The Eagles perform at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on April 14. (Photo: Lisa Claire Bower)
The 2018 stadium concert season got off to a rousing start last weekend. Camping World Stadium reported $8.23 million in gross ticket sales for The Eagles and Jimmy Buffett on April 14, which set a record for a concert at the 82-year-old Orlando venue.
The sold-out event promoted by Live Nation drew attendance of 45,853 on a perfect night for live music outdoors in central Florida, said Allen Johnson, chief venues officer for the city-owned stadium.
“It went really well,” Johnson said. “It was a great crowd and great vibe.”
Food and drink sales totaled about $1.2 million with a per cap of $26.77. Levy runs the stadium’s concessions and premium dining. Fans spent an average of $14.77 on concert merchandise, Johnson said.
The record ticket sales for a concert come after the old Citrus Bowl Stadium underwent a $208-million renovation, completed in late 2014. The building, renamed Camping World Stadium in April 2016, has now had four concerts since the renovation: The Rolling Stones played there in 2015, Guns N’ Roses in 2016 and Metallica in 2017, Johnson said.
Last weekend was the first time since July 3, 1977, that The Eagles and Jimmy Buffett have performed together outdoors in Orlando, at Rock Super Bowl II, when the stadium was called the Tangerine Bowl. Johnson believes that was another factor for record-breaking ticket sales.
The two acts have a long relationship dating to when Buffett first opened for The Eagles in 1975 in Columbia, S.C. In 1998, Buffett inducted The Eagles into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
WrestleMania 33, held last year at Camping World Stadium, remains the highest-grossing event at the facility, Johnson said. WWE’s marquee event generated $14.5 million in ticket revenue and attendance of 75,245.
This summer, the Vans Warped Tour is set to hit Camping World Stadium on Aug. 3, and Beyonce and Jay Z’s “On the Run II” tour is scheduled to play there Aug. 29.
