Beyoncé makes history as Cowboy Carter tour becomes top-grossing country tour of all time with over £300 million in revenue

Highlights:

• Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour rakes in over £300 million (₹31,680 crore), setting a new country music record.
• She now holds the title of highest-grossing Black artist and R&B artist of all time.
• The tour featured 32 sold-out shows across the US, UK, and Europe.
• The final show in Las Vegas included guest appearances by Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child, and Shaboozey.

Beyoncé has officially rewritten the rulebook on country music touring. Her Cowboy Carter world tour has become the highest-grossing country tour in history, pulling in over £300 million (₹31,680 crore), according to concert promoter Live Nation.

The tour also cemented Beyoncé’s place in music history as the highest-grossing Black artist and the top-earning R&B artist ever. In a further milestone, she becomes the first woman and American act to headline two separate tours that each grossed more than £300 million (₹31,680 crore), following her Renaissance world tour in 2023.

Cowboy Carter becomes Beyoncé’s biggest tour yetInstagram/beyonce

How many shows did Beyoncé perform on the Cowboy Carter tour?

The Cowboy Carter tour spanned 32 stadium dates across North America and Europe, including stops in the UK and France. Kicking off in Los Angeles in April, the tour included a mix of Beyoncé’s country chart-toppers like Texas Hold ’Em and 16 Carriages.

The final performance took place in Las Vegas on 26 July, ending with surprise appearances from her husband Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child bandmates, and country star Shaboozey.

The tour was more than just a commercial triumph; it was a carefully curated celebration of Black artistry in country music, with Beyoncé using her platform to spotlight long-overlooked Black country artists, several of whom appear on her Cowboy Carter album.

Why is Beyoncé’s shift to country music so significant?

Beyoncé’s move into country music was met with resistance from certain industry circles and audiences. In 2016, her Country Music Awards performance triggered backlash, with critics questioning whether her music fit the genre. The response included racist remarks on social media, revealing the genre's historical exclusion of Black artists.

Fast forward to 2025, Beyoncé not only released a country-focused album but became the first Black woman to win Best Country Album at the Grammy Awards.

Beyoncé earns over £300 million from country world tourInstagram/beyonce

How does Cowboy Carter compare to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour?

While Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour set a record for country music, Taylor Swift’s Eras tour remains the highest-grossing tour overall, crossing the £1.54 billion (₹1.63 lakh crore) mark globally.

Still, Beyoncé’s achievement is notable not only for its commercial scale but for its cultural impact, bringing diversity and inclusion to a genre that has often lacked both.

In terms of total reach and revenue, Cowboy Carter may not have topped Swift's numbers, but it opened new doors for genre crossover success and certainly challenged the traditional boundaries of country music.

What does this mean for Beyoncé’s legacy?

With Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé has expanded her artistic identity and cultural impact. From pop and R&B to now country, she continues to push boundaries, both creatively and commercially.

Beyoncé makes history with top-grossing country tourGetty Images

As her tour numbers climb and award wins stack up, Beyoncé is not just breaking records but reshaping the landscape of American music.