are deeply encouraged by the government’s recognition of the live events industry as a vital contributor to Malaysia’s cultural economy,” says Foo. “This grant — paired with a rebate mechanism that rewards organisers for hiring Malaysian talent — is a powerful step forward. It empowers organisers, attracts international acts, and ensures meaningful participation for our local ecosystem.”

The government says the scheme is in recognition of the knock-on benefits for airlines, hotels and other businesses, as well as increased employment opportunities within the concert industry.

Singapore’s reported exclusivity deal with Taylor Swift to make the island nation her only Eras Tour stop in south-east Asia, which saw the singer perform six nights at Singapore National Stadium in 2024, was estimated to have generated up to US$500 million in economic impact.

“It is a timely move, given past incidents that were unfortunate and could have been avoided”

However, the Malaysian authorities have revised their guidelines for international artists playing in the country in an effort to avoid a repeat of The 1975’s infamous set at the 2023 Good Vibes Festival.

The 1975’s opening night headline set in Sepang was cut short and the remaining two days of the event shut down by the authorities after the group’s frontman Matty Healy launched a “profanity-laden speech” against Malaysia’s anti-LGBT laws and kissed a male bandmate on stage.

The measures include the formal adoption of a “kill switch” to instantly terminate performances by international artists that breach government regulations.

“This is an important measure to ensure the safety and smooth operation of events,” says communications minister Fahmi Fadzil, as per Free Malaysia Today. “It is a timely move, given past incidents that were unfortunate and could have been avoided.”

Overseas acts must apply for a permit through the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (Puspal) before they are granted permission to perform. Fernandez says the amended regulations will also expedite the application process for promoters in obtaining approval from the authorities.

“This update will be particularly beneficial for small-scale performances and promotional events, with the processing time reduced from 14 days to just seven days,” he says. “This will streamline organisers’ operations and ensure smoother event implementation.”

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Canada’s BC Place Stadium has recorded the highest annual attendance in its 42-year history, driven by increased music programming.

The 54,500-capacity venue in Vancouver, British Columbia, has enjoyed an upward trajectory in attendance, economic impact and revenue in the last three years, reaching a peak of 1.2 million attendees in 2024.

At the same time, BC Place’s music programming has quadrupled since before the pandemic to eight concerts per year –  reflecting a wider trend of sports stadiums capitalising on the stadium show boom.

Last year’s slate included the three-night finale of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the record-breaking opening of Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati Tour, The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds Tour and the two-day Coast City Country festival.

“A big part of our success last year comes down to the relationships we’ve built within the industry,” BC Place general manager Chris May tells IQ.

“One of the biggest benefits of being the last stop on the Eras Tour is that we got to learn from fifty cities who hosted before us”

“For example, we built a great relationship with Messina Touring Group during Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour [2023], which was our highest-attended concert in history. The results from that show helped bring Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour to BC Place.”

May says the stadium was committed to giving Swift’s $2bn juggernaut tour “the finale it deserved” on 6–8 December 2024 and that, based on the feedback from fans and the star’s team, they hit the mark.

“One of the biggest benefits of being the last stop on the tour is that we got to learn from fifty cities who hosted before us,” he says. “Our goal was to ensure when the Eras Tour left Vancouver, that they would say ‘BC Place was the right place to end, the right place to honour the journey we’ve been on’.

“With a building of our size, having a tour come and sell the place out is when our venue truly shines. We’re proud to play a role in bringing world-class music to Vancouver, and it’s a win for the city too.”

The Eras Tour had an estimated $157 million economic impact on Vancouver, accounting for almost 40% of the stadium’s total economic impact in 2024. Last year, the stadium injected $405m into the local economy, up from $135m in 2022.

“Diljit Dosanjh’s show was a cultural and generational moment for many in the community”

Another 2024 highlight for BC Place was a sold-out show on Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati Tour, which made history as the largest-ever Punjabi music concert outside of India.

“Once again it comes down to our focus on community,” says May. “It started with our team having a strong relationship and open conversations with Live Nation about how we can better serve the many diverse cultural diasporas in British Columbia.

“With our province being home to one of the largest South Asian populations outside of India we saw a gap in the market, and along with the folks at Live Nation, we filled it,” says May. “Once we decided to move forward with the show, we knew right away it was going to be a huge success, the reception from fans was incredible and tickets sold out immediately. It wasn’t just another gig, this show was a cultural and generational moment for many in the community, and for Diljit to then announce his world tour from Vancouver…it was an unforgettable experience.”

Community engagement has been a top priority for BC Place as it welcomes more music fans, May adds.

“There’s our BC Place Community Benefit Programme, which raised $2 million for charities last year, and our collaborations with local Nations on initiatives like the Indigenous welcome during Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour. We always try to create special moments for people here, and I think that mentality has helped attract people to our stadium.

“It’s a big priority of ours to keep this momentum going [with concerts]”

While concerts have become an increasingly important part of BC Place’s business, May reiterates that the venue is first and foremost a sports stadium and home to the BC Lions and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

“It’s a big priority of ours to keep this momentum going [with concerts] however, we are a multi-purpose venue. So, it’s about balancing the needs of both sides of the business,” he says.

“But it’s not just about bringing in big concerts and sporting events,” he continues. “Diversifying our event lineup is extremely important to us,” he continues. “Last year, we hosted the World Supercross Championship, Diner en Blanc on our field.

“This year we have quite a few renovations and upgrades underway, which has led us to get creative and explore new ways to utilise the building while certain areas are under construction. All that’s to say – we are always looking for unique event ideas and love to think outside the box.”

Looking to the future, May says he expects BC Place’s programme to go from strength to strength – especially as the venue prepares to host the FIFA World Cup next summer.

“There’s definitely no slowing down for us,” he says. “In the next couple of years, we’re set to host some of our biggest events yet, like the Gold Cup this June and of course the FIFA World Cup. We’re also working on upgrades and renovations to get BC Place ready for the World Cup, which will help us attract even more exciting events. Like I always say – there’s no finish line. We’re always looking for the next big thing.”

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Employees of a third-party contractor for StubHub allegedly stole more than 900 tickets to the Taylor Swift Eras Tour and other events and then resold them for more than $600,000 in illegal profit, New York prosecutors say.

According to prosecutors, the tickets were stolen by two employees at a third-party contractor for StubHub in Jamaica called Sutherland, who then emailed them to other members of a “cybercrime crew” in New York who resold them on the platform for a windfall.

The 993 tickets were allegedly stolen between June 2022 and July 2023 and led to 350 StubHub orders totalling $635,000.

Tyrone Rose, 20, of Jamaica, and Shamara P. Simmons, 31, of New York, were arrested over the alleged scheme last week on charges of grand larceny, computer tampering and conspiracy, according to a statement Monday by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Each faces a maximum sentence of three to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top count.

“The individuals involved, employees of [Sutherland], exploited a system vulnerability to fraudulently resell tickets”

According to prosecutors, Rose and an unnamed accomplice used their positions at Sutherland to access a restricted area of StubHub’s network used to house URLs for event tickets that have already been sold. The pair then allegedly redirected those tickets to Simmons and another unnamed accomplice, who posted the tickets to StubHub and resold them for profit.

Though the “majority” of the stolen tickets were for stops on Swift’s $2bn Eras Tour, Rose and Simmons also allegedly stole tickets to Adele and Ed Sheeran concerts, NBA games and the US Open Tennis Championships.

Neither StubHub nor Sutherland has been accused of any wrongdoing. In a statement, StubHub’s chief legal officer, Mark Streams, said that when it uncovered the scheme, it promptly reported it to Sutherland and law enforcement: “The individuals involved, employees of [Sutherland], exploited a system vulnerability to fraudulently resell tickets,” he said. “They were swiftly identified and terminated.”

Streams said the company had replaced or refunded all affected orders and had also strengthened its security protocols to avoid future scams. StubHub has also since ended its relationship with Sutherland, the company said.

Last year StubHub was sued by the attorney general for the District of Columbia (DC) in the US, accusing the resale platform of “deceptive” pricing and hidden fees.

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Concerts from the likes of Taylor Swift, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran helped drive tourism in Singapore to record heights last year.

Singapore’s tourism spending in 2024 is projected to surpass $29 billion, breaking the pre-pandemic record of $27.7bn in 2019, according to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

The spend category with the biggest year-on-year growth was Sightseeing, Entertainment and Gaming, up 25% compared to 2023.

International visitor arrivals also increased by 21% year-on-year to reach 16.5 million, with the STB crediting the island’s country’s “year-round calendar of lifestyle events and concerts”.

Concerts by Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift “generated substantial economic benefits and enhanced Singapore’s global brand, with spillover effects to adjacent tourism industries such as retail, dining and hotels.”

Indeed, 2024 was a standout year for live music in Singapore, with rafts of major artists performing to sold-out crowds.

Singapore’s tourism spending in 2024 is projected to surpass $29 billion

Coldplay broke Singapore’s record for the most tickets sold by an artist in a single day (200,000) for their six-night stand at the National Stadium in January 2024. Shows for Bruno Mars, Olivia Rodrigo, Imagine Dragons and viral sensation Laufey were also snapped up in record time.

Ed Sheeran also delivered a concert at the National Stadium, followed by an intimate concert at the 1,000-cap Capitol Theatre. But it was Swift’s six sold-out shows at the 55,000-capacity venue that garnered the most attention for the island nation.

Singapore’s government drew criticism from neighbouring countries over a reported exclusivity deal with promoter AEG to make Singapore Swift’s only stop in the region.

However, tourism experts said Singapore’s success benefits the entire region, rather than detracting from it.

“The media buzz and the publicity surrounding Singapore’s apparent hijacking of her shows have woken up these countries to the rewards available in this market segment (high-end concerts) and their respective infrastructural or organisational shortfalls,” said Christopher Khoo, managing director of MasterConsult Services, a Singapore-based tourism consultancy company.

In fact, the exclusivity deal has prompted South East Asian nations such as the Philippines to step up, announcing plans to build a ‘Taylor Swift-ready’ stadium by 2028.

STB expects 2025 international visitor arrivals to reach between 17.0 to 18.5 million, bringing in approximately $29.0 to $30.5 bn in tourism receipts.

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OneRepublic made history as the first American band to perform during China’s Spring Festival Gala, the country’s biggest televised event.

First aired in 1983, the long-running annual variety show is a key cultural event during the Lunar New Year and is broadcast on China Central Television (CCTV).

This year’s five-hour live programme, which took place on 29 January, drew a record-breaking 496 million livestream views, up 18% year-on-year.

Produced by China Media Group, the show includes music, dance, opera, martial arts, and comedy, shaping pop culture and national conversation around the Lunar New Year.

OneRepublic’s performance of their hit song Counting Stars in front of Wuhan’s famous Yellow Crane Tower marked a rare English-language set at the Spring Festival Gala.

“By featuring OneRepublic, the gala not only added a touch of international flair but also sent a message of China’s cultural openness,” CCTV said.

“By featuring OneRepublic, the gala not only added a touch of international flair but also sent a message of China’s cultural openness”

The rare performance comes as China makes a concerted push for international artists in the country. It was reported earlier this month that Shanghai officials held preliminary talks with Taylor Swift about a potential concert in the capital this year.

Last year, advisers to the Shanghai government referred to superstars such as Swift as “walking GDP” because of their massive economic impact, and called for restrictions on international performers to be relaxed to host more high-profile shows.

The counsellors’ office of the Shanghai municipal government said on its social media account last year that government departments should streamline approvals, visas, customs and other logistical challenges that limited the potential to attract top-tier talent.

China’s financial hub has hosted many large-scale, commercial performances in recent years, but “it lacks stars that are weighty, internationally influential or truly appealing to young people,” the counsellors’ office said in an article posted on its official WeChat account.

Spilt Works managing director Archie Hamilton spoke to IQ late last year about the future of international acts performing in China.

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With the end of 2024 in sight, IQ presents a look back the biggest live music industry stories from the past year. Revisit the most notable moments from the last 12 months below – and there is only one place to start…

A $2bn juggernaut: Taylor Swift wraps up Eras Tour

After 149 shows, five continents and an unprecedented box office gross, Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour came to an end in Vancouver, Canada, in December.

The epoch-defining 21-month trek garnered an all-time record US$2,077,618,725 (€1.96 billion) at the box office after selling more than 10.1 million tickets, with the economic benefits of staging an Eras residency for host cities even earning its own term – “Swiftonomics”.

The run’s 80 shows this year raked in $1,043,421,552 (€993.4m) from 5.2m ticket sales at an average ticket price of $200.27 (€190.68). IQ explored how Swift captured the zeitgeist like no other artist in decades upon the conclusion of the tour’s European leg at London’s Wembley Stadium in August.

Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour was a distant second in the tour rankings – grossing $421.7m, having moved 3.3m tickets for 54 concerts (average ticket price: $128.05). The ongoing run has also made history after claiming the overall record for tickets sold on a single tour, shifting 10.3m tickets since commencing in March 2022, and is already the second highest-grossing ever.

The top 10 list was completed by P!nk (367.3m), Luis Miguel ($261.5m), Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band ($251.3m), the Rolling Stones ($235m), Bad Bunny ($210.9m), Zach Bryan ($199.2m), Metallica ($179.4m), and Madonna ($178.8m).

Global investment firm buys Superstruct for €1.3bn

American global investment firm KKR acquired festival giant Superstruct Entertainment from Providence in a €1.3 billion deal.

Fellow private equity firm CVC also went on to secure a stake in the firm, which owns and operates over 80 music festivals across 10 countries in Europe and Australia, including Wacken Open Air, Parookaville, Tinderbox, Sónar, Øya, Benicàssim, Kendal Calling and Boardmasters.

Superstruct was launched in 2017 by Creamfields founder and former Live Nation president of electronic music James Barton and Roderik Schlosser while at Providence.

IQ charted the increasingly close links between the international touring industry and PE here.

Meanwhile, Superstruct’s Barton will give his first interview in the company’s history at next year’s International Live Music Conference (ILMC).

Oasis confirm 2025 reunion tour

Legendary British rock band Oasis confirmed they are reuniting for a 2025 world tour.

The Gallagher brothers last performed together in August 2009, when they split following a backstage bust-up at France’s Rock en Seine.

The Oasis Live ‘25 Tour was the biggest concert launch ever seen in UK and Ireland, with more than 10 million fans from 158 countries attempting to buy tickets for the group’s first shows since 2009.

However, the unprecedented demand soon gave way to a dynamic ticketing controversy that has prompted multiple inquiries. There was widespread media coverage of fan anger after customers were offered “in demand” tickets for more than twice the advertised face value under surge pricing after queuing online for several hours.

Dynamic pricing was subsequently not employed for the group’s other tour dates in North America, South America, Asia and Australia, which have all sold out.

Adele’s Munich run ‘a milestone in music history’

The team behind Adele’s historic German run hailed acclaimed show as “a milestone in music history”.

More than 730,000 tickets were sold for the singer’s 10-night stint at a giant pop-up stadium in Munich, held between 2-31 August. The “bespoke” outdoor venue boasted a 220m x 30m LED screen, supplied by Solotech, which has been certified by Guinness World Records as the Largest Continuous Outdoor LED Screen (temporary) ever built.

Alongside the venue, the 75,000-square-metre Adele World – which included an authentic English pub, a fairground wheel, karaoke, Farmers Markets, merchandise and a typical Bavarian beer garden with live entertainment – attracted 500,000 visitors.

“We could not simply use a blueprint of another project – we had to start from scratch,” said Live Nation GSA CEO Marek Lieberberg, who co-promoted the residency with Klaus Leutgeb, CEO of Austria’s Leutgeb Entertainment Group.

“Before this started, I said: ‘Never before and never again.’ Now, I would say, ‘Never before but maybe again.

“It’s a milestone in music history, for sure. And it seems too good to waste. But if we ever did something like this again, it has to cater to the specific vision of the artist, like this one has.”

Co-op Live Manchester bounces back

A whirlwind first six months for Manchester’s Co-op Live (cap. 23,500) saw the UK’s largest live entertainment rebound from its delayed opening.

The £365 million facility hosted prestigious events including the UFC and the MTV EMAs, as well as indoor shows by Paul McCartney, the Eagles and Pearl Jam.

NEC Group veteran Guy Dunstan joined in October as its new general manager and SVP, with Rebecca Kane Burton, formerly of The O2, LW Theatres and Sodexo Live, becoming EVP of venue management for OVG International.

Originally slated to join the OVG fold over the summer, Kane Burton was parachuted in as interim boss of Manchester’s Co-op Live in April, as the venue’s launch was pushed back two weeks following a series of hitches. It ultimately launched on 14 May with a triumphant hometown concert by Elbow.

“I think any of us now, if we hear any Elbow music, will cry tears of joy, because that’s the moment we finally got the doors open and ready and away,” Kane Burton told IQ. “And then June just was amazing, because it was just literally back-to-back gigs and you start becoming a very well-oiled machine.”

CTS Eventim wins race to acquire See Tickets

CTS Eventim acquired Vivendi’s festival and international ticketing businesses in a €300 million deal.

The agreement included See Tickets and a portfolio of 11 festivals including the UK’s Love Supreme and Kite, as well as Garorock in France. Vivendi concert halls including L’Olympia concert hall in Paris, plus See Tickets France and Brive Festival, are not part of the deal.

The French firm’s ticketing and festival activities acquired by CTS collectively produced €137 million in revenues in 2023.

“With See Tickets and its festival operations, Vivendi has established two notable players in the ticketing and live entertainment sector,” said CTS CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg.

“The acquisition supports our internationalisation strategy and will also benefit artists and their managers, as we will be able to offer even more seamless services on a global scale. We look forward to collaborating with our new colleagues on shaping the future of live entertainment.”

DOJ sues Live Nation over alleged ‘monopoly’

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) launched an explosive lawsuit which could seek to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster after alleging the company has violated antitrust laws.

LN and Ticketmaster, who merged in 2010, are accused of using their “power and influence” to “insert themselves at the centre and the edges of virtually every aspect of the live music ecosystem”.

The suit, which was filed in May in the United States District Court Southern District of New York, claims: “Through a self-reinforcing ‘flywheel’ that Live Nation-Ticketmaster created to connect their multiple interconnected businesses and interests, Live Nation and Ticketmaster have engaged in numerous forms of anticompetitive conduct.”

The defendants vigorously contest the claims, with the case set to go to trial in 2026.

Live Nation’s share price rocketed to an all-time high in the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory in November, and the company has said it is “hopeful” the imminent administration change will have a positive impact on its antitrust battle.

Second Sphere venue location revealed

The world’s second Sphere venue is to be built in Abu Dhabi, it was revealed.

Sphere Entertainment and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi confirmed the longstanding rumours, announcing they will work together to bring the next-generation project to life in the UAE capital.

Since opening the $2.3 billion Sphere in Las Vegas, US, in September 2023, Sphere Entertainment has pursued plans to develop a global network of Sphere venues, with the expansion expected to provide “significant growth potential and drive new revenue streams”.

“The vision for Sphere has always included a global network of venues, and today’s announcement is a significant milestone toward that goal,” said Sphere Entertainment executive chair and CEO James Dolan. “Sphere is redefining live entertainment and extending the reach of its transformative impact. We are proud to collaborate with DCT Abu Dhabi to develop Sphere in their city.”

The partners say the venue will be located in a “prime spot” in Abu Dhabi and echo the scale of the 20,000-cap Las Vegas original, which has so far hosted residencies by U2, Phish, Dead & Company and the Eagles’ ongoing run, as well as the Darren Aronofsky-directed immersive production Postcard from Earth.

CAA trio appointed co-heads of global touring

Creative Artists Agency (CAA) announced senior agents Emma Banks, Darryl Eaton and Rick Roskin as co-heads of global touring.

The trio, all long-time senior members of the firm’s leadership team, will oversee the department’s continued international growth and build upon the work of predecessor Rob Light, who was named CAA MD earlier in the year after a quarter of a century as head of global touring.

“With the most talented team of agents ever at one agency, and serving the most influential artists in the world, we see unlimited opportunities ahead,” said Roskin, Eaton and Banks. “The live business has never been stronger nor had more momentum, and artists have never had more ways to express themselves and grow their careers, making this an absolutely incredible time to help chart CAA’s path for the future.

“We’re fortunate to have shared in the success, stability and uniquely strong culture that the department has enjoyed under Rob’s outstanding leadership. Our vision, and commitment moving forward, is to foster cutting-edge ideas that drive the market and ensure that CAA remains the most exciting and empowering agency for the industry’s best agents and artists to thrive.”

Live legends remembered

SJM Concerts director Chris York, one of the UK’s leading and most respected promoters, died in July aged 55 following a long illness.

Over the course of 30 years, York worked with artists including Oasis, Foo Fighters, Green Day, The Chemical Brothers, Lily Allen, Massive Attack, Robert Plant, Underworld, Lorde, Morrissey, Placebo, Suede and Stereophonics.

In a statement, SJM said it was “deeply saddened” at news of his passing. York joined the Manchester-based company in 1993, forming a “solid and unshakeable partnership and friendship” with founder Simon Moran.

“We have lost a leader, a mentor a force of nature and a friend,” said the firm. “His loss will be felt keenly by all the staff at the company and by many industry professionals and artists around the world. His influence and personality will live forever within SJM Concerts.”

The music world also lost Mean Fiddler founder and festival pioneer Vince Power in March, aged 76. The Irish promoter helped change the face of the music industry, working across festivals such as Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Phoenix, The Fleadh, Madstock and Spain’s Benicassim,

Power opened the Mean Fiddler venue in Harlesden, London, in 1982, which formed the springboard for his Mean Fiddler Group empire.

“Vince’s passing is a massive loss to the music industry and to me personally,” said Festival Republic MD Melvin Benn. “A visionary with a willingness to take risks to enable his vision but always with a humbleness that belied his importance. We had an amazing 20 years together that helped shape the music industry as we know it now.”

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Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour earned US$1 billion-plus for the second year in succession to more than double the haul of its nearest rival, according to Pollstar‘s 2024 data.

The epoch-defining 21-month trek, which wrapped this month, grossed an all-time record US$2,077,618,725 (€1.96 billion) at the box office after selling more than 10.1 million tickets.

Eras‘ 80 shows this year raked in $1,043,421,552 (€993.4m) from 5.2m ticket sales at an average ticket price of $200.27 (€190.68).

Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour was a distant second – generating $421.7m, having moved 3.3m tickets for 54 concerts (average ticket price: $128.05). Nevertheless, the ongoing run now holds the overall record for tickets sold on a single tour, shifting 10.3m tickets since commencing in March 2022, and is already the second highest-grossing ever.

“While the industry has slowed since 2023, we still saw record-setting revenues, with the top two tours of all time running concurrently”

“2024 has proven to be a historic year for the live entertainment industry, one we may never see again in our lifetimes,” says Andy Gensler, Pollstar editor-in-chief. “While the industry has slowed since 2023, we still saw record-setting revenues, with the top two tours of all time running concurrently. Taylor Swift’s powerhouse The Eras Tour shattered the all-time touring record, while Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres Tour sold more tickets than any artist in live entertainment history. That tour also grossed over $1.3 billion and remains the second highest-grossing tour ever, with 48 more dates scheduled in 2025.”

Also featuring in Pollstar‘s top 5 rankings are P!nk, who placed third with a $367.3m gross, and veteran Latin singer Luis Miguel at No.4 on $261.5m, followed by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band with $251.3m.

The Top 10 rankings are completed by the Rolling Stones ($235m), Bad Bunny ($210.9m), Zach Bryan ($199.2m), Metallica ($179.4m), and Madonna ($178.8m).

Total grosses for the Top 100 worldwide top touring artists increased to a record $9.5bn, up from 2023’s $9.2bn.

The Top 10 in North America were the Rolling Stones (No.1), Bad Bunny (No.2), Zach Bryan (No.3), Luke Combs (No.4), Luis Miguel (No.5), Kenny Chesney (No.6), P!nk (No.7), Madonna (No.8), Aventura (No.9), and Taylor Swift (No.10).

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After 149 shows, five continents, upwards of 10 million attendees and an unprecedented box office gross, Taylor Swift’s epoch-defining The Eras Tour has come to an end.

Produced by Taylor Swift Touring and promoted by AEG Presents and Messina Touring Group, the 21-month global trek launched in the US in March 2023 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona and wrapped up last night (8 December) at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada.

Citing data from the singer’s production company, the New York Times reports the outing attracted 10,168,008 fans, bringing in an astronomical US$2,077,618,725 (€1.96 billion) in ticket sales, setting a new bar for an international concert tour. Merchandise is also estimated to have generated an additional $400 million (€378m).

“We have toured the entire world,” Swift told the 60,000-strong Vancouver crowd. “We have had so many adventures. It has been the most exciting, powerful, electrifying, intense, most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my entire life.

“We’ve got to perform for over 10 million people on this tour. I want to thank every single one of you for being a part of the most thrilling chapter of my entire life to date – my beloved Eras Tour.”

Eras last year became the first tour in history to surpass $1bn in revenue, wrestling the top-grossing crown from Elton John’s 2018-23 Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, which ended with a $939.1m haul, as per Billboard Boxscore.

Swift’s record is likely to stand considerably longer, with its nearest contender – Coldplay’s ongoing Music of the Spheres World Tour – up to $1.14bn at last count – although Coldplay lead the way in terms of overall attendance (10.3m).

“You’re talking about a genuine global superstar at the peak point of their career”

Eras has never failed to garner headlines ever since its controversial 2022 US presale, which saw a record 2.4m tickets shifted in a single day, while three Austrian dates were cancelled in August this year due to a terror threat.

The tour format featured a setlist of around 45 songs split into 10 acts representing each of Swift’s studio albums. The average ticket price was $204, with the economic benefits of staging an Eras residency for host cities even earning its own term – “Swiftonomics”.

IQ explored how Swift has captured the zeitgeist like no other artist in decades upon the conclusion of the tour’s European leg at London’s Wembley Stadium in August. The 34-year-old performed eight gigs at the London venue – more than any other city in the world.

“Essentially, you’re talking about a genuine global superstar at the peak point of their career,” Featured Artists Coalition CEO David Martin told IQ. “We’ve seen similar cultural phenomenon before with the likes of Michael Jackson, Coldplay and Beyoncé. Taylor Swift is the most popular artist in the world right now, and the level of demand and hyperbole surrounding the Eras tour is completely detached from the rest of the live music market.”

The Wembley run confirmed her as the biggest-selling female artist to ever perform at England’s national stadium, in addition to setting a new bar for the longest residency of a solo artist at Wembley and equalling the overall record set by Take That’s 2011 Progress Live.

“She has become multi-generational, appealing to fans of hers from her earlier eras, to younger fans who have discovered her music in recent years,” ” added International Artist Group’s Jarred Arfa.

Meanwhile, the 2023 concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour earned $261.7m globally, according to Box Office Mojo, becoming the highest-grossing concert/documentary film in box office history.

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Taylor Swift has spoken for the first time about the three Austria shows on her Eras tour that were cancelled earlier this month after a foiled terror attack.

Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium was due to host three 65,000-cap shows by the singer from 8-10 August, but co-promoter Barracuda Music pulled the concerts the night before.

The planned terror attack was uncovered by Austrian authorities who eventually arrested three teenage suspects – aged 17, 18 and 19 – for allegedly planning an Islamist attack in the Vienna region, with Swift’s shows being the “focus” of the plot.

The 19-year-old main suspect intended “either today or tomorrow to kill himself and a large crowd of people,” according to the head of state protection and intelligence at the Austrian interior ministry.

Chemicals, machetes and technical devices had been found at the home of the suspect, who made “an oath of allegiance” to Islamic State at the start of July.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday night celebrating the end of the Eras tour’s European leg, Swift said she is grateful “we were grieving concerts and not lives”.

“Having our Vienna shows cancelled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows,” the 34-year-old singer wrote.

“I was so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives”

“But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives. I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together. I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London.

“My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us.”

Explaining why she stayed silent on the terror threats, Swift said: “Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows.”

“In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that.”

Following the foiled terror plot, security measures were enhanced for Coldplay’s residency at Ernst Happel Stadium – the first concerts to take place at the venue since the cancellations. Last night, Coldplay and show opener Maggie Rogers performed Swift’s smash-hit ‘Love Story’ as an ode to her Austrian fans.

The European leg of the Eras tour concluded on Tuesday (20 August) night at Wembley Stadium – the last of eight concerts at the London venue.

The tour will now take a two-month break before restarting in the US at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on 18 October. As things stand, it is set to wrap up in Vancouver, Canada on 8 December.

IQ yesterday asked a raft of live music executives how Taylor Swift’s Eras tour became a cultural phenomenon.

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Yet more records tumbled as Taylor Swift officially closed the book on the European leg of The Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium last night.

The singer welcomed surprise guests Florence Welch and Jack Antonoff to the stage for the finale of her five-night Wembley stint, which brought her total number of Eras gigs at the London venue to eight – more than any other city in the world.

Swift also played three shows at Wembley in June, and the completion of the run sees her crowned as the biggest-selling female artist to ever perform at England’s national stadium, in addition to setting a new bar for the longest residency of a solo artist at Wembley and equalling the overall record set by Take That’s 2011 Progress Live.

Produced by Taylor Swift Touring and promoted by AEG Presents and Messina Touring Group, Eras last year became the first tour in history to surpass $1 billion in revenue – a feat achieved before it had even left North America. Swift took in an estimated ticket gross of $1.04bn, with 4.35 million tickets sold from 60 shows. The 2023 run was calculated to have generated an additional $200 million in merchandise sales.

And despite playing for more than three hours on each date, the 34-year-old has still left fans wanting more, with Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert movie earning $261.7m globally, according to Box Office Mojo, to become the highest-grossing concert/documentary film in box office history.

Her previous global outing, the Reputation Stadium Tour, was the second highest-grossing of 2018, behind Ed Sheeran’s ÷, after netting $345.1m from 2,89m ticket sales across 53 shows. In the intervening years, she has released five new studio albums, as well as four re-recorded LPs, while her planned 2020 Lover Fest tour, which was to have included multiple European festival headline slots, was cancelled due to the pandemic.

“She has become multi-generational, appealing to fans of hers from her earlier eras, to younger fans who have discovered her music in recent years”

So why exactly has Eras captured the zeitgeist to such an extraordinary extent? International Artist Group EVP and head of global music Jarred Arfa, who previously described the trek as “like a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon”, suggests it is easy to overlook Swift’s longevity.

“Of course there are many reasons [for the success],” Arfa tells IQ. “But one that doesn’t get discussed often is despite the fact that she is only 34, she has now had hits for 18-plus years. She has become multi-generational, appealing to fans of hers from her earlier eras, to younger fans who have discovered her music in recent years.”

Marie Lindqvist, SVP operations at ASM Global Europe, credits Swift’s ability to foster a uniquely devoted fanbase.

“Taylor Swift has developed a community of fans that are kind, generous, inclusive and colourful,” she says. “I think that is what the world needs with so much polarisation, war and stress around.”

Referencing the American hitmaker’s three-night stand at the ASM-operated Friends Arena (now Strawberry Arena) in Sweden in May, Lindqvist adds: “Stockholm was a bubble of joy and positivity with Swifties from all over the world for a week. According to a recent study by the Stockholm School of Economics, the people of Stockholm were happier during that week and felt a sense of community. That is unique and resonates on a global scale.”

Theo Quiblier of CTS Eventim-backed TAKK, which worked on Swift’s Zurich double-header in June alongside AEG, Gadget abc Entertainment Group and Taylor Swift Touring, dubs the Swiftie movement a “cultural phenomenon”.

“The show itself is almost secondary,” he says. “All these young women coming together as one as a community is really bigger than everything else. One day everyone is talking about it and then you’re part of what is now a society.”

“The level of demand and hyperbole surrounding the Eras tour is completely detached from the rest of the live music market”

The tour format – a setlist of around 45 songs split into 10 acts representing each of Swift’s studio albums – is another clear USP.

“The scale and ambition of these shows feels quite unusual in this day and age – especially the intensity of the execution, the length of the performances and the global nature of the tour,” reflects David Martin, CEO of the UK’s Featured Artists Coalition. “Essentially, you’re talking about a genuine global superstar at the peak point of their career. We’ve seen similar cultural phenomenon before with the likes of Michael Jackson, Coldplay and Beyoncé.

“Taylor Swift is the most popular artist in the world right now, and the level of demand and hyperbole surrounding the Eras tour is completely detached from the rest of the live music market.”

Matt Kaplan, head of UK/EU at resale marketplace Tixel, notes the concerts’ cross-generational appeal.

“It’s really been a perfect storm,” he says. “The media headlines of her personal life aside which have fuelled the lore, we’ve seen a social currency in attending Eras shows that transcends generations — rare for any artist or even for a festival with dozens of artists.

“I think that Taylor’s secret is in having a very wide wingspan combined with nearly two decades of wild success – she’s spanned country and pop; young, raw songwriting to polished pop gold; her songs speak to today’s anguished teen just as much as they speak to the 20-something heartbreak of someone in their 40s; personas like ‘Swiftie Dad’ have been fuelled, creating a parent-child bonding moment.

“She’s wholesome, talent-filled and intelligently outspoken and the kind of character that parents want their daughters to look up to, which easily translates into funding an expensive ticket. And all the while, Taylor keeps herself relevant, visible, and above all else stays directly intertwined with her fanbase through surprise and delight moments and clues that fans delight in deciphering. There’s no wonder there’s university courses studying Taylor’s business and brand.”

Indeed, Swift’s cultural impact as led at least 30 education establishments to offer courses focused on the singer, while London’s V&A Museum recently hired four superfans as advisors about her fan culture.

The Eras Tour will now take a two-month break before restarting in the US at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on 18 October. As things stand, it is set to wrap up in Vancouver, Canada on 8 December.

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