Thanks at least in part to rising ticket prices, the concert industry is poised for record profits this year.
Attendance overall jumped by 24 percent in the first half of this year, with the Elton John/Billy Joel tour leading the way with a gross of $57.2 million.
Perennial leaders The Rolling Stones weren’t too far behind, at $37.4 million, with the Dixie Chicks, Celine Dion, and Cher all following closely.
The Top 50 tours together collected $678 million in gross receipts, a 26 percent increase from last year.
Much of the boost can be attributed to surging ticket prices – the average ticket for a Top 10 tour went up 11.5 percent. The average Rolling Stones ticket, for example, cost $158, up from $119 when they toured last year.
Undeterred fans bought 13.1 million concert tickets to the Top 50 concert tours from January to June, compared to 10.6 million sold during the same period last year.
Source Pollstar.com.
