Divas Dion and Madonna biggest global concert draws

MADONNA and Celine Dion were the biggest worldwide concert draws in 2008, each selling more than $200 million (€143m) worth of tickets to their slickly produced shows, trade publication Pollstar said yesterday.

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

Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet world tour, which finished in Brazil last week, tallied $281.6m (€201m) from 17 countries. North American fans made up $105.3m (€75m) of this.

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

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

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 $385m by the time it wrapped last December.

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

Pollstar said fewer people went to concerts in North America this year, but despite the recession those who went were prepared to 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 Pollster.

Ticket sales for the top 100 acts in North America rose 4.3% to $2.38 billion. The number of tickets sold fell 3% to 35.59m, and the average ticket price rose 8% 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 autumn. Top-tier artists are also fairly recession-proof. Bongiovanni said tickets have sold briskly for Britney Spears’ comeback tour, which begins next March, and predicted sales would be strong for as-yet-unannounced treks by U2 and Springsteen.

Ticket sales data do not include revenue from merchandise, which can make up a sizeable chunk of tour earnings.