Number of music tour tickets sold worldwide 2011-2020

Data on the live music industry showed that only 13.4 million music tour tickets were sold in 2020. This figure marked a dip of nearly 80 percent compared to the previous year and represented the lowest global ticket count in over a decade.

The impact of COVID-19 on live music

Live music was one of the many (entertainment) sectors impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As concerts, tours, and festivals had to be postponed or canceled altogether, ticket sales plummeted at an unprecedented speed. Live music revenue consequently crashed as well, reaching a record low of 7.32 billion U.S. dollars in 2020. Looking at the financial performance of individual artists, Celine Dion stood out as the musician with the highest-grossing music tour in North America, even though she generated less than 72 million U.S. dollars in revenue that year.

Most successful live music tours

After a quiet year for the industry, live music made a comeback in 2021 following the lifting of travel bans and other pandemic-related restrictions. Many artists were able to start or resume their tours and finally perform for fans again, be it in smaller clubs or massive stadiums. So which music acts did concertgoers come to see? According to the latest data, The Rolling Stones topped the ranking of most successful music tours in 2021. The band's "No Filter" tour grossed 111.5 million U.S. dollars and averaged 9.6 million U.S. dollars in revenues per show. Meanwhile, the most sought-after live act based on ticket sales was Harry Styles, whose "Love on Tour" is set to resume until 2023.