Burna Boy makes history with record-breaking ‘I Told Them…’ Tour

Nigerian music superstar Burna Boy has etched his name in global music history after his ‘I Told Them…’ tour was officially confirmed as the highest-grossing tour ever by an African artiste, a landmark achievement that further reinforces his status as one of Africa’s most influential and commercially successful music exports.

The feat was announced by renowned tour-tracking platform, Touring Data, which revealed that the tour generated a staggering $30.5 million from 302,801 tickets sold across 22 shows held in Europe and North America.

Confirming the milestone, Touring Data stated: “Burna Boy’s ‘I Told Them…’ is officially the highest-grossing tour by any Afrobeats artist in history, with $30.5 million from 302,801 tickets sold in 22 shows.”

Beyond the overall tour performance, Burna Boy also set a new record for a single live show by an African artiste. His headline concert at the London Stadium on June 29, 2024, grossed $6.147 million from 58,973 tickets sold, making it the highest-grossing standalone concert by an African act in history.

A detailed breakdown of the tour’s earnings highlights its strong transatlantic appeal. North America contributed $15.19 million from 152,378 tickets sold across 16 shows, while Europe closely followed with $15.27 million from 150,423 tickets sold across six shows, underscoring Burna Boy’s balanced dominance across major global music markets.

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The historic achievement further cements Burna Boy’s growing global influence and reflects the rising commercial strength of Afrobeats as both a cultural and economic export from Africa. It also signals the genre’s expanding fan base beyond the continent, as African music continues to command major arenas and chart significant revenues worldwide.

Despite this milestone, the all-time global record for the highest-grossing music tour remains with American pop star Taylor Swift, whose ‘Eras Tour’ reportedly generated approximately $2 billion from 149 shows over a 21-month period, surpassing the previous record held by Elton John’s ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour.

Nonetheless, Burna Boy’s latest accomplishment represents a defining moment for African music on the world stage, setting a new benchmark for what is possible for artists from the continent.