With blockbuster tours from Taylor Swift, Beyonce and other stars bringing in record-breaking footfalls, revenues and out-of-the-world experiences, 2023 definitely made concert history. The new year too looks like it’s going to be a standout year for live music, with just as much fun, fan frenzy and extraordinary performances that just might become lifetime memories. The biggest concerts this year will range from nostalgia-fuelled comebacks from the 1990s and early 2000s icons to emerging pop bands. Here are some of the most-anticipated concert tours of 2024, as picked by t2oS.
1. Taylor Swift
The pop icon is still not done with her record-setting The Eras Tour. You can catch the next international leg of this billion-dollar tour between February and December. The dates kick off in Tokyo, Japan and end in Vancouver, Canada. The multi-hyphenate Grammy award winner will also make a stop in another Asian country, Singapore, after which she will tour Europe, performing in France, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Showcasing her 17-year career so far, the concerts are a journey through all her album eras. Featuring Sabrina Carpenter, Paramore and Gracie Abrams on select dates, this tour promises to be another milestone for the 34-year-old superstar.
2. Madonna
In the ever-evolving singer’s first retrospective, the 65-year-old pop singer explores her four-decade recording career and offers a glimpse of how she will chart her future through her ongoing Celebration Tour. Featuring a set list of her greatest hits rather than songs from a new album, the ongoing 12th concert tour by the American singer has all the classic trappings of a typical Madonna spectacle. It consists of a two-hour-plus set with multiple costume changes and more than 30 songs. The songs recount her life story in a loosely chronological sequence by touching upon the momentous events and influences in her journey. The 2024 leg of the tour will cover cities in the US, Canada and Mexico only.
3. Ed Sheeran
Kicked off in 2022, the ongoing Mathematics Tour continues in 2024 with concert stops in various cities of Asia, ending with Mumbai on March 16. After the Asian leg, the multiple Grammy winner will light up European stages all summer long, from June to November, culminating with a concert at Royal Albert Hall in London. Comprising more than 20 songs in each show, Sheeran’s two-hour-long concert will draw from all of his albums since 2011 including + (Plus), X (Multiply), ÷ (Divide), = (Equals) and the new album - (Subtract), also including a song from 2019’s No. 6. The hotly-anticipated Mumbai show, his third in the city for which tickets are already nearly sold out, promises to captivate his fans with a series of electrifying performances.
4. The Eagles
One of the most successful rock bands of all time, The Eagles will be back on the stage for one last tour. They have extended their The Long Goodbye farewell tour into 2024 with a new run of shows across America and Canada featuring special guest Steely Dan. From the opening notes of fan favourite songs like Tequila Sunrise and Hotel California to the encore, it promises to be a memorable experience. Featuring Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gill and Deacon Frey, this final tour marks the culmination of more than 50 years on the road by the popular band. On the upcoming trek, the band intends to “perform as many shows in each market as their audience demands”. The tour is expected to continue into 2025.
5. Coldplay
Known for their ethereal sounds and soul-touching lyrics, Coldplay has always pushed boundaries in their music. The Spheres World Tour is Coldplay’s latest global tour, showcasing their newest album and some of the band’s most iconic songs. The band’s reputation for amazing live shows, combined with new sounds and songs from their latest album, guarantees that this tour will be nothing short of extraordinary and promises to be the band’s most ambitious and immersive yet. This tour emphasises inclusivity and sustainability and aims to set benchmarks with their climate initiatives and outreach against social injustices. Beginning with Southeast Asian stops starting later this month, the group will tour Europe during summer, finishing off Down Under towards the end of 2024.
6. Blink-182
Fans of the pop-punk sound of trio Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker have reasons to celebrate as their latest tour, One More Time, will continue to bring their winning musical formula around the world this year. The recently reunited band will play stadiums and arenas in support of their latest album of the same name, which arrived in October 2023. The tour will commence in February in Australia and New Zealand and then play in various countries of Latin America before starting off the North American leg of their tour in June. Blink-182 fans can expect familiar favourites like All the Small Things as well as new tracks from their latest album, the trio’s first in a decade. Fellow pop-punk hitmakers Pierce the Veil will be their special guest on the road. On select dates, they’ll also be joined by post-hardcore group Alexisonfire.
7. Niall Horan
Horan’s tour The Show: Live On Tour 2024 supports his most recent album release of the same name. Besides the latest singles, Heaven and Meltdown, fans will get a chance to see the former One Direction singer perform tunes from all of his three solo albums, including The Show, live. The world tour will kick off in February in Belfast, Northern Ireland. After tour stops in Asia and Oceania, the North American leg will launch end of May. The tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences in North America for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages include an invitation to a pre-show Niall Horan-themed lounge, specially designed VIP gift items and more.
8. Nicky Minaj
With her signature over-the-top style and mile-a-minute rap beats, this hip-hop supernova is stepping out on the road for a tour in support of her latest fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2. Her largest tour to date, Nicki Minaj Presents: Pink Friday 2 World Tour will take the Queen of Rap from coast to coast in the USA, then across the Atlantic to perform in stadiums all over Europe including England, France, Netherlands and Germany. At her upcoming shows, fans can expect a major spectacle as she may transform the stage into Gag City — the hot pink, Utopian metropolis featured in her new album’s promotional materials — and perform both new hits and chart-topping favourites, including Starships, Super Bass and Anaconda.
9. Green Day
Global rock superstars Green Day comprising Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool will embark on the Saviors Tour, their massive 2024 global stadium tour in the summer of 2024. It will take their mind-blowing collection of hits across the world, along with additions from their newly announced album, Saviors. The band will be supported by rock luminaries The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid and The Linda Lindas in North America and Nothing But Thieves, The Hives, Donots, The Interrupters and Maid of Ace in the UK and Europe. A larger-than-life, career-spanning celebration of one of the biggest musical acts of all time and some of their most important albums, it will kick off in Spain at the end of May and travel through France, Germany and Italy, before reaching the UK. The two-month North American leg of the tour starts at the end of July.
10. Rod Stewart
British rock legend Sir Rod Stewart is set to make a triumphant return to Asia after 15 years with his Live in Concert, One Last Time tour. It will kick off on March 4 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, followed by stops in Bangkok, Kaohsiung, Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore and Tokyo. The 78-year-old music veteran is set to perform hits from his impressive illustrious 50-plus year career catalogue like Have I Told You Lately, Do Ya Think I’m Sexy, Rhythm of My Heart and Forever Young, among others. Sir Rod kicked off this multi-year tour in 2022, which is touted to be one of the biggest tours of his career. Fans can certainly experience an unforgettable night of nostalgic performances, backed by 12 band members and backup vocalists.
