2023 Concert Market Rankings: No. 9 Seattle – Tacoma

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MOONSHOT: John Mayer stops at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, on his “Sob Rock” tour March 22, 2022. (Photo by Mat Hayward / Getty Images)

No. 9 Seattle – Tacoma

The Emerald City Shines

Reported Market Gross $199,495,942
Reported Ticket Sales 2,377,347
Average Ticket Price $83.82

he Seattle-Tacoma market in Washington saw a leap in 2022, aided by the addition of 18,000 arena seats at Climate Pledge Arena to the region’s venue portfolio, finishing at No. 9 in Pollstar’s Concert Market Rankings and up 10 places from last year.

Yet the top arena show of the year didn’t go to an artist in the shiniest new building – it went to Sir Elton John, promoted by AEG Presents, who brought his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour to the Tacoma Dome for two shows Oct. 16-17, selling 18,903 tickets and grossing $8,301,505 with an average ticket price of $219.58.

Ticket prices rose in the Seattle-Tacoma market by 27% to an average of $83.92. Fans didn’t seem to mind – despite losing 2% in population and ranking No. 14 in Designated Market Area, concert market data was up in all metrics.

Seattle proved a bit of an anomaly in 2022. Its highest-grossing event wasn’t a concert – it was the touring edition of “Hamilton,” a Broadway Across America production at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre. Over 48 dates, “Hamilton” sold 133,819 tickets and grossed $19,038,858 at an average price of $142.27 per ticket.

It was the same story on the club level, with a theatrical event topping the rankings: 24 performances of “Land Of The Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker” at The Triple Door in Seattle sold 5,908 tickets and grossed $390,750 with an average ticket price of $66.14.

While theatrical events were popular in the Pacific Northwest, people still gotta dance. And Illenium topped shows for the year at the Gorge Amphitheatre in suburban George, Washington, for sellouts May 28-29 that moved 88,000 tickets and, at $100 per, grossed $8.8 million.

And in this year of the stadium show, Seattle celebrated Aug. 25 with The Weeknd, promoted by Live Nation, who sold out the 51,556-capacity Lumen Field, grossing $7,071,186 with an average ticket price of $137.16.