Chart Scene: Post Malone’s North American Tour Earns Chart Debut

With the first box-office tallies reported from the North American leg of his “If Y’all Weren’t Here, I’d Be Crying” tour, Post Malone has “Hot Shot” status on LIVE75 with the top debut of the week. The singer-rapper is fifth in the rankings based on an average ticket count of 20,117 per show from the first 17 performances of the U.S. and Canadian run.

The trek kicked off on July 8 at Ruoff Music Center in the Indianapolis market and racked up a $31 million gross during a four-week stretch. As of the most recent date reported – a sold-out concert on Aug. 3 at Atlanta’s Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood – the tour has seen a total of 341,995 tickets sold at 16 venues so far. Toronto’s Budweiser Stage is the only one to host Malone for two performances during this first stretch of dates, moving 31,087 tickets on July 19-20.

The North American tour coincides with the arrival of his fifth studio album, Austin, that debuted July 28 following the release of three singles via Republic and Mercury Records. After his final American show this summer on Aug. 19 in San Bernardino, California, dates are booked in Latin America, Asia and Oceania through early December.

Earlier in 2023, Malone completed the final leg of his “Twelve Carat” tour that played 12 arenas in Europe during April and May. With a ticket count of 244,974, he grossed over $26 million from 17 concerts during the jaunt that included a three-night engagement at London’s O2 Arena with attendance logged at 50,467. He also headlined two shows at Dublin’s 3Arena, AO Arena in Manchester, England, and Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome to wrap the European run.

The first of two artists making their debut appearance this week on the Artist Power Index is Jamaican rapper Sean Paul, who ranks 45th on the strength of U.K. arena concerts at Hull and Brighton along with a headlining appearance at the “Made Festival” at Luna Springs in Birmingham. Nigerian artist Wizkid follows with an APX debut at No. 47 based on his own U.K. performance, a July 29 concert at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as part of his “More Love Less Ego” tour.

On LIVE75, Ed Sheeran climbs one position to retake the No. 1 slot after holding the top ranking for three weeks in late June and early July. His chart-topping performance is fueled by a 59,869-ticket average determined from concerts at seven stadiums on the North American leg of his “Mathematics” tour. Between June 24 and July 29, he appeared at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium, Detroit’s Ford Field, Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, and Chicago’s Soldier Field. His per-show average is 2,646 tickets higher than the eight-show average for Luke Combs, who ranked highest on the chart in the previous issue.

Combs, who took No. 1 for one week, lands at No. 2 with a ticket average from double-show engagements during July at four U.S. stadiums. Included are Tampa, Florida’s Raymond James Stadium with 108,272 tickets sold and Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a ticket count of 110,484. Gillette Stadium welcomed 119,776 fans, while Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field recorded a total of 119,257 sold seats.

Beyoncé earns recognition as the “Heavy Hitter” on LIVE75 for the first time since launching her “Renaissance” world tour. The tag, representing the artist with the highest gross average of the week, is based on a $10.5 million average from her 16 most recent performances this summer – four during June on the European leg of the tour and the remaining 12 from the first nine stadiums in U.S. and Canadian cities in July and August. The top grosser among them is MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a $33.1 million haul from 106,056 tickets.

She is the first female headliner to score “Heavy Hitter” status on the chart this year, joining Combs, Billy Joel, Elton John, Sheeran, George Strait, Harry Styles and Morgan Wallen as solo headliners on the list. Coldplay and Red Hot Chili Peppers are the two groups that have ranked in 2023 with the top gross average of the week.