2024 Concert Market Rankings: Anamolies Rare In Year-To-Year Contrast

The annual Concert Market Rankings have been compiled based on reported box-office data at live events in U.S. markets in 2023. And, among the Top 100 markets on the list, the rankings reflect more stability and steadfastness with fewer anomalies and radical changes than last year’s results in a year-to-year comparison to 2022.

Even though within this year’s 25 highest-grossing markets, only top-ranked New York City, Chicago and Nashville retain the same ranking as in 2022, the variances among the rest of the cities at the top are minor with generally no more than a one- to four-position change up or down, although there is one market with a seven-position drop: Orlando-Daytona Beach, Florida at No. 25.

In contrast, last year’s Top 25 included one market that rose 16 positions over the prior year, while one moved up 14 spots and another, 10. There were also jumps of five, seven and eight positions with only one market keeping the same ranking as in 2021.

Looking further down this year’s list to markets ranked Nos. 26 through 100, there are no jumps larger than 29 positions or drops greater than 25, yet 2022’s rankings saw the 75 lowest-ranked markets moving up as much as 56 or 49 positions compared to 2021, while drops went as deep as 45 and 30.

Even though double-digit movement in either direction was rare this year, among the Top 50 markets there are a few anomalies, including jumps of 17 (Columbus, Ohio) and 18 (Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo, Michigan) and a drop of 11 (Omaha, Nebraska) on the top half of the chart. Only two markets – Spokane, Washington and Birmingham, Alabama – had jumps of more than 20 positions. Spokane rose the most, moving up 29 slots, while Birmingham jumped 28.

In Birmingham, the number of reported shows was the difference with almost three times as many performances reported at venues in 2023 compared to the previous year. The show count in 2022 totaled 59, but 170 shows were reported this year. Combined grosses from all venues in the area totaled $33.6 million to rank 47th. The top gross there was $4.5 million from a 16-show run of “Hamilton” at the BJCC Concert Hall. At Legacy Arena, Eagles had the top take of $2.2 million.

The anomaly of Spokane’s 29-position jump is actually a result of when shows were reported last year, not the lack of live shows during 2022. When the 2022 chart was compiled, there were 118 shows in the database, but when additional data was added to the archives after going to press, the 2022 show count ultimately rose to 157. So, last year’s actual gross of $34 million is far closer to this year’s $36 million than the $12 million indicated on last year’s chart – all a testament to Pollstar’s continually growing data as figures come in throughout the year.

Spokane did see a 5% increase in grosses in 2023, based on performances by some of the industry’s top stars such as Shania Twain who launched her “Queen of Me” tour at Spokane Arena.

Her sold-out performance on April 28 grossed $1.4 million from 10,784 fans. Also earning grosses of more than $1 million at the arena in 2023 were Foo Fighters, Chris Stapleton, Adam Sandler, Tool and Journey.

In 2022 there were 11 markets that were new to the chart, yet all were ranked outside the Top 50. This year, however, Palm Springs makes a debut appearance at No. 43, based on almost $38 million in grosses from 155 reported shows. Acrisure Arena, which opened in December 2022, is the key to the market’s success on the chart as the venue accounts for more than $28 million of the area’s overall gross. Harry Styles, Eagles, Luis Miguel and John Mayer were among the top draws at the arena in 2023, with Styles seeing the most box-office success with his $5.6 million gross from 20,939 tickets.