Madonna tour wraps with $280 million-plus gross

Madonna's triumphant Sticky & Sweet tour has ended with 2,350,282 people attending and a gross of over $280 million in ticket sales for 58 concerts. Madonna performed in Europe, then the United States followed by Mexico and South America, finally wrapping on December 21.

In the context of contemporary music, it was the sixth highest grossing tour of all time, and the highest by a solo artist. "Madonna has yet again demonstrated her true global appeal as a live performer whether in stadiums or arenas," said Arthur Fogel, Live Nation's chairman of Global Music and CEO of Global Touring, in a statement. "Not only will this tour be the top selling tour of all time for a solo artist and a female artist (eclipsing her own record), but it will position her as one of the top selling touring artists of all time."

Madonna's Sticky & Sweet tour become the sixth largest grossing tour of all time following the Rolling Stones' $558 million for the 2005-7 Bigger Bang tour with 144 shows; U2's $389 million for the 2005-6 Vertigo tour with 133 concerts; The Police's $350 million for their 151-concert 2007-8 reunion tour; the Rolling Stones' $320 million gross for its 1994-5 The Voodoo Lounge Tour for 128 shows; and the Rolling Stones' $312 million gross from their 2002-3 Licks tour with over 121 shows.

Some box office highlights include: South America (650,000 tickets sold); Zurich, SWI (72,000 fans, largest audience ever assembled for a show in Switzerland); London, ENG (74,000 fans with over $12 million gross surpassing all previous records at both the old and new Wembley Stadiums); New York City (four sell-outs at Madison Square Garden adding up to a record-breaking 23 sold out performances since 2001 at that venue -- a record for most appearances for a single artist in this decade); and Mexico City, MEX (104,000 attended).