Ed Sheeran, U2, Coldplay Lead Touring Rankings This Century/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Coldplay has sold the most concert tickets since 2001, topping Pollstar’s list of the millennium’s most popular touring acts. U2 and Ed Sheeran follow closely behind, with Taylor Swift as the highest-ranking female artist. The rankings are based on ticket sales, not gross revenue.
Most Popular Touring Artists Quick Looks
- Coldplay tops Pollstar list with 24.8 million tickets sold
- U2 second with 20.2 million, followed by Ed Sheeran at 19.6 million
- Taylor Swift ranks fifth and is the top-ranked female artist
- Rankings cover touring data from 2001 through 2025
- Swift is one of only four women in the top 25
- Ticket sales differ from total gross revenue rankings
- Swift’s Eras Tour holds highest-grossing record: $2.2 billion
- Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour earned $1.39 billion
- The Weeknd’s After Hours ’Til Dawn Tour crossed $1 billion
- Chart combines reported and estimated global box office data
Deep Look: Coldplay, U2, and Ed Sheeran Dominate Touring Scene Since 2001
NEW YORK — The global touring landscape has evolved dramatically over the last two decades, and according to Pollstar’s latest rankings, Coldplay has emerged as the most popular touring act of the new millennium—at least by ticket sales.
In data released Monday ahead of Pollstar’s 2025 year-end issue, the concert industry publication named the top 25 most popular touring artists from 2001 to 2025, based on reported and estimated global ticket sales. Coldplay leads the list with 24.8 million tickets sold, followed by U2 with 20.2 million, and Ed Sheeran with 19.6 million.
Rounding out the top five are Dave Matthews Band, also at 19.6 million, and Taylor Swift, with an impressive 18.9 million tickets sold since launching her music career in 2006. Notably, Swift is the only woman in the top 10, underscoring the male-dominated nature of large-scale touring over the past 25 years.
Pollstar’s methodology draws from box office results and estimates of ticket sales from concerts worldwide between January 1, 2001, and the end of 2025.
Despite being fifth in total tickets sold, Swift’s financial dominance is unmatched. Her record-breaking Eras Tour, which began in 2023, was the first concert tour to cross $1 billion in gross revenue, according to Pollstar’s 2023 report. By late 2024, she had shattered her own record, with the Eras Tour grossing $2.2 billion over nearly two years.
Pollstar now estimates that Swift’s total touring gross since 2001 exceeds $3.1 billion, placing her well ahead of Coldplay’s $2.5 billion despite her slightly lower ticket count.
Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour, which ran from 2022 to 2025, contributed significantly to their total revenue, with Pollstar reporting $1.39 billion in gross receipts by September 2025.
The Weeknd, another top touring act of the 2020s, joined the elite billion-dollar club in November 2025. His After Hours ’Til Dawn Tour officially surpassed $1 billion, according to Live Nation.
While gross revenue often draws headlines, Pollstar’s current list focuses solely on ticket sales, offering a different perspective on artist popularity and fan engagement over time. This approach reveals long-term consistency and global reach, particularly for artists like U2, Dave Matthews Band, and Coldplay, who have maintained high touring volume and international appeal across decades.
Among the top 25, only four women appear: Swift, Pink (No. 11, with nearly 13 million tickets sold), Beyoncé (No. 13, with 11.8 million), and Madonna (No. 15, with nearly 11 million). The disparity highlights ongoing challenges for female artists seeking the same touring scale as their male counterparts.
Other artists featured in the top tier include Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Kenny Chesney, Metallica, Bon Jovi, and Elton John, all of whom have built loyal touring audiences and extensive live performance legacies.
With touring becoming a critical part of revenue generation for artists—especially as physical album sales decline—Pollstar’s rankings provide a long-term view of who has consistently drawn crowds, sold tickets, and dominated stages worldwide.
As the live music industry heads into 2026, Coldplay’s ticket crown, Swift’s revenue dominance, and the billion-dollar tours of a new generation reflect the evolving economics and scale of global entertainment.
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