Concert tour
A concert tour, or simply tour, is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often, concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific tour with a particular album or product. Especially in the popular music world, such tours can become large-scale enterprises that last for several months or even years, are seen by hundreds of thousands or millions of people, and bring in millions of dollars in ticket revenues. A performer who embarks on a concert tour is called a touring artist.[1][2]
Different segments of longer concert tours are known as "legs".[3] The different legs of a tour are denoted in different ways, dependent on the artist and type of tour, but the most common means of separating legs are dates (especially if there is a long break at some point), countries and/or continents, or different opening acts. In the largest concert tours, it has become more common for different legs to employ separate touring production crews and equipment, local to each geographical region.[citation needed] Concert tours are often administered on the local level by concert promoters or by performing arts presenters. Usually, small concert tours are managed by a road manager whereas large concert tours are managed by a tour manager.
Logistics
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The main challenge for concert tours is moving the show's structure from one venue to another, especially on transcontinental runs. Logistics should be significantly organized and everything has to happen on the planned time.[5] Autoweek estimated that 30 to 50 trucks were required for Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour (2015).[6] Her subsequent Reputation (2018) and Eras (2023–2024) tours increased that number to 80 and 90 semitrucks, including stages, equipment, props and clothes.[7]
BBC News reported that Beyoncé used seven Boeing 747 air freighters and more than 70 trucks to bring the Formation World Tour (2016) to the United Kingdom.[8] This phase of the logistic process did not include transportation of the backstage staff, musicians, performers and the singer herself.[8] Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour (2022–2025), which received praise for its sustainability efforts,[9] had about 30 trucks and 10 buses in total.[10] The fleet consisted of electric vehicles or was fueled with biofuel whenever possible.[11]
Themes
[edit]The majority of concert tours are part of a promotional campaign to support an album release.[12][13] Hence, new songs from the respective album are included on its tour's setlist.[14] Some tours are known as "greatest hits tours" or "reunion tour" without any new material or specific album release,[15][16] such as Fleetwood Mac's 2009 Unleashed tour and No Doubt's 2009 Summer Tour.[17][18] Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour (2023–2024) is a retrospective of her career to that point, where each act of the concert represents one of her albums.[19] In another case, artists embark on a concert tour to celebrate the anniversary of their past albums, such as U2's 2017 tour to mark the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree (1987) and Janet Jackson's 2019 tour to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).[20][21]
Farewell tour
[edit]A farewell tour is a concert tour intended to signal the retirement of a singer, the disbanding of a band, or the end of a show's run. Many of the tours end up not being the last tour, with frequent regroupings, or revivals of shows.[22][23][24] Luciano Pavarotti's 2004 tour and Kenny Rogers's 2015–2017 tour are examples of farewell tours which were the last to be staged before their deaths.[25][26]