Pop majesty Madonna is extending her upcoming reign in South America. The singer was initially scheduled to play eight stadium concerts in South America: four in Brazil and two each in Argentina and Chile. Now she has booked 11 stadium concerts in South America: five in Brazil, four in Argentina and two in Chile. Potentially more than 280,000 fans can see Madonna in Buenos Aires, ARG.

Until tickets went through the roof in South America, the most Madonna had been booked into a stadium on the Sticky & Sweet Tour was two nights. The concert market in “South America exploded in a fiery insanity,” Live Nation Artists CEO of Global Touring and Chairman of Global Music Arthur Fogel told TicketNews.

Madonna’s world tour, which had been capped at 55 concerts, now totals 58 shows, which seems to be the final number. The tour will top two million concertgoers and gross around $276 million, making it the sixth biggest grossing tour of all time and with the smallest amount of shows.

Only the Rolling Stones, U2 and The Police have grossed more on a single tour but with far more concerts. The Rolling Stones grossed $558 million for the 2005-7 Bigger Bang tour with 144 shows performed. U2 garnered $389 million for the 2005-6 Vertigo tour with 133 concerts. The Police grossed approximately $350 million for their 151 concert 2007-8 reunion tour. The Rolling Stones grossed $320 million for the 1994-5 Voodoo Lounge tour for 128 shows, and raked in $312 million from their 2002-3 Licks tour with over 121 shows.

Madonna just wrapped one of the most successful runs in European concert history with 17 concerts in 16 cities, grossing $117 million — Paris, FRA, was the only city hosting multiple nights, grossing $17.6 million. The largest single-night gross was $11.8 million in London, ENG; the lowest was $3.5 million in Budva, MON. All but one show was reported a sellout by Live Nation to the trades: Sevilla, SPA, sold 80.5 percent of the house.

“Now that I’ve warmed up in Europe, I’m ready to come home and do the show for my U.S. fans,” Madonna said in a statement. The elaborate production includes 3,500 wardrobe elements, 36 clothing designers, 100 pairs of kneepads, 12 trampolines, 69 guitars, a traveling personnel of 250, five keyboards for musical director Kevin Antunes, three members of the Russian Romani (Gypsy) group the Kolpakov Trio, 18 dancers, one set of Swavorski crystal encrusted ear phones and one Material Girl.

The Sticky & Sweet tour started its North American run on October 4 in East Rutherford, NJ, and continues through November 26 in Miami, FL, for a total of 28 shows in 18 cities with five in the New York metropolitan area, including four at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The tour then heads to Mexico City, MEX, for two shows where 100,000 tickets sold out in three hours.

Madonna’s South America itinerary:
(Dates subject to change.)

December 3-4 Buenos Aires, ARG Estadio River Plate
December 6-7 Buenos Aires, ARG Estadio River Plate
December 10-11 Santiago, CHI Estadio National
December 14-15 Rio de Janeiro, BRA Maracana Stadium
December 18, 20-21 São Paulo, BRA Morumbi Stadium