Coldplay the Most Popular Touring Artist of the Millennium

_Pollstar_ has compiled its list of the ‘25 Most Popular Touring Artists of the Millennium.’ The list is based on worldwide ticket sales reported to _Pollstar_ from 2001 through the end of 2025.

Top sellers:

• Coldplay tops the list, with 24.8 million tickets sold across 731 concerts since 2001.

• U2 comes in at Number 2, selling 20.2 million tickets.

• Third is Ed Sheeran, with 19.6 million tickets.

• At fourth, Dave Matthews Band is the highest ranked American group, with 19.5 million tickets sold.

• Taylor Swift rounds out the top five, with 18.9 million tickets sold, 10.2 million of which came from her 2023-2024 ‘Eras’ tour.

• The full list is here.

Other facts:

• In 2001, the average ticket price for all events reported was $36.68. By 2025 it had risen to $90.27, a 146% increase.

• The average ticket price across the top 25 artists was $104.83, with Swift’s the highest at $165.54.

• Dave Matthews Band, Elton John and orchestra conductor André Rieu are the only three acts on the list with more than 1000 shows recorded in the box-office archives.

• Kenny Chesney is the highest ranked country artist at Number 7 with 18.2 million in ticket sales; at Number 13, Beyoncé is the highest ranked R&B artist with 11.8 million tickets sold.