How well will this tour fare in the All-time highest grossing?

[Spirit]

Data I've gathered:

Up to Nov 30, they've played 35 cities (excluding Coachella and the Troubadour), with a total gross of $191,600,000.

The amount of individual shows are more, but Billboard only releases figures per city.

This amounts to an average of $5,475,000 per city.

After November 30, they had 49 scheduled cities (excluding RIR).

Using average gross so far with the currently remaining cities we end up with $268,275,000.


That means a total gross at the end of the currently scheduled tour of $459,875,000.





The list would end up something like this:

1. U2 - U2 360? Tour ($736,421,584 - 110 shows)
2. The Rolling Stones - A Bigger Bang Tour ($558,255,524 - 144 shows)
3. Guns N' Roses - Not in This Lifetime... Tour ($459,875,000 - 100 shows)
4. Roger Waters - The Wall Live ($458,673,798 - 219 shows)
5. AC/DC - Black Ice World Tour ($441,121,000 - 167 shows)
6. Madonna - Sticky & Sweet Tour ($408,000,000 - 85 shows)
7. U2 - Vertigo Tour ($389,047,636 - 131 shows)
8. The Police - The Police Reunion Tour ($362,000,000 - 156 shows)
9. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball World Tour ($355,600,000 - 127 shows)
10. The Rolling Stones - Voodoo Lounge Tour ($320,000,000 - 124 shows)



Do you think they have ambitions of reaching #1?

[Spirit]

It should be mentioned that Coldplay have shows scheduled until October of this year, so they will definitely also place in that top 10.

[allwaystired]

Not sure they have an 'ambition' to being number one, but I'm sure they wouldn't object!

If the tour goes on past this last American leg (which it could well do given the RIR announcement) they could be looking at it being the biggest grossing tour ever I reckon.

[jarmo]

If the tour goes on past this last American leg (which it could well do given the RIR announcement)

North America: 49 shows (2016+2017 - not including the Troubadour)
Europe: 19

There's still places to play in Europe for sure. The question is if.... And when...




/jarmo

[Spirit]

Not sure they have an 'ambition' to being number one, but I'm sure they wouldn't object!

If the tour goes on past this last American leg (which it could well do given the RIR announcement) they could be looking at it being the biggest grossing tour ever I reckon.

Just for the fun of it, if they play 50 more cities (2-3 legs) after North America this fall:

If they can keep up the average gross, they end up at $733,625,000.

[allwaystired]

If the tour goes on past this last American leg (which it could well do given the RIR announcement)

North America: 49 shows (2016+2017 - not including the Troubadour)
Europe: 19

There's still places to play in Europe for sure. The question is if.... And when...


/jarmo

Any more Europe shows would have to be summer 2018 at the earliest really- unless they want to do indoor shows of course. That would mean the tour going for over two years as well.....

[jarmo]

Any more Europe shows would have to be summer 2018 at the earliest really- unless they want to do indoor shows of course. That would mean the tour going for over two years as well.....

True.

It's what they did in 1991-1993. European tours during the summer months.



/jarmo

[Lord Stan]

It is of no use to give dollar numbers for something that happened decades ago.

Any and all monetary values must be converted to today's money. One US dollar back in the time was not worth what it is now.

[Spirit]

It is of no use to give dollar numbers for something that happened decades ago.

Any and all monetary values must be converted to today's money. One US dollar back in the time was not worth what it is now.

They would still be in the top 10. At #7 close behind U2's Vertigo tour.

The #1 spot in 2017 dollars is $784,027,536.




But as for an official ranking, inflation wouldn't be counted. The same happens in the movie box office rankings. Gone With the Wind is the all-time highest grossing movie on the US domestic chart when adjusted for inflation. It's rarely mentioned in the media though. As Star Wars 7 has the highest amount of dollars on paper, they'll be crowned as the all-time biggest success in the media.

[bolton]

I think they have a lot of place for 2018...More Euro dates,probably US dates in arenas,than some Asia and Africa dates,and probably a little run in South America,Australia and Japan...
I'm sure it will be in the first three tours

[Natalie]

I think there are two solid reasons to expect more european dates in 2018: 1) Impressive ticket sales for most european shows so far 2) some of their big markets are not included in '17 tour ( like Norway, more places in UK or France). 

[Spirit]

I think there are two solid reasons to expect more european dates in 2018: 1) Impressive ticket sales for most european shows so far 2) some of their big markets are not included in '17 tour ( like Norway, more places in UK or France). 

Also a big market in Eastern Europe that wasn't included in this run.

The UK and France definitely have potential for multiple shows.

• I can see them doing a stadium leg in South America around Rock in Rio (about 10 shows), then maybe,
• an arena run in North America doing the biggest markets (Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Boston, New York, Philly, DC, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, San Fran, Los Angeles) (about 20 shows),
• smaller run with multiple arena nights in Tokyo, Osaka, Sydney, Melbourne (about 10 shows),
• a summer stadium tour of Europe (predominantly Eastern Europe + Norway, UK, France and Germany) (about 20 shows).

[Lord Stan]

I think there are two solid reasons to expect more european dates in 2018: 1) Impressive ticket sales for most european shows so far 2) some of their big markets are not included in '17 tour ( like Norway, more places in UK or France). 

Also a big market in Eastern Europe that wasn't included in this run.

It's just that the venue situation in Eastern Europe isn't always that good. Soccer is played in some pretty rundown stadiums around the region. Buildings where you can't really see a show happening. Then of course new construction is happening. Little known Kosovo is opening their new national stadium in the capital Pristina this year.

[Spirit]

I think there are two solid reasons to expect more european dates in 2018: 1) Impressive ticket sales for most european shows so far 2) some of their big markets are not included in '17 tour ( like Norway, more places in UK or France). 

Also a big market in Eastern Europe that wasn't included in this run.

It's just that the venue situation in Eastern Europe isn't always that good. Soccer is played in some pretty rundown stadiums around the region. Buildings where you can't really see a show happening. Then of course new construction is happening. Little known Kosovo is opening their new national stadium in the capital Pristina this year.

I wasn't that familiar to be honest. 


After a quick search for modern stadiums, I found these though (capacity numbers are for football):


Ukraine - NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium (renovated 2011, capacity 70,050)



Georgia - Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena (renovated 2006, capacity 54,549)



Armenia - Hrazdan Stadium (renovated 2012, capacity 54,208)



Azerbaijan - Baku National Stadium (opened 2015, capacity 69,870)



Hungary - Groupama Arena (opened 2014, capacity 23,700)



Bulgaria - Vasil Levski National Stadium (renovated 2015, capacity 43,230)



Greece - Olympic Stadium (renovated 2004, capacity 69,618)



Romania - Arena Națională (opened 2011, capacity 55,634)



Turkey - Atat?rk Olympic Stadium (opened 2002, capacity 76,092)



Russia - Krestovsky Stadium (opened 2017, capacity 68,134)

[TheBaconman]

I think there are two solid reasons to expect more european dates in 2018: 1) Impressive ticket sales for most european shows so far 2) some of their big markets are not included in '17 tour ( like Norway, more places in UK or France). 

Also a big market in Eastern Europe that wasn't included in this run.

The UK and France definitely have potential for multiple shows.

• I can see them doing a stadium leg in South America around Rock in Rio (about 10 shows), then maybe,
• an arena run in North America doing the biggest markets (Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Boston, New York, Philly, DC, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, San Fran, Los Angeles) (about 20 shows),
• smaller run with multiple arena nights in Tokyo, Osaka, Sydney, Melbourne (about 10 shows),
• a summer stadium tour of Europe (predominantly Eastern Europe + Norway, UK, France and Germany) (about 20 shows).

This will start being painful without new music

[Spirit]

This will start being painful without new music

I'm sure there are worse things in life...

[Natalie]

 

Greece - Olympic Stadium (renovated 2004, capacity 69,618)

Yes, please! They played here back in '93. It has been renovated since then (for the Olympic Games '04) and many big bands have played here in the past years like U2, bon jovi, acdc ...

It's not the lack of venues that is holding us back, I believe. Our economy and lame promotion companies is the problem. If they decide to tour eastern europe with lower prices though, I can see it happening. They have a big fanbase here btw
 

[jarmo]

Like Natalie pointed out, it's not always about a lack of a venue.

In some places, they could put the show in a park, or parking lot if there's no suitable stadium around.
On the upcoming European leg, some shows are in places like that (Lisbon, Hannover, H?meenlinna, Nijmegen etc).


The promoters are in the business of making money. If they don't think they can make any on a GN'R show, they won't make the show happen...


But there does seem to be a bunch of possible places for another European tour to visit.

Of the ones Spirit listed, I suspect some would be more likely than others. And this is just me as a fan speculating, knowing where GN'R has played in the past.

Athens (Terra Vibe Park seems like a popular venue there)
Budapest
Sofia?
Kiev?
Russia?
Bucharest?
Maybe even Estonia?
Warsaw?





/jarmo

[Lord Stan]

Like Natalie pointed out, it's not always about a lack of a venue.

I wonder if corruption plays any part. It could be that some places are just easier to skip than deal with bullshit.

[Natalie]

Like Natalie pointed out, it's not always about a lack of a venue.

I wonder if corruption plays any part. It could be that some places are just easier to skip than deal with bullshit.

To avoid any misunderstanding , I didn't imply anything about corruption. When I mentioned economy, I meant that in a crisis-struck country like mine, many people can not afford to attend expensive concerts so promotion companies will not make it happen since they know they won't have the profit they want.
And skipping some place has to do with numbers most of the times, not "dealing with bullshit". If you can pay for it, you ll get one , otherwise next time.Plain and simple. And this is not a complaint towards the band management  or smth... It is the bitter truth in the capitalistic world we live in.