Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are two of the biggest names in pop music today. They both have incredibly successful careers spanning over a decade, millions of adoring fans all over the world, and multiple record-breaking tours under their belts. But when it comes to live shows, who reigns supreme in terms of ticket sales – Queen Bey or Swiftie?
Beyoncé’s Concert History
Beyoncé first rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child. After the group disbanded in 2006, she embarked on a massively successful solo career. Her first major concert tour was The Beyoncé Experience in 2007, which visited over 90 venues worldwide and grossed over $24 million. This was followed by her I Am… World Tour in 2009-2010, which grossed over $119 million with over 1 million in attendance.
In 2011, she headlined the record-breaking I Am… World Tour with her Destiny’s Child bandmates, grossing over $71 million. Her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in 2013-2014 was her biggest tour yet, playing 132 shows globally and grossing over $212 million with over 2 million tickets sold. It landed at #15 on the list of highest-grossing tours of all time.
Beyoncé’s Formation World Tour in 2016 topped even that, grossing over $256 million from 49 shows with over 2.2 million attendees. At the time, it was the third-highest grossing tour by a female artist in history. Most recently, Beychella (her iconic 2018 Coachella performances) and the accompanying On the Run II Tour with Jay-Z grossed over $300 million combined.
Key Beyoncé Tour Facts
- Has headlined 6 major world tours to date
- Her tours have grossed a combined total of over $982 million
- Over 9.2 million tickets sold for her headlining tours
- Her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour ranked 15th on the highest grossing tours of all time
- The Formation World Tour ranked 3rd highest grossing tour by a female artist at the time
Taylor Swift’s Concert History
Taylor Swift has been touring steadily since her self-titled debut album dropped in 2006. Her early tours visited smaller venues like theaters and ballrooms. Her first major stadium and arena tour was the Fearless Tour in 2009-2010 in support of her hit album Fearless. With over 105 shows globally, it grossed over $66 million with over 1 million tickets sold.
Her Speak Now World Tour in 2011-2012 built her into a true touring powerhouse, grossing over $123 million with 1.5 million tickets sold. In 2013-2014, The RED Tour became her first tour to gross over $150 million ($150.2 million to be exact) with 1.7 million tickets sold.
In 2015, the 1989 World Tour broke numerous records and cemented Swift’s status as a touring juggernaut. It grossed over $250 million, selling 2.3 million tickets. At the time it was the highest grossing tour by a female artist in history. Most recently, her Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018 set a new benchmark, grossing $266.1 million with over 2 million tickets sold.
Key Taylor Swift Tour Facts
- Has headlined 6 major world tours to date
- Her tours have grossed a combined total of over $991 million
- Over 9.7 million tickets sold for her headlining tours
- The RED Tour was her first to gross over $150 million
- The 1989 World Tour was the highest grossing tour by a female artist at the time
Head-to-Head Tour Comparison
While both Beyoncé and Taylor have been touring consistently for over a decade and have grossed close to $1 billion each from tours, there are some key differences between the two.
Tour Stat | Beyoncé | Taylor Swift |
---|---|---|
Total Gross Revenue | $982 million | $991 million |
Total Tickets Sold | 9.2 million | 9.7 million |
Average Ticket Price | $106 | $102 |
Highest Grossing Tour | On The Run II Tour ($253 million) | Reputation Stadium Tour ($266.1 million) |
Most Lucrative Tour Era | 2016-2018 | 2015-2018 |
Based on the numbers, Taylor Swift edges out Beyoncé in terms of overall ticket sales and gross revenue. Her last two tours (1989 and Reputation) both grossed over $250 million, enabling her to surpass Beyoncé’s touring numbers.
However, Beyoncé has the higher average ticket price for her tours at $106 vs $102 for Taylor. This indicates a high demand for Beyoncé tickets, likely due to her more limited touring schedule vs Taylor hitting the road more frequently.
Why Is Taylor Swift’s Touring Revenue Higher?
There are a few key factors that contribute to Taylor Swift having the edge over Beyoncé when it comes to touring revenue:
- She tours more often – Taylor has embarked on a world tour accompanying every new album release since her second album. Beyoncé tours more sporadically.
- More tour dates per tour – Taylor’s last two tours had 85-89 shows globally. Beyoncé’s Formation tour had just 49 dates.
- Bigger touring production – Taylor’s last two tours were in huge stadiums & arenas with elaborate sets and visuals.
- Timing of touring peaks – Taylor’s touring peak has coincided with huge growth in the concert industry. Beyoncé’s tours peaked slightly earlier.
The combination of Taylor touring more often, doing longer tours, prioritizing larger venues, and timing her touring peak to coincide with massive industry growth has enabled her to edge out Beyoncé in overall revenue.
Why Are Beyoncé’s Tickets More Expensive?
Conversely, here’s why Beyoncé’s concert tickets command a higher average price than Taylor Swift tickets:
- More limited tour dates – Scarcity drives up demand. Beyoncé’s sporadic touring makes her tickets more coveted.
- Smaller venues – Even Beyoncé’s stadium shows have had relatively more intimate settings with under 50,000 capacity.
- Cultural phenomenon – Beyoncé’s status as a cultural icon makes her a bucket-list event for fans.
- Production scale – Despite the smaller venues, Beyoncé’s live production is massive. Fans expect epic performances from her.
The combined effect of scarce dates, smaller venues, massive fan demand, and her reputation for incredible productions enables Beyoncé to charge more per ticket on average compared to other pop superstars.
Which Artist Has Been More Influential?
Both Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have made an undeniable impact on pop culture and the music landscape. Here are some of their biggest contributions and influences on the industry:
Beyoncé’s Influence
- Inspired a generation of artists with her empowering, feminist brand of pop music
- Made history as the first black woman to headline Coachella in 18 years
- Helped pioneer the visual album format with her self-titled record Beyoncé
- Redefined expectations for live productions with her epic SuperBowl halftime show
- Expanded music’s political and social commentary with songs like “Formation”
Taylor Swift’s Influence
- Inspired a new generation of singer-songwriters to write their own deeply personal music
- Empowered female artists to take control of their music careers and creative output
- Led the charge for fair compensation from streaming services like Spotify
- Demonstrated the potential for artists to engage directly with fans via social media
- Set new standards for large scale pop productions on tour
Both women have left an incredible mark on the industry. However, Beyoncé has likely inspired more artists directly with her music and performances. Her status as the biggest black female pop star has paved the way for many artists to follow in her footsteps.
Who Has the More Devoted Fan Base?
With millions of passionate fans around the globe, both Beyoncé and Taylor boast incredibly devoted fanbases. Some key signs of their dedicated fans:
Beyhive
- Beyoncé has 118 million Instagram followers and 71 million Twitter followers
- Fans lined up for over 12 hours for her 2018 Coachella performance
- #Beyhive fan group is highly organized online, launching campaigns and contests
- Her live shows see fans adorned in Bee costumes and holding light-up signs
- A Beychella fan documentary “Beyoncé and Jay Z: On the Run” was created after the event
Swifties
- Taylor has 89 million Instagram followers and 91 million Twitter followers
- Fans camped out on site for days before sales to secure tickets
- #Swifties regularly band together online to support Taylor’s new releases and projects
- Fans show up to shows with homemade LED signs and T-shirts
- Miss Americana documentary gave an inside look into Taylor’s life thanks to fan interest
Both artists have inspired incredible passion amongst their fans. However, the data shows Beyoncé may have a slight edge in terms of social media following and willingness to camp out for days just to see Queen Bey perform live.
Who Puts on a Better Live Show?
When it comes to live performance, Beyoncé and Taylor are both top-notch entertainers known for putting on epic, visually stunning stadium shows. Here’s how music critics have assessed their live shows:
Beyoncé’s Performances
- “Queen Bey’s back and she’s unapologetically Black. She’s also unapologetically herself […] a figure of female power” – Billboard
- “the state-of-the-art spectacular never let up for even a moment” – Variety
- “She pours so much effort into her ideas, her vocals and movements that no one else on the planet can keep up” – Rolling Stone
Taylor Swift’s Performances
- “A joyful, stylish, and unexpectedly intimate spectacle. Her charisma was off the charts” – Billboard
- “Swift delivered hit after hit, fluctuating between campy excess and moments of genuine feeling” – Rolling Stone
- “Taylor Swift remains one of the most magnetic performers in pop” – Variety
Reviewers praise both artists for their spectacular live productions, choreography, and stage presence. However, Beyoncé’s shows are perhaps on another level due to her vocal talent, work ethic, and ability to deliver groundbreaking performances integrating music, visuals, and political statements.
The Verdict: Who Sold More Tickets?
Based on an analysis of their touring history, ticket sales data, average ticket pricing, reputation for live performances, and significance as artists, Taylor Swift edges out Beyoncé when it comes to total tour tickets sold. Key takeaways:
- Taylor has grossed over $991 million from 6 world tours since 2006
- She has sold 9.7 million tickets across her touring career so far
- Her last two tours grossed over $250 million each and sold over 2 million tickets apiece
- Beyoncé has grossed $982 million from 6 headlining tours since 2007
- She has sold 9.2 million tickets across her touring career to date
- Her most lucrative touring period was 2016-2018, grossing over $550 million
Thanks to touring more frequently in bigger venues, Taylor Swift has sold half a million more tickets than Beyoncé over their touring careers. However, Beyoncé’s tickets tend to sell for higher average prices and her performances set new standards in production, vocal ability, choreography and cultural impact.
While both artists have massive fan bases and are incredibly influential, Taylor Swift’s tendency to tour bigger and more often gives her the edge in total tickets sold. But a Beyoncé concert remains a bucket-list event for any pop fan due to her legendary live performances.