Concert Pulse: Taylor Swift Sells 166K Tickets Over Three Shows; Luis Miguel, Bon Jovi Debut

Rick Scuteri / Invision / AP – Taylor Swift
kicks off her reputation tour in Glendale, Ariz.

While Taylor Swift isn’t officially on the Pollstar Global Concert Pulse chart yet, with only three shows under her belt on the Reputation tour so far, she will likely dominate once the tour gets into full swing, as her first three shows moved 166,707 tickets and grossed more than $21 million.

Swift kicked off her tour at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., May 8, where she sold 59,157 tickets and grossed $7.21 million, as reported to Pollstar.  Promoter Louis Messina had told Pollstar ahead of the tour opener that it was her biggest selling and highest grossing tour.

Just a couple nights later she headed to the San Francisco Bay Area for two nights at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, which reported 107,550 tickets sold and a heaping $14 million grossed. All three shows are reporting 100 percent capacity sold out. Adding to the starpower are Camila Cabello and Charli XCX as support. Ticket prices varied from $50-$500, as promoter Messina Touring Group seems to continue the trend of cutting out scalpers by pricing closer to market demand and creating enough inventory. 

As Pollstar counts average gross per boxoffice report, which can include multiple shows in one venue, Swift will surely have some monster grosses on her tour, which at times takes in three-night stadium plays. 

That kind of average gross, even before counting multiple nights, puts her in select company that includes the likes of U2, The Rolling Stones, Coldplay and Guns N’ Roses. Considering the size of her tour, with 50-plus stadium shows, she could end up on a whole other level.  

AP Photo / Charlie Neibergall – Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake dances and sings his way around U.S. Bank Stadium during halftime of Super Bowl LII between the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots in Minneapolis Feb. 4.

However, other recent entrants to the Concert Pulse are not to be trifled with, as Justin Timberlake still leads the chart with an average gross of $3.32 million per report and 23,277 tickets sold. Pink, who entered the chart last week, is still No. 2 with $2.35 million average gross and 17,556 tickets sold.

Impressive reports continue to come in for Timberlake showing sellouts at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas April 14-15, which moved a combined 30,493 tickets and grossed more than $5.1 million, as well as multiples at Montreal’s Bell Centre and Boston’s TD Garden, which both moved about 30,000 tickets. and grossed between $3 million to $4 million. 

Luis Miguel makes a splash at No. 4 on the chart with a monster Mexican run that included multiple runs at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, including four nights April 24-28 that grossed $3.5 million, another two nights April 16-18 ($1.7 million) and four shows at Auditorio Telmex in Zapopan, Mexico, which grossed $3.3 million. The dates were promoted by with OCESA / CIE with Eventos Artisticos partnering on some shows. The Latin icon kicks off a North American arena tour in May with multiple dates in Florida, Texas and California including at Fresno’s Save Mart Center Sept. 9 and ending at the Forum in Inglewood Sept. 16.

Also new on the chart is Bon Jovi at No. 6., who is just about to wrap a North American tour leg with two dates at Montreal’s Bell Centre. The recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee reports sellouts at Philips Arena April 20 ($1.2 million, 12,667 tickets), AT&T Center in San Antonio March 22 ($1.3 million) and 12,779 tickets sold to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which grossed $1.17 million. 

He’s averaging $1.36 million per report and 13,896 tickets sold, with average price at $97.84.