Coldplay score biggest rock tour of all time

Coldplay’s globe-trotting Music of the Spheres tour has been crowned as the biggest rock tour of all time.

Since launching in March 2022, the Music of the Spheres jaunt has reportedly grossed $945.7 million and sold 8.8 million tickets, making it the highest-grossing and best-selling trek among rock acts in the history of Billboard Boxscore.

The British band are currently in the midst of the third European leg of the outing, which has also visited Asia and North and South America and is due to visit Australia and New Zealand later this year.

As reported in IQ earlier this year, the outing is also likely to see Coldplay make history as the first band (and second act after Taylor Swift, whose Eras Tour is categorised in the pop genre) to gross $1 billion from a single tour.

Among high-grossing rock tours, Coldplay usurps Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, which grossed $939.1m during its run from 2018-23.

The outing could also see Coldplay make history as the first band to gross $1 billion from a single tour

John broke the record in November 2022, dethroning U2’s 360° Tour, which earned $736.4m from 2009-11. Before that, it was The Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang Tour with $558m in 2005-07.

The all-time top 10 also features AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Roger Waters.

Based on ticket sales, Coldplay has held the all-time rock title since January, ending U2’s 13-year record with the 360° Tour, which shifted 7.3 million tickets.

The band, who are represented by Marty Diamond at Wasserman Music for North America and Josh Javor at WME for the rest of the world, have 21 dates on the Music of the Spheres tour remaining. They are strongly rumoured to be planning a 10-night run at London’s Wembley Stadium next summer in support of their upcoming new album Moon Music.

Go behind the scenes of the Music of the Spheres tour with IQ‘s tour report.

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