Every year, countless artists and bands hit the road, touring across the globe and delivering unforgettable musical moments. While some opt for minimalist stage setups, others craft elaborate and highly detailed productions — think Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga — pulling out all the stops to dazzle their fans.
Which bands and artists are the biggest draws live? The specialized media outlet Pollstar investigated the question and released its list of the 25 most popular live performers since the start of the new millennium. To compile this ranking, Pollstar analyzed global ticket sales from January 2001 through the end of 2025.
Result? Coldplay takes the top spot with 24.8 million tickets sold across 731 shows since 2001. The Irish band U2 lands in second place, moving over 20.2 million tickets in 594 performances. Finally, Ed Sheeran rounds out the list with 19.6 million tickets sold over 641 concerts.
The metal scene is also well represented, featuring several major acts from the genre, including Metallica. The Californian thrash metal legend ranks eighth on this list, having sold over 15.5 million tickets across 562 concerts since 2001. As a reminder, Metallica will be touring Europe again in the summer of 2026, following their upcoming shows in Australia and New Zealand this fall.
Likewise, the Americans of Guns N’ Roses rank 16th with over 10.7 million tickets sold, followed closely by Iron Maiden. The British band is in 19th place, having sold more than 10 million tickets across 620 shows. Just a note: Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden will be visiting Paris next summer!
Bon Jovi ranks 9th, Elton John is 10th, The Rolling Stones come in at 12th, Paul McCartney holds 22nd place, and Depeche Mode appears at 25th in this listing. Among female artists, Taylor Swift is the highest-ranked. The American singer is positioned 5th, having sold over 18.8 million tickets across a total of 575 concerts. Pink is 11th, Beyoncé ranks 13th, and Madonna is 15th in the top 25.
Finally, note that André Rieu is the artist on the list who has performed the most concerts since 2001, with exactly 1,700 shows. The Dutch violinist ranks 14th overall, with 11.5 million tickets sold. You can see the full ranking on Pollstar's website.
