It may have been an improvement over 2020, but the 2021 concert touring season still faced enormous challenges from the ongoing and mutating Covid-19 pandemic. The Rolling Stones, who had to cancel their North American shows planned for May and June, 2020, finally performed the postponed U.S. stadium dates in late 2021. Billboard’s Nov. 2020 through Oct. 2021 tally only counted eight of these gigs, but the total gross topped $72.3 million, enough to put the Stones in the top spot. (The band’s total gross for calendar year 2021 probably topped $130 million, with an additional $58.6 million from their six shows in November.)
Billboard’s 2021 touring stats also logged gross receipts for the Hella Mega Tour (with Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer, topping $67.2 million for 20 shows), followed by Harry Styles ($64.7m, 29 shows); the Eagles ($54.3m, 20 shows); Dead & Company ($53.7m, 31 shows); Los Bukis ($49.7m, 9 shows); Guns N’ Roses ($47.3m, 23 shows); Jonas Brothers ($42.5m, 42 shows); Chris Stapleton ($33.9m, 32 shows); Luke Bryan ($33.4m; 35 shows); Maroon 5 ($32.6m; 30 shows) and Alanis Morissette ($29.3m; 34 shows).
Here are the top 12 tours, as ranked by Billboard, for the 2021 touring season, along with the production companies that made them happen. For more details on the creative teams, production crews and lighting and video gear supporting these shows, follow the links to PLSN’s crew and gear listings.
1 Rolling Stones
The No Filter tour, which ran from Sept. 2017 to Nov. 2021, grossed a total $546.5 million, putting it in the top 10 tours of all time. Tour vendors for 2021 included Neg Earth and Upstaging (lighting) and Nighthawk (video). More crew and gear details at plsn.me/TT21-Stones.
2 Hella Mega Tour
The Hella Mega tour, with Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer, traveled the U.S. from late July to early September after overseas gigs earlier in the year had to be canceled. More shows are set for Europe and the UK in 2022. Tour vendors included Upstaging for lighting and LED video gear. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/TT21-Hella.
3 Harry Styles
Solotech provided both lighting and video elements for One Direction alum Harry Styles, who released his first solo album in 2017. His Love on Tour trek, originally set for an April 2020 launch, ran from Sept. 4 to Nov. 28, grossing an estimated $94.6 million from 42 shows (29 of which were included in Billboard’s 2021 tally). More crew and gear details at plsn.me/TT21-Harry.
4 Eagles
The Eagles’ Hotel California 2020 Tour, commemorating the band’s best-selling album from 1976, ran from Sept. 2019 to March 2020, then resumed after the Covid shutdowns eased from Aug. 24 through Nov. 6. More shows are set for February and March 2022. For the 2021 gigs, 4Wall and Nighthawk provided lighting and video support. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/TT21-Eagles.
5 Dead & Company
After having to cancel their 2020 tour, Dead & Company toured the U.S. from mid-August through October. Upstaging and Filament Productions provided lighting and video gear. As of mid-December, Dead & Company were still planning to perform their Playing in the Sand gigs in January 2022 in Cancun, Mexico. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/TT21-Dead.
6 Los Bukis
Fans of this popular Mexican band were thrilled to see them perform live after more than a 25-year hiatus, and demand for tickets was strong enough to generate nearly $50 million from just nine shows. GST Lighting Systems provided lighting with an assist from Felix Lighting, and Global Trend Productions provided LED screen panels and cameras. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/TT21-Bukis.
7 Guns N’ Roses
After overseas treks had to be canceled throughout 2020, GNR focused squarely on their U.S. fan base for the summer of 2021, racking up at least $43.7 million from the We’re F’N’ Back tour shows stretching from late July through early October. Upstaging provided lighting and trucking and Screenworks NEP was there for the video assist. The band has plans to head overseas again in 2022, with tour legs in Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/TT21-GNR.
8 Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers’ Remember This tour included more than 40 shows, kicking off Aug. 20 at the Park Theater in Las Vegas and wrapping up Oct. 27 at the Hollywood Bowl in L.A., and pulling in more than a cool million, on average, per concert—$42 million in all. The band then capped off their 2021 tour schedule with shows in New York, Boston, Washington DC and Atlanta in mid-December. Solotech provided both lighting and video. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/TT21-Jonas.
9 Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton’s All American Road Show tour, which kicked off in May 2017 and continued until the March 2020 detour forced by Covid-19, resumed in late July 2021, ran through Dec. 11, and picks up again with a full roster of North American gigs set for 2022 from March through September. Premier Global Production is providing the lighting, and Moo TV is providing video. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/TT21-Stapleton.
10 Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan’s Proud to Be Right Here tour generated more than $33 million in ticket sales from July through October, 2021. The 35-show trek included the artist’s Farm Tour performance in September and wrapped up Oct. 28 in Brandon, MS to make up for a show that had to be postponed due to Hurricane Ida. Elite Multimedia supported the tour’s lighting and video needs. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/TT21-LukeBryan.
11 Maroon 5 2021 Tour
Maroon 5’s sleek-looking 2020 Tour was well underway, with nine shows staged in Mexico and South America, when Covid-19 forced the postponement of the North American leg. With a new “Burning Man” aesthetic inspired by a livestream project during the lockdowns, the tour, rechristened 2021 (a.k.a. MMXXI), was finally able to hit the road in Aug. 2021 with lighting from Upstaging and video from PRG. Now also supporting the band’s June 2021 album release, Jordi, more shows are planned for 2022 in Latin America. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/TT21-Maroon.
12 Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill Anniversary Tour
Alanis Morissette had been planning to mark 25 years since the release of her hit album, Jagged Little Pill, with a world tour. Then of course Covid happened, so the tour was postponed until Aug. 2021. Bandit Lites and Vision Visuals provided lighting and video gear. More crew and gear details at plsn.me/TT21-Alanis.
