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Touring Biz Soars In 2006
December 13, 2006
- Touring
by Ray Waddell, Nashville
The North American concert business was up dramatically in 2006, according to numbers reported to Billboard Boxscore.
More than $2.8 billion in box office was reported, up 35% from last year's total of slightly more than $2 billion.
With big-ticket tours like Madonna, the Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand and U2 working in 2006, some increase in dollars was expected. But what may surprise many is that even with these higher prices, attendance managed a 14% increase at more than 52 million attending nearly 15,000 concerts. This follows two years of declining attendance, including a 3.8% decrease last year.
The grosses are compiled from Boxscores Nov. 16, 2005 - Nov. 14, 2006.
Worldwide numbers also are up, with a total gross of $3.4 billion, up 30% from 2005, and a total attendance of more than 61 million, up 13%. These double-digit increases in dollars and attendance were accomplished with only a modest increase in touring activity, with the number of shows reported up only 3.4%.
In its first year as an independent, free-standing company, Live Nation was by a wide margin the largest concert promoter in the world, reporting grosses of nearly $2.3 billion from involvement in 9,367 shows that sold 38.2 million tickets worldwide.
This includes events promoted by House of Blues, which Live Nation bought for $350 million in a deal that closed in October. HOB had been the world's third-largest promoter.
The privately held AEG Live is a distant second to Live Nation, reporting $543 million from 1,347 shows that drew 8.3 million people. Concert Productions International, the Michael Cohl-helmed international concert producer responsible for the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang tour (with Live Nation), ran a close third to AEG at $533.5 million.
Madison Square Garden was the top-grossing arena in the world for the sixth consecutive year, driven by multiple-night runs by acts like Madonna and Billy Joel. Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., was the top-grossing stadium concert venue, Atlantic City (N.J.) Boardwalk hall was the top 10,000-15,000 venue, Radio City Music Hall in New York was the top 5,000-10,000 capacity venue, the Colosseum was the top-grossing venue under 5,000 capacity, and the Hollywood (Calif.) Bowl was the top-grossing amphitheater.
For more 2006 year end reports and analysis, check out Billboard's annual Year In Music & Touring issue.
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