Week in Review, January 20, 2020
Here are the latest headlines in U2 news:
U2 Grosses $73.8 million in Just 15 Joshua Tree Tour Shows in 2019
Billboard announced last week that U2’s 15-show Joshua Tree Tour 2019 grossed $73. 8 million and sold 567,000 tickets to concerts in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Those shows, which included stops in Auckland, Mumbai (for the first time ever), the Philippines and Tokyo, wrapped up a multi-year 30th anniversary tour celebrating their iconic album, The Joshua Tree.
Eight shows in Australia grossed $35.7 million for an average gross-per-show of $4.63 million per night, and seven shows in Asia grossed $38.1 million for an average gross-per show of $5.44 million, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.
U2 toured North and South America and Europe in 2017, playing 50 shows over five months. That tour topped Billboard Boxscore’s Top Tours ranking of that year with a $317 million gross. In total, the Joshua Tree tours in 2017 and 2019 grossed $390.8 million and sold 3.3 million tickets for 65 shows worldwide.
Fun fact: when U2 debuted the Joshua Tree tour in 1987, the average ticket cost was $17.11. By comparison, the average ticket cost was $166.18 in Asia and $105.65 in Australia.
The recent figures push U2’s cumulative gross to $2.222 billion and 28.3 million tickets sold from 825 reported shows, according to Billboard.
Read the full Billboard article here.
Stunning Joshua Tree Tour 2019 photos in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone unveiled 12 stunning photos of U2’s historic show in Mumbai along with a glimpse into the people behind the scenes that made the recent Joshua Tree tours so spectacular. The band’s official photographer and videographer, Ross Stewart, had unfettered access to the shows and shared his thoughts about the people behind the photos. Read about Kenny the Camera Guy, Matt the Lighting Technician (there’s an army of lighting techs who make sure the show are fully and properly illuminated) and Flory, Head of Carpentry, among others. And photos of the band members at work are unlike any others.
Learn more about how U2 captivated, and was captivated by, India.
2020 World Economic Forum Underway
The 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos is underway, and, while Bono isn’t on the official speaker list, it’s possible he could make a showing. Bono is a frequent guest at the annual confab of world leaders who come together to address the most pressing issues on the global agenda. Since 2002, he has used the WEF platform to crusade on issues such as HIV and AIDS, Drop the Debt, (RED) and poverty.
This year’s meeting theme is Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World and topics include Healthy Futures, How to Save the Planet, Tech for Good, Fairer Economies and more. Climate change is expected to take center stage during this year’s conference.
(RED) celebrated its 10th anniversary at the 2016 World Economic Forum. At that event, Bono wished for the end of HIV/AIDS by 2020, in particular the transfer of AIDS from mother to child, a theme championed during the band’s 2015 iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour. Watch his and others’ predictions for 2020 accomplishments here.
Follow live updates on the meeting here.
(c)/Myers, AtU2 2020