Industry News

As projected by Billboard.biz last week, U2's "360" officially became the most successful tour of all time, Live Nation announced today. Sunday night's sold-out show at  Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo pulled U2 past  the previous record, held by the Rolling Stones' "Bigger Bang" tour, which grossed $554 million from 2005 through 2007.  

With 26 shows left before the tour finishes in Canada on July 30, "360" will also set a new record as the top grossing tour of all time, with final ticket sales due to surpass $700 million.

Tour promoter/producer Arthur Fogel said, "These numbers are staggering, a fantastic result. U2 have invented a new style of rock show and they continue to deliver their fans the best possible live experience. An in-the-round transportable stadium production is something that the touring industry has been trying to figure out for some time. The extra capacity that the U2 360 creates also allows for a large number, several thousand in fact, of low priced tickets at every show".

U2 manager Paul McGuinness said, "That dollar figure for the gross looks enormous! Of course I can't tell you what the net is, but I can tell you that the band spend enormous sums on production for their audience. Fans all over the world agree that a ticket to U2 '360' is good value for money. We're really proud of this tour and this achievement is great news, coming as we head back into North America."