The Biggest Tours of the Millennium Are…

Guitarist David "The Edge" Evans, left, drummer Larry Mullen, Jr., middle, and singer Paul "Bono" Hewson of rock band U2, are interviewed by media at the Anderson Regional Airport in Anderson May 16, 1997. The Pop Mart Tour stop at Clemson was in the stadium where the Clemson Tigers football team plays in the fall.

Taylor Swift may have the highest-grossing tour of all time with the Eras Tour, but who are the most popular touring artists of the millennium so far?

Pollstar has compiled that list based on worldwide ticket sales from 2001 to the end of 2025. The top 25 headlining acts have sold more than 340 million tickets, grossing over $35 billion!

Can you guess who the top touring artists are? They will be very familiar to Throwback 2K fans! Here they are:

#1 COLDPLAY

Coldplay played the first of two El Paso shows Friday, June 13, at Sun Bowl Stadium as part of its Music of the Spheres Tour.

Coldplay came in first place, largely because of their hugely successful seven tours since 2001. They’ve sold 24.8 million tickets to 731 concerts.

#2 U2

Lead singer Paul “Bono” Hewson of rock band U2, sings on stage on The Pop Mart Tour stop at Memorial Stadium in Clemson May 16, 1997.

U2 came in second, selling 20.2 million tickets. The band has had six tours since 2001, including their turn at the Sphere in Las Vegas in 2023-24.

#3 ED SHEERAN

Ed Sheeran performs during the 58th ACM Awards at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco Texas, on Thursday, May 11, 2023.

Ed Sheeran is in third place with 19.6 million tickets sold. He has completed five tours and started his sixth!

#4 DAVE MATTHEWS BAND

Dave Matthews Band performs on the Midnight Sun Stage at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm during the Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tenn., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.

The band that’s known for its live performances, Dave Matthews Band, is in fourth place with 19.5 million tickets sold. They have played more than a thousand shows since 2001!

#5 TAYLOR SWIFT

And rounding out the top five, Taylor Swift! She sold 18.9 million tickets, grossing $3.1 billion. Most of that came from the Eras Tour, which was her sixth tour.

The Pollstar report also has some other interesting tidbits, like the average ticket price among all 25 artists is $104.83. In 2001, the average ticket price was $36.68.

You can take a look at the full report here to see where other Throwback 2K artists rank!