and 10,001-15,000. Rankings are based
on a 12-month gross (as designated in the
capsules below): total ticket sales reported
to Boxscore between July 1, 2018, and
June 30, 2019. (Venues did not report all
events taking place during this period.)
This year, buildings from the United States,
Europe and Australia top those lists.
TOP 10 ARENAS
CAPACITY: 15,001 & OVER
1
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
NEW YORK
CONCERT CAPACITY 20,697
12-MONTH GROSS $173.5 MILLION
The world’s highest-grossing arena hosted
shows from Drake, The Who, Paul Simon
and — after a 13-year absence — Barbra
Streisand, one of only three shows for the
singer in 2018 and 2019. The arena also
celebrated Billy Joel’s 100th lifetime show
in July. “A particularly powerful moment
for me was when Bruce Springsteen
joined Billy Joel onstage,” says Darren
Pfeffer, executive vp MSG Live. He’s also
proud of the venue’s new Suite Sixteen
premium lounge designed by Tao, which
MSG bought earlier this year, as well as
its partnerships with rising stars including
Vulfpeck, Illenium and Brandi Carlile for
shows in the market: “They’re not a house-
hold name, but they can sell over 12,000
tickets at the arena.”
2
THE O2 ARENA
LONDON
CONCERT CAPACITY 21,000
12-MONTH GROSS $159.1 MILLION
Multiple-night runs from Drake, Hugh
Jackman and Take That in 2019 helped
maintain The O2’s status as Europe’s lead-
ing arena, while the fall 2018 opening of a
shopping and leisure outlet, ICON, at the
venue complex has made it a popular day-
time and nighttime destination. One re-
cent event that stood out for vp/gm Steve
Sayer was the only U.K. appearance by
Michelle Obama on her Becoming book
tour. “She was able to create a real inti-
mate feel within a big venue environment,”
he says. Sayer also calls BTS’ performance
there last fall an “incredible phenomenon,”
adding, “We’ve never seen anything like it.
The merch spend was incredible.”
3
THE FORUM
INGLEWOOD, CALIF.
CONCERT CAPACITY 17,800
12-MONTH GROSS $104.9 MILLION
The West Coast’s highest-grossing arena
is one of only three to cross the $100 mil-
lion midyear mark, boosted by sellout
shows from Travis Scott, BLACKPINK’s
first ever U.S. headlining concert and
a star-studded tribute to the late Chris
Cornell, which featured Metallica, Miley
Cyrus and more. “It was so moving,” says
the building’s vp of booking Geni Lincoln,
who is working on developing the next
generation of Forum headliners, includ-
ing upcoming stops by Anuel AA, Post
Malone and Jonas Brothers. “It’s special to
provide artists with the full Forum experi-
ence for the very first time and to create a
lifetime memory for them.”
4
QUDOS BANK ARENA
SYDNEY
CONCERT CAPACITY 21,000
12-MONTH GROSS $81.1 MILLION
As it celebrates its 20th anniversary,
Qudos continues to evolve. Purposely
built for the Sydney Olympics in 2000,
the venue in west Sydney today boasts an
upgraded security control room with full
CCTV, facial recognition and perimeter
surveillance. “Security continues to be
front of mind,” says GM Steve Hevern,
who says stringent new screening pro-
cesses have been implemented over the
past 12 months. A raft of energy-saving
initiatives also have been rolled out, in-
cluding water-restriction tapware and the
installation of a 70kW solar array system.
The arena, the largest indoor venue in the
country, is undergoing a conversion to
LED lighting.
5
ROD LAVER ARENA
MELBOURNE
CONCERT CAPACITY 16,820
12-MONTH GROSS $66 MILLION
The Rod Laver Arena’s versatility is part
of its draw: It can be configured for
capacities of 16,800 in the round, 13,500
in end-stage concert mode and 7,000 in
reduced concert mode. In the midst of an
ambitious four-year refurbishment, which
includes a three-level entrance, new an-
nexes and a retractable roof that converts
from outdoor to indoor in “seconds,” the
venue has managed to remain operational
throughout, a “remarkable feat,” notes
CEO John Harnden. The past year’s hit
parade has included sellouts for Aussies
like Vance Joy and Keith Urban as well as
shows from Cher, Sam Smith and P!nk,
whose 11 Beautiful Trauma shows at the
venue were a “dream run,” says Harnden.
The concerts brought over 150,000 fans
through the arena’s turnstiles.
6
AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER
DALLAS
CONCERT CAPACITY 20,020
12-MONTH GROSS $59.8 MILLION
When two high school students ap-
proached venue COO/GM Dave Brown
with a proposal to make the arena
strawless, Brown and his team listened.
“We worked with our concessionaire to
modify their program” — which goes into
effect this fall — “and those two young
men went on to win the national Distribu-
tive Education Clubs of America compe-
tition.” In addition to rethinking sustain-
ability, the space is currently modernizing
with a full-fledged digital conversion of
signage and hosted 48 concerts over the
past year, including a two-night run of
Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road
tour in December.
7
STAPLES CENTER
LOS ANGELES
CONCERT CAPACITY 20,000
12-MONTH GROSS $57.3 MILLION
Staples Center is preparing for its 20th
anniversary with a number of concerts
planned for emerging artists, beginning
with Kane Brown and followed by more K
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INMA
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R/GE
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Y
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M
A
GESFrom left: Maroon 5’s
Jesse Carmichael and
Adam Levine, and Pearl
Jam’s Stone Gossard
at I Am the Highway: A
Tribute to Chris Cornell
at The Forum on Jan. 16.
78 BILLBOARD • SEPTEMBER 28, 2019