14th June, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, has set a new record for the highest-grossing tour by an African artiste.
He achieved the feat after his ‘I Told Them’ tour grossed $15.5 million from 15 shows, with revenue from six more concerts yet to be reported.
American tour statistics company, Touring Data disclosed this in a series of post on X on Thursday.
Burna Boy also earned the highest-grossing arena concert by an African artist in the United States with $1.725 million at Capital One Arena in Washington on March 7, 2024, surpassing his own record at TD Garden in Boston.
His concert at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on March 12, with $172.76 average ticket price, became the most expensive concert by an African artiste in history.
His Canadian Tour grossed $5.7 million from 6 shows, the highest for an African artiste.
“I TOLD THEM…, @burnaboy $15,469,395 Revenue ($1,031,293 avg.) 156,646 Tickets Sold (10,443 avg.) $98.75 Average Price 15/21 Reported Shows,” Touring Data tweeted.
Earlier in the year, Burna Boy made history when he became the first African artiste to perform at the Grammy main ceremony.
The Afrobeats star performed during the main Grammy ceremony at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Burna boy opened his performance at around 4 a.m. with a performance with “On Form,” then stomped his way into “City Boys” with his boys. He eventually escorted 12-time Grammy nominee Brandy down to the main stage for “Sittin’ on Top of the World,” which samples her 1998 Mase-assisted track “Top of the World.”
21 Savage, who was featured in the remix of “Sittin’ On Top of the World” with Burna Boy, came out in an all-red fit to rap his verse. The onstage collaboration marks 21 Savage’s Grammy performance debut.
At the 66th Grammys, Burna Boy also became the first Nigerian artist to be nominated outside of the global categories after his song ‘Sittin’ On Top Of The World’ got the nod for Best Melodic Rap Performance.
Burna Boy has kicked off 2024 on a stellar note with his guest appearance on the remix of Titom & Yuppe’s ‘Twala Bam’ remix which made history by becoming the first South African lead song to reach the summit of TurnTable Top 100.