Pollstar reveals the biggest touring artists of the millennium
Based on the number of tickets sold since 2001, here are the artists who defined the last 25 years of touring.
As 2025 comes to a close, Pollstar has dropped its list of the top 25 touring artists of the millennium so far. The ranking covers worldwide ticket sales reported between 2001 to the end of 2025. Across these 25 years, these artists collectively sold more than 340 million tickets, driving a combined $35.7 billion in grosses.
Who tops the list?
The list is full of household names, but the No. 1 spot goes to Coldplay. The band have sold 24.8 million tickets across 731 shows since 2001, generating $2.49 billion along the way.
Right behind them are U2 with 20.2 million tickets sold, grossing over $2.1 billion across 594 shows. Ed Sheeran lands at No. 3 with 19.6 million tickets sold and over $1.7 billion grossed across 641 shows. At No.4 was Dave Matthews Band with 19.5 million tickets sold, grossing $1.1 billion across 1,171 shows. And the top five is rounded out by Taylor Swift with 18.9 million tickets sold across 575 shows, grossing $3.1 billion.
Impressively, Dave Matthews Band is one of three acts in the top 25 to have performed over 1000 shows. The only other artists to do so is Elton John (No. 10 on the list) and orchestra conductor André Rieu (No. 14 on the list)
The top-grossing tours of all time
Ed Sheeran’s “Divide” tour broke U2’s record for the highest-grossing tour of all time, with $776 million compared to U2’s $736 million. Ed later broke his own record, beating himself with the “+-=÷x (Mathematics) Tour” that brought in $807 million after concluding earlier in 2025.
Of course though, Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” currently holds the record as the highest grossing tour of all time. Swift’s record-breaking tour grossed over $2 billion as its cultural impact was felt around the globe.
How ticket prices have changed over the years
The growth over the past 25 years hasn’t just been spearheaded by increased demand, but also by increasing prices. We all know ticket prices have been rising, and Pollstar reports that the average ticket price across all events have increased 146%, rising from $36.68 in 2001 to $90.27 in 2025.
Meanwhile, the number of tickets sold has surged 214%, contributing to gross increases of a whopping 673%. So, although ticket prices are rising, fans are also showing up too.
Currently, the average ticket price among the top 25 artists sits at $104.38, with Taylor Swift holding the highest average price at $165.54.
Below is Pollstar’s full list of the top 25 touring artists of the millennium:
