Fact Checking: Beyoncé Having The Biggest Grossing Country Tour Ever

Beyoncé’s last two tours ‘Cowboy Carter’ and Renaissance’ have been two of the biggest grossing tours ever but to claim ‘Cowboy Carter’ as the biggest Country tour ever? Are they joking?

For a start you would have to be a Country singer to perform a country show. Beyoncé is a Pop singer wearing a cowboy hat and cowboy boots.

The ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour made $407.6 million with 1.6 million tickets sold across 32 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore.

The ‘Renaissance’ tour did $579 million across 56 shows.

But please … Country? You’ve got to be kidding me.

The real highest-grossing country concerts in history are a testament to the genre’s enduring popularity and the star power of a handful of iconic performers. While pop and rock acts often dominate overall touring revenue, country artists like Garth Brooks, George Strait, Taylor Swift (during her country years), and more recently Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs, have carved out record-breaking legacies. These country megastars have drawn millions of fans and generated hundreds of millions in ticket sales, rivaling the biggest names in global music.

Garth Brooks is widely recognized as the king of country touring. His Garth Brooks World Tour with Trisha Yearwood (2014–2017) was a massive commercial success, grossing over $364 million from more than 390 shows. What makes this even more remarkable is that Brooks deliberately kept ticket prices affordable — around $70 — and performed multiple nights in most cities to meet demand. His approach was fan-focused, resulting in more than 6.3 million tickets sold across North America. Brooks would go on to top himself with the Stadium Tour (2019–2022), where fewer shows in larger venues brought in even higher grosses.

George Strait, known as the “King of Country,” also holds a legendary spot. His final tour, The Cowboy Rides Away Tour (2013–2014), grossed over $100 million across just 48 shows. The final show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas set a U.S. indoor concert attendance record with over 104,000 fans in attendance. This singular event alone generated over $18 million in ticket sales — a benchmark for a solo country artist.

Shania Twain, the best-selling female country artist of all time, also contributed to country’s top-grossing history. Her 2015 Rock This Country Tour grossed over $69 million from just 72 shows, making it one of the most successful tours by a female country artist. Combined with her Vegas residencies, Twain has generated over $200 million in career live revenues.

Taylor Swift, although now firmly in the pop realm, began her touring dominance during her country phase. Her Speak Now World Tour (2011–2012) grossed over $123 million globally, and her Red Tour (2013–2014) surpassed $150 million. While her later tours eclipse these numbers, Swift’s early success brought country music to a new generation and global scale.

More recently, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen are driving a new era of record-breaking revenue for country tours. In 2023, Wallen’s One Night At A Time World Tour became one of the top-grossing tours globally, reportedly generating over $230 million in ticket sales. With stadium sellouts from coast to coast, Wallen’s rise signals a generational shift in the genre’s commercial viability.

Real country stars make real good money when they tour but Beyoncé is not a real country star and her current album is not a country record. There is no proof required for an artist to register for any genre when it comes to awards, but c’mon, Beyoncé is just taking the piss calling herself a country star and then claiming the biggest country tour ever. Thats about as real as the 13 songwriters and seven producers it took to make just the opening track on her ‘Cowboy Carter’ album.

Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
 
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YOUTUBE and updated regularly. See things first SUBSCRIBE here: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE
 

Tagged as: 00s, Beyonce, country, Cowboys Carter, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, pop, USA