Drake is one of the most popular musicians in the world, consistently selling out arenas and stadiums whenever he goes on tour. But just how many people actually attend a typical Drake concert? Let’s take a closer look at the data behind Drake’s live shows.
Drake’s Tour History
Since releasing his debut album in 2010, Drake has embarked on 6 major concert tours:
- Away from Home Tour (2010)
- Club Paradise Tour (2012)
- Would You Like A Tour? (2013-2014)
- Jungle Tour (2015)
- Summer Sixteen Tour (2016)
- Boy Meets World Tour (2017)
Over the course of these tours, Drake has performed over 250 shows in countries all around the world. His concerts have been held in arenas, amphitheaters, and stadiums, with capacities ranging from 5,000 seats to over 50,000.
Away from Home Tour
Drake kicked off his touring career small, playing mid-sized venues on the Away from Home Tour in 2010. Most shows on this tour took place in theaters and clubs with capacities of 1,500 to 3,000 people.
Club Paradise Tour
In 2012, Drake embarked on his first major arena tour, the Club Paradise Tour. The 42 city tour hit most major markets in the US and Canada. Venues on this tour included:
- Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA (18,000 capacity)
- United Center – Chicago, IL (23,500 capacity)
- Air Canada Centre – Toronto, ON (19,800 capacity)
Roughly 500,000 people attended shows on the Club Paradise Tour.
Would You Like A Tour?
Drake’s popularity exploded in 2013 after the success of his album Nothing Was the Same. His Would You Like A Tour? capitalized on this momentum by booking larger venues in major cities across Europe and North America.
Some notable venues on this tour included:
- O2 Arena – London, UK (20,000 capacity)
- Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA (21,000 capacity)
- Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN (20,000 capacity)
Approximately 630,000 people attended the Would You Like A Tour?, demonstrating Drake’s growing star power.
Jungle Tour
In 2015, Drake embarked on the small, intimate Jungle Tour. Spanning just 17 dates, it featured surprise pop-up shows in smaller venues like nightclubs and music halls. Average venue size was approximately 1,500 to 3,000 people.
Drake’s Biggest Tours
Drake has headlined two major world tours that cemented his status as one of the biggest live draws in music. These include:
Summer Sixteen Tour
Drake’s 2016 Summer Sixteen Tour in support of his album Views was a massive success. It featured arena shows in over 30 cities across the US and Canada. Some highlights included:
- Toyota Center – Houston, TX (19,000 capacity)
- Madison Square Garden – New York City, NY (20,000 capacity) – 6 sold out shows
- STAPLES Center – Los Angeles, CA (21,000 capacity) – 6 sold out shows
In total, over 1.2 million fans attended the Summer Sixteen Tour, establishing Drake as one of music’s premier touring acts.
Boy Meets World Tour
Drake broke his own records in 2017 with the Boy Meets World Tour in support of his album More Life. This massive world tour hit arenas in Europe and the United States before closing with an 8-show run in Australia and New Zealand.
Some stunning stats from this tour:
- 88 total shows
- 49 sold out shows
- Over 1.5 million tickets sold
- Over $1 billion total gross
Drake played a wide range of major venues on this tour, including:
- O2 Arena – London, England (20,000 capacity) – 8 sold out shows
- Sportspaleis – Antwerp, Belgium (23,000 capacity)
- Rod Laver Arena – Melbourne, Australia (15,000 capacity) – 6 sold out shows
- Manchester Arena – Manchester, England (21,000 capacity) – 4 sold out shows
- The O2 – Dublin, Ireland (13,000 capacity) – 3 sold out shows
The Boy Meets World Tour further cemented Drake as one of the most popular live performers worldwide.
Drake Concert Attendance Overview
To summarize Drake’s live show history:
| Tour | Year(s) | Estimated Total Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| Away from Home Tour | 2010 | 50,000 |
| Club Paradise Tour | 2012 | 500,000 |
| Would You Like A Tour? | 2013-2014 | 630,000 |
| Jungle Tour | 2015 | 75,000 |
| Summer Sixteen Tour | 2016 | 1,200,000 |
| Boy Meets World Tour | 2017 | 1,500,000 |
As the data shows, total concert attendance numbers have risen steadily over the course of Drake’s touring career. From clubs and theaters to major stadiums and arenas, Drake has built an incredibly devoted fanbase that continues to grow.
Audience sizes ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 per show are now the norm for Drake. And he can clearly sell out multiple nights in huge venues, with his 6-show runs at places like Madison Square Garden or the STAPLES Center.
Highest Grossing Drake Concerts
In addition to total attendance numbers, Drake has broken concert revenue records over the past 5 years. Here are some of his highest grossing shows to date:
Summer Sixteen Tour
- Chicago, IL – United Center (2 shows) – $2.1 million gross
- Newark, NJ – Prudential Center (2 shows) – $2.1 million gross
- Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre (2 shows) – $2 million gross
Boy Meets World Tour
- Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena (3 shows) – $7.5 million gross
- Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena (6 shows) – $22 million gross
- London, England – O2 Arena (8 shows) – $12 million gross
- Birmingham, England – Genting Arena (4 shows) – $4.2 million gross
Drake’s popularity has allowed him to shatter revenue records in major markets worldwide. He is undoubtedly one of the most bankable live acts on the planet.
Record Breaking Residency in Las Vegas
From January to March 2023, Drake launched a residency at the XS Nightclub in Las Vegas. He performed a total of 23 shows, smashing previous attendance and gross records at the venue. Some stats from the residency:
- Over 200,000 total attendees
- $53 million in gross ticket sales
- Average nightly gross around $2.3 million
- Highest grossing residency ever at XS Nightclub
Drake’s hugely successful Vegas shows demonstrate his consistent ability to draw large crowds and break records wherever he performs.
Highest Attended Drake Concert
Drake’s highest attended concert to date was his August 2017 show at Leeds Festival in Leeds, England. This massive outdoor music festival boasted a crowd of over 105,000 people when Drake took the stage as the headlining performer.
In general, Drake has performed for his largest crowds at European music festivals like Leeds and Reading in the UK. Crowds at these massive festivals range from 80,000 to over 100,000 exhilarated Drake fans.
Large Arena Shows
Outside of festivals, some of Drake’s highest attended headline shows include:
- London, England – O2 Arena (20,000 capacity) – 80,000 total attendees over 8 sold out shows in 2017
- Paris, France – AccorHotels Arena (20,300 capacity) – 55,000 attendees over 3 sold out shows in 2017
- Glasgow, Scotland – The SSE Hydro (13,000 capacity) – 52,000 attendees over 4 sold out shows in 2017
- Newark, NJ – Prudential Center (19,500 capacity) – 39,000 attendees over 2 sold out shows in 2016
Conclusion
In summary, Drake’s live shows consistently draw crowds ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 per night at major arenas. When playing smaller venues, he reliably sells out multiple shows. And at European music festivals, attendance can soar north of 100,000 people.
Having performed 9 sold out tours over his career, Drake has demonstrated an unmatched ability to both sell out shows and break attendance records around the globe. As his popularity continues rising, expect Drake to keep playing larger venues and reaching bigger audiences for years to come.
