Nigerian superstar Burna Boy has set a new benchmark in African music history, with his I Told Them… tour becoming the highest-grossing concert tour ever by an African artist.
According to analytics platform Tourist Data, the tour grossed $30.5 million from 302,801 tickets sold across 22 shows in Europe and North America.
The platform highlighted the milestone in a post:
“@burnaboy’s I Told Them… is officially the highest-grossing tour by any Afrobeat artist in history, with $30.5 million from 302,801 tickets sold in 22 shows.”
A particularly notable performance was at London Stadium on June 29, 2024. The show attracted 58,973 attendees, marking Burna Boy’s most-attended concert to date, and generated $6.147 million, making it the single highest-grossing concert by any African artist.
Tourist Data further added:
“@burnaboy earned his most-attended concert of all time on June 29, 2024, with 58,973 tickets sold at London Stadium in London as part of the I Told Them… Tour.”
“@burnaboy officially earns the highest-grossing concert by any African artist in history, with $6.147 million from 58,973 tickets sold at London Stadium in London as part of the I Told Them… Tour.”
The tour generated $15.27 million from Europe with 150,423 tickets sold, while North America contributed $15.19 million from 152,378 tickets, reflecting an overall ticket sale rate of 85.82 per cent.
A closer look at ticket sales and revenue from select venues:
•London Stadium, London: 58,973 (91.54%) – $6,147,209
•Stade de France, Paris: 43,881 (77.24%) – $4,528,368
•Co-op Live, Manchester: 13,204 (100%) – $1,338,176
•Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin: 11,839 (94.91%) – $1,089,184
•Sportpaleis, Antwerp: 8,266 (96.86%) – $781,236
•Wintrust Arena, Chicago: 5,775 (100%) – $674,283
•Toyota Center, Houston: 4,217 (68.82%) – $435,723
The I Told Them… tour, named after Burna Boy’s seventh studio album, ran from November 3, 2023, to March 9, 2024.
The record-breaking tour comes in the wake of public scrutiny following an incident at his Colorado concert, where Burna Boy asked a couple to leave after they were seen sleeping during his performance. The decision drew mixed reactions online.
Addressing the backlash during an Instagram Live session, Burna Boy defended his actions, comparing the situation to removing a disruptive passenger from a flight or sending a student out of class. He also expressed frustration at being treated as mere entertainment, stating he would “gladly be cancelled if we are now in a world where you can treat me like a stripper, slap my a** and tell me to keep dancing cuz you throw $100 at me.”
He further clarified that claims of disrespect toward fans were exaggerated, noting that some of his comments were made in jest.
This milestone solidifies Burna Boy’s global influence and commercial success, confirming his position as one of Africa’s most successful music exports.
