Credit: Danny ClinchConcertgoers have been flowing in droves to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band‘s 2016 The River Tour, as Billboard has announced that the trek was the top-grossing tour in the world during the first half of the year. Bruce’s ongoing jaunt, which is supporting his 2015 archival box set The Ties That Bind: The River Collection, brought in more than $135 million, while 1.1 million tickets were sold for its 45 concert dates.
Other rock artists with tours in the top 10 of the list include The Rolling Stones at #4, ex-Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour at #7 and heavy-metal veterans Iron Maiden at #8.
The Stones’ América Latina Olé tour only featured 13 concerts, but grossed nearly $84 million and sold 729,000 tickets. Gilmour’s tour in support of his latest solo album Rattle That Lock brought in $42.3 million, with close to 399,000 tickets sold for its 17 dates. Iron Maiden made about $30.1 million after selling almost 539,000 tickets to its 34 concerts.
Springsteen and the E Street Band also had Billboard‘s #1 Boxscore — that is, the highest-grossing single-venue engagement — for the first half of 2016. The Boss and company’s May 27 and May 29 stand at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, grossed $19.2 million.
The Rolling Stones, meanwhile, had the second, fourth and fifth best Boxscores, for multiple-nights stands in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Mexico City; and Sao Paulo, Brazil, that grossed, respectively, $17.6 million, $13.2 million and $12.3 million.
Paul McCartney, meanwhile, had the #6 best-grossing Boxscore, as his May 17 and 19 performances in Buenos Aires brought in $11.8 million.
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