The stats are in, and the results are clear – Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour and Super Bowl LII take top billing in Ticket Club’s Year in Review for 2018. The legendary singer’s farewell tour, spread over cities throughout the world over the next two years, was the best-selling tour according to data from the fan-friendly ticket resale marketplace, while the Eagles' victory over the Patriots in Minneapolis was the top event overall.
Sports dominated the top events list, with UFC 229 – headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov’s submission win over Conor McGregor – coming in at No. 2 overall. Games three and four of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers made the Top 10, while Alabama’s thrilling OT victory in the College Football Playoff national championship over Georgia was No. 4. The World Series Champion Red Sox were the No. 1 team in sports, packing tiny Fenway Park all season as they raced to a franchise-record for victories.
Pearl Jam scored a pair of Top 10 spots with its Seattle “Home Shows” in August, coming in at No. 4 and No. 8, respectively. Bruno Mars also had a home date – November 10 in Hawaii – make the Top 10.
New York City was the dominant market for live events on the year, coming in on top of both sports and concerts (as well as theater, but that’s pretty much a foregone conclusion every year). Los Angeles was No. 2 in both categories, while Boston, Chicago, Houston and San Francisco also showed up in the Top 10 for both.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z were second to Elton John on the Best-Selling Tours countdown, followed by Journey/Def Leppard, Justin Timberlake, and Fleetwood Mac in the Top 5. Hamilton continued its dominating run atop the Broadway chart, but Springsteen on Broadway set an astonishing record for average price, coming in at nearly $1,800 a seat in its limited engagement.
Ticket Club’s rankings are based off sales data within its marketplace, which offers tickets with no service fees for members to events across the country and beyond. Visit the Ticket Club blog for a deep dive on different categories and how they shook out for more information on who and what was on top of its game in the marketplace in 2018.
Infographic: Ticket Club Year in Review 2018
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