Cirque du Soleil's Quidam is playing arenas in Europe. (Photo by Matt Beard/Cirque du Soleil)
Once again Cirque du Soleil proves that they know how to fill seats and lots of them. With just under 100,000 attendees in three different countries represented on the Hot Tickets chart this week, Cirque du Soleil grossed $6.5 million. Main character Zoe doesn’t have to dream of triumph, because Cirque du Soleil Quidam’s European tour is a proven success. Quidam’s tour began in London at the beginning of the year and ends in Tel Aviv on July 16, 2015, marking the company’s return to Israel after canceling performances during conflict in the country. This Cirque du Soleil and Live Nation-promoted tour is in Europe for the first time since the show was converted into an arena format. Cirque du Soleil’s “East-meets-West” show Dralion is nearing the end of its nearly four-year international tour. With ticket prices ranging from $30 to $95, this affordable family show’s next stop is at Brandt Centre, Regina, Sask. from Dec. 10-17.
Eric Church’s The Outsiders World Tour kicked off in September at CenturyLink Center, Bossier City, La. With two sold-out shows on our chart this week, The Messina Group- and AEG-promoted tour is a box office hit. On Dec. 5, nearly 18,000 fans came out to Sprint Center, Kansas City, Mo., to see Church rock out with Dwight Yoakam and Halestorm. With ticket prices ranging from $25 to $65, the Dec.5 show grossed more than $860,000. While VIP packages are all the rage for touring musicians offering limited edition merchandise, preshow parties (in this case named “The Outsiders Joint”), and VIP access to the grounds makes Church’s package stand out. Church’s “The Joint VIP Experience” includes a two-song preshow performance by the headliner himself. At $239 a ticket, fans are able to buy an intimate experience amid the grandiose of an arena show.
Staples Center, Los Angeles, celebrated the season with Jingle Ball, featuring some of the biggest chart toppers in 2014. The Clear Channel Entertainment-promoted event grossed more than $1.6 million dollars for KIIS FM on Dec. 6. The sold-out show was filled to the brim with more than 16,700 fans in attendance, with fans packed behind the stage to watch the performance live on-screen. KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball is the first of many holiday festivals in December. Madison Square Garden in New York will host a Jingle Ball Dec. 12 with Taylor Swift and Iggy Azalea, with TD Garden in Boston featuring Calvin Harris and Lil John Dec.14 for a Jingle Ball event. Venues including Verizon Center in Washington, Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga., BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla., and Amalie Arena in Tampa all host Jingle Ball events before Dec. 22. Holiday events in partnership with local radio are a strong booking, with KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas heading to The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., Dec.13-14, the same venue where Power 106 just hosted Cali Christmas Dec.5.
HOT TICKETS is a weekly summary of the top acts and ticket sales as reported to VT PULSE. Following are the top 20 concerts and events, the top 5 in each seating capacity category, which took place between Nov. 11-Dec. 9.
15,001 or More Seats | 10,001-15,000 Seats | 5,001-10,000 Seats | 5,000 or Fewer Seats |
1) Cirque du Soleil Quidam 2) KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 3) Florida Classic: B-CU vs. FAMU 4) Usher 5) Eric Church | 1) Katy Perry 2) Cirque du Soleil Quidam 3) Mariah Carey 4) Cirque du Soleil Varekai 5) Eric Church | 1) Cirque du Soleil Dralion 2) Cirque du Soleil Dralion 3) Cirque du Soleil Dralion 4) John Fogerty 5) Dierks Bentley | 1) The Book of Mormon 2) Dirty Dancing 3) Irving Berlin's White Christmas 4) Motown: The Musical 5) Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat |
| The Weekly Hot Tickets chart is compiled by Daniel Gray. To submit reports, e-mail HotTickets@venuestoday.com or fax to (714) 378-0040. | |||