The 2023 year-end Boxscore charts from Billboard ranked the top tours, venues, and promoters. A part of that coverage included analysis of the new wave of genre-bending artistes that are dominating stadium stages and, by extension, our charts.
The Hip-hop and R&B genre had a busy year, balancing the celebration of all the groundbreaking art and accomplishments in its first 50 years with the dearth of crossover hits.
But while a new wave of headliners awaited in the background, notable releases from Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, and Drake gave the second half of 2023 more momentum. Thus, you can see a list of the top 5 R&B and hip-hop tours that stopped in your area below.
Beyonce: The RENAISSANCE Tour
In July 2022, Beyoncé released the album Renaissance along with some of its hits, including Cuff It and Break My Soul, to her fans. In July 2023, she left for her eagerly awaited world tour which started in Europe and culminated in North America.
For most of the tour, her adorable 11-year-old daughter Blue Ivy joined her onstage as a dancer, which was the icing on the cake for devoted Bey fans. Following the tour’s conclusion in October, Beyoncé promptly began work on the concert film and documentary that accompanied it. As anticipated, it dominated the box office when it debuted in theaters on December 1. With a $21 million opening weekend, it was the biggest for the first weekend of December in 20 years.
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Drake & 21 Savage: It’s All A Blur Tour
It makes sense that Drake has the highest-grossing rap tour of the year given that he was already named Billboard’s Top Rap Artiste of the Year and has also won awards for Top Rap Albums and Hot Rap Songs. Drake and 21 Savage began their It’s All A Blur tour in July, promoting their joint album Her Loss, which was released in 2022. Since then, they have toured North America, giving performances in more than 20 cities. However, immigration concerns prevented 21 Savage from traveling with the Toronto native during the tour’s Canadian dates. Drake was on his first tour in five years, and it included giveaways, a ton of special guests, and more. It also happened to be the same time that his much-awaited album, For All The Dogs, was released.
50 Cent: The Final Lap Tour
In May, 50 Cent declared that he would be celebrating the 20th anniversary of his 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ by embarking on a significant tour across North America and Europe. Fans knew they were in for something big, and as a result, 840,000 tickets were bought in just one week after sales started. Busta Rhymes accompanied Jeremih on dates in North America and was the hitmaker at all events. Giving The Final Lap his all, the 48-year-old brought out numerous well-known special guests in addition to performing his hits. The likes of Eminem, Nas, Fat Joe, and others took the fans by surprise during the tour.
The Weeknd: After Hours Till Dawn Tour
Summer 2022 saw The Weeknd embark on his After Hours Till Dawn tour, and has since been touring the globe. He started the tour’s European and Latin American leg in 2023 after completing his planned dates in North America. He attracted an incredible 80,000 spectators, shattering the record for attendance at London Stadium. Later on, the tour became the highest-grossing tour in European history for a black artiste. Fans have already seen The Weeknd perform songs from his albums After Hours (2020), Dawn FM (2022), and others. Awe-inspiring sights, iconic costumes, pyrotechnics, and more have cemented the tour’s status as one of the most remarkable of the year.
Travis Scott: The Circus Maximus Tour
October marked the start of Travis Scott’s The Circus Maximus Tour, which will take him to over 30 cities in the United States and Canada. The hitmaker was expected to go all out after Utopia topped the charts, so tickets for the trek sold out quickly. His performances have been breathtaking, with lavish stage designs, pyrotechnics, and set lists filled with a ton of fan favorites. Travis Scott revealed more November dates that extend into next year after witnessing fans scramble to secure tickets.