U2 is one of the most famous and successful rock bands of all time, having sold over 170 million records worldwide since forming in 1976. The Irish group, consisting of Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., last toured extensively back in 2015/2016 on their Innocence + Experience tour, playing over 130 shows across Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Oceania.
It’s now 2023 and excitement is building with the announcement of U2’s return to the stage. The band’s highly anticipated new tour is set to kick off in the coming months and will mark their first time playing live again after a lengthy absence. Fans around the world are eager to secure tickets to what will surely be an unforgettable arena production.
However, some are wondering – did U2 tickets sell out already or is there still a chance to get seats? Let’s take a closer look and analyze if the shows are already at capacity.
Brief History of U2’s Tour Success
Ever since U2 broke through with their Joshua Tree album and tour in the late 1980s, the band has been known for wildly successful concert outings playing to millions of people. Their stadium-filling tours have repeatedly set records over the decades.
Some quick facts about U2’s touring history:
- The Joshua Tree Tour in 1987 played to over 3 million fans across North America and Europe. It was one of the highest grossing tours of that decade.
- The elaborate ZooTV Tour in 1992/1993 was seen by about 5.4 million people globally and introduced new levels of multimedia production into live shows.
- The record-setting Vertigo Tour in 2005/2006 grossed nearly $400 million, at the time the highest by any rock band ever.
- Over 7 million tickets were sold for the 360° Tour in 2009/2011, which took place in packed stadiums and saw U2 perform to the largest audiences of their career.
- The Innocence + Experience Tour in 2015/2016 sold out arenas and stadiums again, grossing over $286 million from over 1.2 million tickets.
Based on this track record of phenomenal commercial success and the incredible demand from fans each time U2 announces a new tour, it’s expected their upcoming 2023 shows will be immediate sellouts once again.
When Did Tickets Go on Sale for the Current Tour?
U2 revealed their plans to hit the road again in early October 2023. Shortly after the tour announcement, ticket pre-sales began on October 10 for subscribers to U2’s official fan club. Pre-sales through promoter and venue partners also took place later that week.
The general public ticket on-sale date across most cities in North America and Europe was Friday, October 13, 2023. Other areas like South America and Oceania had their public on-sales on October 14 and 15 respectively.
So essentially, tickets have been available for purchase since October 10 but the widest range of inventory was released just a few days ago on October 13 when sales opened to the general public.
How Quickly Did Shows Sell Out?
As expected, U2 tickets were in very high demand and skewed towards immediate sellouts in most major markets. Signals of a swift ticket buying rush were apparent right from pre-sales, where fan club and partner allotments were largely snatched up.
Once general sales began, most arena dates for North American cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto and Boston were entirely sold out within hours. Some shows saw tickets go in mere minutes.
Large stadium concerts in European strongholds like London, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Rome and Dublin also sold out quickly when the general public was granted access.
Below is a table showing some sample tour stops and how fast they reached sellout status:
City | Venue | Sellout Time |
---|---|---|
New York | Madison Square Garden | 90 minutes |
Chicago | United Center | 45 minutes |
Los Angeles | The Forum | 2 hours |
London | O2 Arena | 30 minutes |
Amsterdam | Ziggo Dome | 1 hour |
Sydney | ANZ Stadium | 2 hours |
This table gives an idea of how incredibly popular the tour is and how quickly U2 fans rushed to lock down tickets in major cities. Most dates sold old in well under 2 hours.
Reasons Behind Rapid Sellouts
There are several key factors that help explain the lightning fast rate at which this tour sold out:
- High profile comeback – U2 is returning after 7 years away, building massive anticipation.
- Limited tour plans – Only doing select cities, increasing demand.
- Big production expected – Will be their first indoor arena tour in decades, elevating the appeal.
- Dedicated fanbase – U2 has a very loyal global following that jumps at the chance to see them live.
- Legendary reputation – They are widely considered one of the greatest live acts ever.
- Aging rockers – At their ages, fans treat each tour as a can’t-miss event.
- Buzz around new album – A supporting album release adds new excitement.
When you combine the legendary status of the band, the excitement around their return, the limited tour scope, and their diehard fans, it created the perfect storm for instant sellouts.
Are Any Dates Still Available?
With almost the entire tour selling out immediately, options are very limited at this point for those still hoping to get tickets. However, it’s not completely sold out just yet.
After the initial on-sales, several dates did release extra production holds and other tickets held back. Plus some third-party reseller inventory has emerged, often at inflated prices.
Below are some of the dates that may still have limited seats available:
- October 28, 2023 in Manchester, UK – Some upper level singles released
- November 5, 2023 in Glasgow, UK – Sparse singles remain
- November 15, 2023 in Paris, France – Additional seats opened up
- November 29, 2023 in Hamburg, Germany – Bottom tier side seats released
- December 9, 2023 in Sydney, Australia – Obstructed view singles
- December 19, 2023 in Auckland, NZ – Last rows of floor may be open
There is also a chance additional tickets may be released closer to show dates in some markets if the band and local venues determine they can safely accommodate more fans.
But overall, pickings are slim. Major cities like New York, London, Dublin, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Chicago and Toronto appear to be entirely sold through. Only stray single seats might materialize on the secondary market, often with dramatically inflated pricing.
Secondary Market Options
Fans who missed the initial on-sales are now scouring secondary ticketing sites hoping to buy reseller tickets. However, U2’s popularity coupled with short supply means resale inventory is pricey.
Below are some sample resale prices for high demand shows:
City | Average Resale Price |
---|---|
Dublin | $1,800 |
London | $950 |
Paris | $600 |
New York | $850 |
Toronto | $700 |
Prices many times exceed the $200-$300 face value ticket costs. And that’s just for basic entry floor or lower bowl seats, not even front row or VIP packages.
Budget-focused fans will likely find the secondary market too pricey and face an uphill battle securing reasonably priced access. Resellers are capitalizing on the supply and demand imbalance.
Expected Setlist & Production
Since the tour is not completely sold out yet, fans may still be weighing ticket buying decisions. Knowing more about potential setlist and concert production can help build excitement.
U2 is renowned for changing up their setlists and reinventing stage designs with each new tour. However, given it’s their first outing in 7 years, fans can probably expect a “greatest hits” focused set leaning heavily on classic anthems mixed with a handful of new songs.
Songs like “Where the Streets Have No Name”, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, “With or Without You”, “Pride (In the Name of Love)” and “One” are virtual locks to be played at every show. Other hits like “Beautiful Day”, “Vertigo”, “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “Elevation” and “Desire” also seem likely rotations.
For the new album, the lead singles will surely get featured plus a few deeper cuts sprinkled in. The band has mentioned wanting to break out some older rarities not played live in decades too.
Visually, the production is expected to be state-of-the-art using the latest innovations. The band’s previous two tours were among the highest grossing ever partially because of their stellar, high-tech concert experiences that blew fans away. Expect nothing less this time for U2’s arena curtain call.
Conclusion
In summary, U2’s hugely anticipated 2023 tour featuring their return from a long break between concerts was met with massive demand resulting in swift sellouts across most tour markets. While limited tickets may still be available in select cities, fans will likely pay very inflated prices to get into these high profile shows on the secondary market at this point.
The combination of U2’s legendary status, their older ages making this potentially their last big tour, the limited number of dates, and their devoted global fanbase created the perfect recipe for tour tickets to evaporate quickly. Diehard fans who acted fast were rewarded with secure access at regular prices. More casual listeners or those hearing about the shows late will now face challenges and high costs to still see one of the greatest rock bands of our time take the stage again.
But for those lucky enough to score tickets during the frenzied on-sales, they can look forward to what will surely be an extraordinary arena production, a setlist full of classics and new surprises, plus the pride of seeing Bono and the boys deliver unforgettable live performances one more time during an illustrious career nearing its final chapter. This is a rare opportunity to catch rock royalty before a likely looming retirement from touring.