Grammy-winning Nigerian musician Damini Ogulu, better known as Burna Boy, has made history once again by becoming the first African artist to achieve the highest-grossing arena concert in America.
Burna Boy achieved this milestone with his ‘I Told Them’ tour, which generated $15.5 million from just 15 performances, with additional earnings expected from six more shows. This success surpasses his own previous records, including a concert at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. on March 7, 2024, which brought in $1.725 million, and a show at the TD Garden in Boston on March 2, 2024, which earned $1.593 million.
American tour statistics firm Touring Data disclosed this information through a series of posts on X yesterday, providing a PDF and spreadsheet with details on concert ticket sales across North America and Canada to substantiate its findings.
According to Touring Data’s report, Burna Boy’s “I Told Them” tour generated the following revenues:
- Capital One Arena, Washington D.C. (March 7, 2024): 13,892 attendees (100% sell-out), $1,724,853 gross revenue
- Hard Rock Live, Hollywood (March 12): $175.76 in revenue
- Canada tour: $5.7 million from 69,219 tickets sold over six shows
These record-setting performances are part of Burna Boy’s “I Told Them” tour, which has already earned over $11.6 million from 11 reported concerts out of a total of 22 planned stops.
Burna Boy’s remarkable success in the US market solidifies his position as a leading figure in Afrobeats and a prominent international touring artist.
The tour, produced by Live Nation, started on November 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, marking Burna Boy’s first stadium performance in the city. He then performed in other American cities, including Houston, Chicago, and Toronto, concluding in Atlanta at State Farm Arena on March 9.
Nine months earlier, the ‘African Giant’ sold out Citi Field in New York, becoming the first Nigerian artist to headline a stadium show in America. His ongoing success in global arenas highlights the growing influence of Afrobeats music worldwide. This latest accomplishment is another milestone for African music.