#2 biggest 2008 North American tour attraction

[Bellamy]

Madonna biggest 2008 N. American tour attraction

 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet" concert tour was the biggest-grossing music tour of 2008 in North America, raking in $105.3 million, concert tracking magazine Pollstar said on Monday.

 

The Material Girl, whose 58-show world tour finished in Brazil last week, was closely followed by another solo diva -- Canadian-born Celine Dion, who made $94 million in North America from her first tour since ending an almost five-year residency in Las Vegas a year ago.

 

Rock veterans The Eagles were third on Pollstar's list, grossing $73.4 million for their tour to support possibly their last studio album "Long Road out of Eden".

 

Country music star Kenny Chesney ($72.2 million) and rock band Bon Jovi ($70.4 million) came in fourth and fifth.

 

The Top 10 grossing tours of North America were rounded out by Bruce Springsteen and the E street band ($69.3 million), Neil Diamond ($59.8 million), Rascal Flatts ($55.8 million), The Police ($48.0 million) and veteran rocker Tina Turner ($47.7 million).

 

Pollstar's Top 10 list did not include global tour earnings for the year.

 

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant, editing by Dan Whitcomb)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/autoNews/idUKTRE4BS4ZM20081229

[Nmj]

Great News

[celinesounds]

good news

[Black Kitten]

yay!

 

way to go Celine!

Edited December 30, 2008 at 07:13 AM by dhena

[anewdayhascome]

Good for Celine!

[Prince Whiskers]

Eh, Celine has almost 30 more shows to go in North America. Madonnahh wll fall.

[tal-sh2]

Exactly!

 

But I don't think it will count it, because it's not 2008 :/

Edited December 30, 2008 at 11:09 AM by tal-sh2

[felixwhoals]

Madonna sold 105.3 and celine sold 94. Short of 11.3 millions. Celine is so close to claim the top position.

[Bellamy]

Eh, Celine has almost 30 more shows to go in North America. Madonnahh wll fall.

Yes, for the whole tour. I think the pollstar ranks for North American tour only is more fair than the other ones earlier.

[Prince Whiskers]

Celine would probably be closer to Madonnahh or even have the year-end #1 spot if she didn't get sick and had to reschedule several shows.

[lost84]

Great News

[ahmed]

great

[destin139]

thats great news!

[CSCfan]

Love this Reuters article....

 

Madonna, Celine Dion top worldwide tours in 2008

 

Tue Dec 30, 2008 7:51pm EST

By Dean Goodman

 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Madonna and Celine Dion were the biggest worldwide concert draws in 2008, each selling more than $200 million worth of tickets to their slickly produced shows, trade publication Pollstar said on Tuesday.

 

The pop singers also took the top two spots in North America, which accounts for an estimated 40 percent of the concert business, Pollstar said.

 

Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet" world tour, which finished in Brazil last week, tallied $281.6 million from 17 countries. North American fans ponied up $105.3 million.

 

French-Canadian balladeer Dion, launching her first world tour in more than eight years, earned $236.6 million from 24 countries, with North America contributing $94 million.

 

This year marks the first time that Pollstar has compiled foreign data. Among the all-time North American tours, Madonna's ranks at No. 8 and Dion's at No. 12. The Rolling Stones hold the record with $162 million from their 2005 trek.

 

Dion, 40, might well be the hardest working woman in show business, having made Pollstar's list of top 10 acts every year since 2003. That year she began a 700-plus show residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and grossed more than $385 million by the time it wrapped last December.

 

Rounding out the top five of Pollstar's worldwide list were Bon Jovi ($176.3 million), Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band ($165.8 million), and last year's North American champs the Police ($120.6 million).

 

Pollstar said fewer people went to concerts in North America this year, and despite the incipient recession those who went were prepared to sharply pay more for their tickets.

 

"We've had a better year than we really should have expected given the economic environment," said Gary Bongiovanni, editor of the Fresno, California-based publication.

 

Ticket sales for the top 100 acts in North America rose 4.3 percent to $2.38 billion. The number of tickets sold fell three percent to 35.59 million, and the average ticket price rose nearly eight percent to a record $66.90.

 

Timing played a part. Acts that hit the road earlier in the year escaped the deepening economic abyss in the fall. Top-tier artists are also fairly recession-proof. Bongiovanni said tickets have sold briskly for Britney Spears' comeback tour, which begins next March, and he predicted sales would be strong for as-yet-unannounced treks by U2 and Springsteen.

 

Ticket sales data do not include revenue from merchandise, such as T-shirts, which can make up a sizable chunk of tour earnings.

[Costa Santos]

OMG! That's great news. I mean... Finally, we got official numbers: $236.6 million.

[CelionDion]

OMG! That's great news. I mean... Finally, we got official numbers: $236.6 million.

 

If this is a reliable source than Celine might surpass Madonna after all

[Costa Santos]

OMG! That's great news. I mean... Finally, we got official numbers: $236.6 million.

 

If this is a reliable source than Celine might surpass Madonna after all

It may be true. Oh, yes! She will!

[CelionDion]

This article is posted on various news sites:

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4807029a4500.html

 

http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment...a5-0044fdc048e6

 

http://www.vancouversun.com/Madonna+Celine...7945/story.html

 

:clap:

Edited December 31, 2008 at 02:33 AM by CelionDion

[celinesounds]

this is better news Edited December 31, 2008 at 02:53 AM by celinesounds

[aivee]

yeah yeah...go go celine :clap: :kicking: Edited December 31, 2008 at 03:13 AM by aivee

[boyblackuk]

This is amazing, surely with the next few months overall Celine will have the biggest tour by a female artists. Fingers crossed

 

Amazing

[Prince Whiskers]

Celine will top M by a.....whisker. Less than 30 upcoming dates in N. America where her ave. gross has been $2M per show.

[ubulka]

Eh, Celine has almost 30 more shows to go in North America. Madonnahh wll fall.

Yes, for the whole tour. I think the pollstar ranks for North American tour only is more fair than the other ones earlier.

And on the other parts also, do not forget Madonna plays in bigger arenas and halls...

((For example in Vienna Celine was in Stadthalle (10 000), while Madonna was at the Danube Island (45 000) so I can imagine that Madonna was better, but.... I ADORE CELINE ))

[nano]

lol..I love how they put Celine's picture first!

 

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/8919/kiertue2008rc9.jpg

http://www.iltalehti.fi/viihde/

[CSCfan]

Lol today an article also appeared in the Dutch media...and they're giving Céline even more credit (although only Madonna's name is in the headline).... they say that Céline is 2nd place, but when it comes to the number of countries in which they performed, Céline tops Madonna with 24 countries for Céline and 17 for Madonna....lol

[Peppercorn1991]

I love how they all call her 'the hardest femail artist in the music buisness' they are really right lol!!!!!!!!!!

[anewdayhascome]

Celine and her tour was mentioned with her tour in Polish tv as well but without number, they put EOM video...

 

But that's great news! finally Celine wins:D Sony!!! LOOk!!! Rene Loook!!! With promotion it could be even higher.... Think more in the future and release proper things!!!

[Costa Santos]

They talked about it on Brazilian TV news yesterday evening. :kicking: Edited December 31, 2008 at 01:57 PM by Costa Santos

[Only one celine]

And on the other parts also, do not forget Madonna plays in bigger arenas and halls...

((For example in Vienna Celine was in Stadthalle (10 000), while Madonna was at the Danube Island (45 000) so I can imagine that Madonna was better, but.... I ADORE CELINE ))

 

Sure she played in bigger arenas but she also charged more money. I remember i read few days ago an article in which we learn that in the US the average cost of a ticket for Madonna was approx $155 and for Celine it was approx $105. So It's not difficult for Madonna to top Celine with this kind of prices.

[Bellamy]

OMG! That's great news. I mean... Finally, we got official numbers: $236.6 million.

 

If this is a reliable source than Celine might surpass Madonna after all

Reuters is very reliable. Madonna's tour was already ended. Celine still has many shows. So there's chance she could have the best selling tour be a female artist, and the best selling tour by a solo artist.