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  1. Originally posted by LikeASong:U2 and many other artists have been doing that for DECADES. In the case of U2, they started declaring all/most shows as "sold out" (regardless of the number of tickets sold) in 2001 if memory serves. Since then, virtually all of their shows are marked as "sold out" in Billboard and similar sites, whether they sold every single seat in the house or there were literally thousands of tickets still available to purchase on the morning of the gig.

    It's a fact, it's not debatable.
    That’s not debatable you’re right but for the purpose of this thread it would be good to know the cans and cant’s with these tactics. What we haven’t figured out is if there is a limit to what they can declare the maximum capacity of a venue through these methods. Can a 100k capacity stadium be listed as a 20k sell out? Extreme example but it would be good to know how low the capacity of a venue can be reduced through give aways and curtained off sections, etc.
  2. Ah the great “sell out” vs sell out debate. 1 minute from the start of the show they can just pull all remaining tickets off the market and declare it a sellout no matter what. Some venues/artists have gotten smart about hiding empty seats. For example, if you have a row that has 30 seats, and you only sell 20 tickets in that row. The people will naturally spread out, giving that row the appearance of being full. Multiply this by every section and you’ve got what appears to be a full stadium.

    Other places curtain off whole sections, and reduce the capacity to make the venues “sold out”. This example was used in 360 for Norman OK and Brisbane #2 among others. As well as a lot of shows on the EI tour, where the upper levels behind the stage were curtained off.

    This practice didn’t seem to be widely adopted until after Popmart, and probably partly because of Popmart.
  3. Originally posted by deanallison:[..]
    That’s not debatable you’re right but for the purpose of this thread it would be good to know the cans and cant’s with these tactics. What we haven’t figured out is if there is a limit to what they can declare the maximum capacity of a venue through these methods. Can a 100k capacity stadium be listed as a 20k sell out? Extreme example but it would be good to know how low the capacity of a venue can be reduced through give aways and curtained off sections, etc.
    They can do whatever they want because the company that sells the tickets, that hires the venue, that pays the band and that publishes the attendance figure is the same.

    The only thing they can't fake is the people that actually ATTENDED the show because that number is reported to authorities on the night of the show for safety reasons etc. But they can call it sold out no problem, no matter the figure.

    Regardless our opinions, numbers don't lie:

    Attendance for Vertigo Auckland was 84,475 over two nights in 2006.
    Attendance for Joshua Tree Auckland was 69,823 over two nights in 2019.
    The 4 of them were "sold out" according to Billboard. Same stadium.
    You do the math.
  4. Originally posted by LikeASong:[..]
    They can do whatever they want because the company that sells the tickets, that hires the venue, that pays the band and that publishes the attendance figure is the same.

    The only thing they can't fake is the people that actually ATTENDED the show because that number is reported to authorities on the night of the show for safety reasons etc. But they can call it sold out no problem, no matter the figure.

    Regardless our opinions, numbers don't lie:

    Attendance for Vertigo Auckland was 84,475 over two nights in 2006.
    Attendance for Joshua Tree Auckland was 69,823 over two nights in 2019.
    The 4 of them were "sold out" according to Billboard. Same stadium.
    You do the math.
    I really thought there would be some limitation on it but I’m willing to accept they can do what they want until someone says otherwise with proof, not in disagreement about your original point but just about the extent they can do what they want. Anyway you’re right playing the same venue on different tours is the biggest give away of what they really failed to sell. I&E compared to E&I even more so because they were near identical set ups so the real maximum capacity must have been the same whereas other tours and different stages could maybe change numbers slightly but likely not significantly. In any case I think we have a good idea at U2’s top 10 or so attended shows.
  5. Originally posted by deanallison:[..]
    I really thought there would be some limitation on it but I’m willing to accept they can do what they want until someone says otherwise with proof, not in disagreement about your original point but just about the extent they can do what they want. Anyway you’re right playing the same venue on different tours is the biggest give away of what they really failed to sell. I&E compared to E&I even more so because they were near identical set ups so the real maximum capacity must have been the same whereas other tours and different stages could maybe change numbers slightly but likely not significantly. In any case I think we have a good idea at U2’s top 10 or so attended shows.
    Yeah EI & IE examples are super blatant too. I chose Auckland because it's the one that springs to mind instantly from recent years, and it was especially notorious since they were the opening nights of the tour
  6. 1. Reggio Emilia 97 (150k)
    2. Devore 83 (125k)
    3/4 Madrid 87 (100-120k unconfirmed) / Glastonbury 100k rumoured main stage capacity
    5. Pasadena 09 (97k)
    6. Stade De France 2010 (96k)
    6. Mexico 2011 (94k a night average) (3 nights)
    7. Johannesburg 2010 (94k)
    8. Stade de France 2009 (93k a night average) (2 nights)
    9. Barcelona 2009 (91k a night average) (2nights)
    10. São Paulo 2011 (89k a night average) (3 nights)

    That’s actually 17 shows because of the multiple nights but a good tidy top 10 unless someone wants to edit it with something that I’ve missed. Berlin 2009 and East Rutherford 2011 are the closet I’ve seen at over 88k each.
  7. It took me a little while to find this, but it was buried in the "Peeling off those Dollar Bills" section of interference. Apparently Willie Williams listed these numbers at some point.

    Mexico City II - May 14, 2011 - 108,800 (Live Nation / Willie Williams' "official" figures)
    Mexico City III - May 15, 2011 - 106,658 (Willie Williams' "official" figure)

    If those numbers are accurate, that means that Mexico City 1 had a "measley" 67,520 in attendance.
  8. Originally posted by podiumboy:It took me a little while to find this, but it was buried in the "Peeling off those Dollar Bills" section of interference. Apparently Willie Williams listed these numbers at some point.

    Mexico City II - May 14, 2011 - 108,800 (Live Nation / Willie Williams' "official" figures)
    Mexico City III - May 15, 2011 - 106,658 (Willie Williams' "official" figure)

    If those numbers are accurate, that means that Mexico City 1 had a "measley" 67,520 in attendance.
    I have a feeling Willie Williams figures are off as in an interview he claimed they did nearly 110k 3 nights in a row in Mexico. I suspect the 108k could be right though as that was mentioned in a few articles as the biggest attended show in the tour. In any case it maybe is fair to say at least one of the Mexico shows is in the mix for 3rd highest attendance. It is quite a good mix of locations that make up the the list.
  9. I’d have Glastonbury and Devore off the list. Festival crowds aren’t there for one band. Yes the band may have played to those numbers but they won’t all have been paying U2 fans.

    360 had some great attendances.

    The Reggio Emilia number remains outrageous.