Earlier this week, Billboard revealed its year-end Boxscore charts, ranking the top tours, venues, and promoters of 2024. We’re breaking it down further, looking at the biggest live acts, genre by genre. Today, we continue with K-pop.
Less than 10 years since the first K-pop group landed on the all-genre Top Tours chart (BigBang in 2015), Korean acts continue to expand their global footprint in arenas and stadiums worldwide. And with BTS and BLACKPINK both off-cycle, each of which has previously ranked among the top 10 regardless of genre, a slate of idol groups are scoring career-high grosses and a crop of newer acts making their first year-end chart entries.
Altogether, the year’s top 10 K-pop acts grossed $329.2 million, which is down by almost a quarter from last year. But without BLACKPINK’s towering $150 million take from 2023, the grosses are spread more evenly, with five acts pulling at least $20 million. Another caveat is that year-end Boxscore charts are based on reported figures. This affects all genres, but especially K-pop, as many artists have limited reporting, especially when it comes to shows in Asia.
This year’s top 10 K-pop acts draw an even line along the gender binary, with five boy bands and five female acts. Still, the male artists tip the scales, lining up at Nos. 1-4. Only one artist in the top 10 is a soloist.
Keep reading to check out the 10 highest-grossing tours by K-pop acts, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. All reported shows worldwide between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024, are eligible.