michael jackson tour money

Michael Jackson Was So Bad With Money That His HIStory World Tour Somehow Lost $26 Million Despite Selling Out Every Show

Michael Jackson was infamously bad with money but it is mind-blowing that he lost $26 million touring.

At the height of Michael Jackson's career, it is hard to overstate how popular his music was and how many fans adored him. Thanks to how successful Jackson was, the idea that he ever had to worry about money is mind-blowing.

By the time Jackson passed away, he'd been so bad with money that the estate he left behind to his mother and children was smaller than it should have been. A perfect example of how bad Jackson could be with money is that he somehow managed to lose money going on tour.

Was Michael Jackson Bad With Money?

After Michael Jackson rose to fame as a child, the pop star never completely left the spotlight before his untimely passing. As a result of Jackson's decades of success, the King of Pop made hundreds of millions during his life.

Unfortunately for Jackson's bank account, he developed spending habits at the height of his success that were unsustainable. As a result, Jackson had to tackle serious money problems later in life that forced him to sell half of The Beatles' music catalog to Sony .

Knowing how bad Jackson's financial picture eventually became, it is fascinating to look at what caused his problems. The answer to that is simple, Jackson infamously overspent in virtually all aspects of his life.

Some examples of more understandable ways Jackson spent a fortune on include the millions he spent on his children's school tuition . Jackson also infamously spent a huge amount of money on turning his Neverland Ranch home into a fantasy land.

Related: Tim Burton Absolutely Did Not Want Michael Jackson To Star In Edward Scissorhands For This Reason

Most notably, Jackson had a well-known passion for spending obscene amounts of money on everything from movie memorabilia to art and jewelry.

One of the more interesting things Jackson bought was a pair of gloves Johnny Depp wore to play Edward Scissorhands. Jackson also reportedly paid $1.5 million for the Academy Award statue that Gone With the Wind won for Best Picture.

Unsurprisingly, Jackson spent a lot of money on some more unique items like several castings of his own face and a robotic replica of his own head. Another notable thing Jackson owned is an extensive car collection, a full arcade with loads of games, expensive paintings, and gold fixtures in his home.

How Did Michael Jackson Reportedly Lose Money On Tour?

In 1996, Michael Jackson released the album "HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I" which included a greatest hits disc and one with new music. To say this album was a huge hit is a massive understatement as it went platinum multiple times in a slew of different countries.

With the mammoth success the album was enjoying, it only made sense for Jackson to go on tour to support it. After all, most musical artists make far more money going on tour than they do from album or single sales.

After starting the HIS tory World Tour in September 1996, Jackson stayed on the road for more than a year until October 1997. By the time Jackson's HIS tory World Tour came to an end, just short of 4.5 million fans saw him perform live.

The reason why so many fans got to see Jackson perform during the tour is almost every concert was sold out. According to Wikipedia, 98% of the tickets that were available during the HIS tory World Tour sold which is a truly amazing fact. After all, Jackson performed in countries all over the world during the tour, and having that many fans on different continents is exceedingly rare.

Related: Paris Jackson Is Notoriously Private About Her Father Michael Jackson, Here's What She Has Revealed About Their Relationship

With so many fans in attendance, Jackson should have been making a fortune during the tour. Despite that, Jackson's tour actually lost a staggering $26 million during the first leg of the tour according to a man named Paul Gongaware.

On the bright side, Gongaware was happy to say how great Jackson's performances were during the tour. When asked how Jackson conducted himself in front of audiences, Gongaware called his performances "sensational".

However, Gongaware says that he had to be brought onto the tour to save it from losing a fortune. “I had to go in and cut a lot of expenses. There was so much excess.”

When someone makes a grandiose claim that they single-handedly saved a huge world tour from losing money, nobody should take that at face value. Instead, claims like those deserve to be taken with a great deal of skepticism.

In the case of Gongaware's claims about how much money Jackson's tour was losing before he stepped in, there is a great reason to believe his claims. Instead of saying that he saved Jackson's tour in an interview where he was building himself up, Gongaware was speaking in a much more serious venue.

After Jackson tragically passed away in 2009, his mother and children sued the company Gongaware worked for. In their lawsuit for wrongful death, Jackson's family claimed that AEG Live/Live Nation negligently hired and supervised Dr. Conrad Murray.

Related: Michael Jackson's Music Might Be Revived Thanks To A Catalog Selloff

For anyone who doesn't know who Dr. Murray is, he was treating Jackson at the time of the pop star's death. After Jackson passed away, Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for being the one who injected the pop star with the medication the singer overdosed on.

In response to the Jackson family's lawsuit, AEG Live/Live Nation claimed that the company didn't hire or oversee Dr. Murray. Instead, AEG Live/Live Nation claimed that Jackson hired Murray and any money the company sent to the doctor was part of a larger cash advance given to Jackson.

During the Jackson family's wrongful death lawsuit against AEG Live/Live Nation, Gongaware testified on behalf of the company. It was during his testimony that Gongaware stated that the first leg of Jackson's tour lost $26 million.

According to what Gongaware said in court, even after he came in and slashed expenses, the tour still wasn't a big moneymaker. Instead, Gongaware says the concert broke even, but it is worth noting that is much better than how things could have gone if things kept going the way they were.

Ultimately, the Jacksons' wrongful death lawsuit ended with the jury concluding that AEG Live/Live Nation did hire Dr. Murray. However, the Jackson family still lost in court as the jury found the company had no reason to believe that Dr. Murray was unfit "to perform the work for which he was hired for".

The Weeknd surpasses Michael Jackson for highest-grossing tour by a Black artist

The toronto star's after hours til dawn tour has made more than $350 million.

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The Weeknd has set a new world record, this time surpassing Michael Jackson to hold the title of highest-grossing tour in history by a Black artist. 

• All hail the new king of pop: the Weeknd's record-breaking continues
• The Weeknd's 'Blinding Lights' becomes the most-streamed song on Spotify

The Toronto R&B star has been on his After Hours Till Dawn tour since summer 2022, and is currently on the European leg of the tour performing in countries including Germany, France and Spain. The Weeknd's tour, in support of his two pandemic releases After Hours and Dawn FM , is scheduled to wrap in Mexico this October. The tour has already made more than $350 million in revenue. Until now, Michael Jackson held this touring record with his 1987 Bad tour, which grossed $311 million after adjusting for inflation (as calculated by Hot New Hip Hop ).

Today, the Weeknd indirectly acknowledged this new record by posting a video of himself covering Jackson's 1988 song "Dirty Diana" at his concert in Belgium. "my king. then, now and forever. rest easy," he wrote in the caption. 

Jackson has been a longtime influence on the Weeknd's music. Back in 2016, he told the Los Angeles Times : "Michael, man, that guy was the star. He invented the star. There will never be another Michael. I want to make it very clear that I'm not trying to be Michael. He's everything to me, so you're going to hear it in my music." 

In addition to this latest record, the Weeknd's HBO concert special, Live at Sofi Stadium , earned two Emmy Award nominations today, for lighting design/direction and technical direction/camerawork. 

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.

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Michael Jackson’s Touring Life After Death: The Billboard Cover Story

How the Cirque du Soleil's "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" became the ninth-top-grossing tour of all time, and what's next for the late King of Pop, who has earned more money in death than…

By Mitchell Peters

Mitchell Peters

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This is an excerpt. For the complete story, buy this week’s issue of Billboard.

In the fall of 1987, not long after the release of his blockbuster album Bad, Michael Jackson and his longtime lawyer/adviser John Branca piled into a van to see the Los Angeles debut of Cirque du Soleil at the Santa Monica Pier.

They took a van, with Branca driving, despite the fact that Jackson had gifted Branca with a Rolls-Royce, and their journey was briefly stalled after Branca headed in the wrong direction on the congested Interstate 405. But the pair eventually made it to the show. Cirque du Soleil was 3 years old at the time, and true to its inspiration in the circus, was housed in a tent on this visit to Los Angeles. Jackson could hardly contain his excitement to watch the Quebec troupe perform, Branca recalls.

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“After the show, Michael said to me, ‘Branca, we have to go backstage and meet the cast,'” he says. “I couldn’t tell who was more excited, the cast to meet Michael or Michael to meet the cast. That’s how enthusiastic he was.”

Jackson’s growing fascination with Cirque didn’t end there. After attending many other performances by the troupe, known for its mesmerizing aerial acrobatics and otherworldly costumes, the King of Pop decided to visit the company’s Montreal headquarters to get a firsthand look at its operations.

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“I did the tour with him,” Cirque president/CEO Daniel Lamarre remembers. “As you can imagine, all our employees were thrilled to have him in our studio, and he was thrilled to be here. He spent a lot of time in our creative studio and our costume workshop. It was a great day.”

At the time, Jackson was still filling arenas and stadiums around the world. Neither the pop icon nor Cirque could have fathomed that an arena trek blending hits like “Billie Jean” and “Thriller” with stunning visuals and the theatrical touch of Cirque would one day rank among the top 10 highest-grossing tours in history.

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But indeed it has, proving that even in death, Michael Jackson remains one of the most lucrative musical brands in today’s live entertainment business.

CONCEIVED THROUGH AN equal revenue-sharing partnership between the Jackson estate and Cirque du Soleil, “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour” recently became the No. 9 top-grossing tour of all time, earning $325.1 million from 407 shows that drew 2,985,324 concert-goers, according to Billboard Boxscore. Tickets prices ranged between $50 and $250.

“Immortal” also ranked fourth among Billboard’s top 25 highest-grossing tours of 2012 and took home the Creative Content Award at the Billboard Touring Awards that same year. Although official rankings haven’t yet been released, “Immortal” will rank among the highest-grossing tours of 2013 as well.

Cirque du Soleil’s Jackson Tour Adding Arena Dates in 2014

On the Boxscore chart, “Immortal” edges out the Rolling Stones’ 1994-95 Voodoo Lounge tour (ranked No. 10, with $320 million in grosses) and trails Bruce Springsteen’s 2012-13 Wrecking Ball tour (No. 8, $347 million). U2, the Stones and Roger Waters are the top three highest-grossing touring acts, respectively. Jackson is the only deceased artist among the top 10.

The Jackson estate’s deal with Cirque also includes a permanent Las Vegas theater production, “Michael Jackson One,” that debuted in May at a refurbished, 1,800-seat theater at Mandalay Bay, the former home of “The Lion King” and “Mamma Mia!” Since opening, “One” has been selling at about 93% occupancy from an average of 10 shows per week, according to Cirque.

“The ‘One’ and ‘Immortal’ shows represent a true Michael experience, the next best thing to seeing him live,” says Branca, who now serves as co-executor of the Jackson estate with John McClain. “‘Immortal’ is akin to a rock concert experience with a live band in an arena, and ‘One’ is more of a theatrical show.”

With a total development cost of about $145 million, “Immortal” and “One” are two separate and distinct productions built around Jackson’s music. Both shows were written and directed by Jamie King, a dancer on Jackson’s Dangerous world tour in the early ’90s. The productions also feature several other musicians, choreographers and costume designers Jackson worked with during his career.

Despite the onstage absence of Jackson himself, King says the songs, images, spoken-word interludes and other visuals chosen for “Immortal” and “One” reflect the very best of the pop legend’s life and musical career.

“I had the heavy responsibility of bringing Michael’s spirit onto the stage, reflecting his creative sensibilities and projecting his unbelievable talent for his fans,” says King, who has also directed arena tours by Madonna, Britney Spears and Rihanna. “Michael was never, ever missing during the development, rehearsals and launch of these two shows.”

“Immortal” debuted at Montreal’s Bell Centre in October 2011 and performed its 407th show at New Zealand’s Vector Arena on Nov. 3. The trek will relaunch in December with a lengthy run in Dubai before returning to various-sized North American arenas in March 2014 (see story, right). Cirque is also in talks with international promoters about bringing “Immortal” to select overseas territories. So far, it has already visited 25 countries on four continents.

Lamarre believes the tour will continue to climb the Boxscore chart. “I wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of the tour, whenever the end of the tour is, we ranked among the top five touring shows in the history of rock’n’roll,” he says.

WHEN JACKSON DIED on June 25, 2009, from drug-related cardiac arrest at the age of 50, he was reportedly $500 million in debt from years of excessive spending. Though he still had high earning potential based on 50 sold-out shows for his “This Is It” residency at London’s O2 Arena, Jackson has earned more money in death than when he was living. Billboard estimated that MJ Inc. generated at least $1 billion in revenue in the year following his death (Billboard, June 2010).

Last year the Jackson estate paid off the late singer’s outstanding personal debt, thanks in part to a lucrative $250 million deal with Sony Music, profits from the concert film “Michael Jackson: This Is It,” 50 million albums sold worldwide after his death, his half ownership of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, various licensing deals and the high-grossing Cirque shows.

“Sometimes, sadly, our great artists are appreciated more after they’ve passed away. Michael was a great artist and his legacy is enduring,” Branca says. “But there was a lot of interest in Michael, and a lot of earning power, before he passed away, witnessed with 50 sold-out shows at the O2 Arena.”

Overall earnings from the Jackson estate are divided among charity (20%), the singer’s children (40%) and his mother, Katherine Jackson (40%). Jackson’s three kids will receive Katherine’s share upon her death. Generally, Branca and McClain receive a 10% commission rate of the estate’s earnings.

Branca says the estate is constantly approached with ideas for Jackson-related projects, but he and McClain are very selective about new partnerships and licensing deals. “We don’t want to over-license Michael, but we do license those products that we think are appropriate and fun,” Branca says, citing a successful approval for a Jackson slot machine in Las Vegas. “We’re careful.”

But the co-executors had always planned on a live experience around Jackson’s music. Cirque seemed like an ideal partner given the artist’s past appreciation for the troupe. So in late 2009, the estate began discussions with Cirque about potential projects. “We had thought about several potential partners to create a show, and after careful deliberation we felt Cirque was the best potential partner,” Branca says. “They’re very creative and groundbreaking, much like Michael was. They’re also perfectionists, like Michael was.”

Branca and McClain initially envisioned only a permanent show in Vegas based on Jackson’s music, similar to Cirque’s perennially sold-out “Beatles Love” concept at the Mirage Hotel, which began in 2006. But after lengthy talks, Lamarre and Cirque founder Guy Laliberte found that a permanent tech-heavy show would take years to create and that a global arena tour could be a lucrative endeavor in the meantime.

“In an ideal world, maybe we would’ve done both at the same time,” Lamarre says. “But when doing a permanent show that will probably last forever in Las Vegas, you have to bring technology that is very complicated. We had to redo the theater at Mandalay Bay, which took almost two years. We couldn’t resist the temptation of touring around the world.”

Twenty months after the debut of “Immortal,” the Jackson estate and Cirque, in partnership with MGM Resorts International, began previews of “One” on May 23. The show officially opened June 29. Cirque says it could sell more than 452,000 tickets from 270 performances by the end of 2013. (Numbers for “One” haven’t been reported to Boxscore.)

Cirque and the estate each own 50% of “Immortal” and “One,” and share equally in the cost of producing them. The estate receives royalties from the use of Jackson’s music and other assets. Royalties also go to Sony for the use of his solo master recordings and to music publishers like Warner/Chappell (which administers Jackson’s Mijac Music catalog) and Universal Music Publishing Group (which handles the catalog of songwriter Rod Temperton, who wrote hits like “Rock With You” and “Thriller”).

Branca says the two-pronged Cirque deal plays “an important part of the earnings for the estate.” But he wouldn’t project where the shows rank among the estate’s overall portfolio, in terms of revenue.

“These touring shows were created to generate long-term revenue,” he says. “But the point of these shows is also to continue introducing Michael to new generations of fans. We’re finding that not only existing Michael Jackson fans go to the shows, but also kids and new fans who come and become Michael fans.”

NEXT PAGE: IS NEW MUSIC COMING? >> (PAGE 2 OF 2)

BRANCA BELIEVED IT made sense to release an album in conjunction with the “Immortal” tour. So in November 2011, as part of its multimillion-dollar 10-album deal with the Jackson estate through 2017, Sony released the “Immortal” soundtrack on MJJ/Epic Records.

The set features an alternative version of the Jackson 5 hit “ABC” and a series of mash-ups and remixes. The “Immortal” tour utilizes more than 60 songs from Jackson’s catalog, but the album includes 15 tracks (the deluxe edition has 22). The soundtrack debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 and has sold 202,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Aside from the soundtrack, there aren’t plans to release other albums or DVDs in conjunction with “Immortal” or “One.” However, Cirque and the Jackson estate are exploring the idea of releasing a mobile app that provides a look into the show experiences, Branca notes.

Other albums released under the Jackson estate-Sony deal include Michael Jackson’s This Is It (2009), Michael (2010) and the Bad 25th-anniversary edition (2012), which included a concert DVD and documentary directed by Spike Lee. They have collectively sold 2.4 million copies. Also released under the agreement was the three-disc DVD set “Michael Jackson’s Vision” in 2010, which has sold 133,000.

“Michael Jackson is without question the most successful artist in the history of Epic Records,” Epic chairman/CEO Antonio “L.A.” Reid says. “His name is synonymous with our label and we take great pride in the fact that Epic has been his musical home for nearly 40 years. From a musical, emotional and business perspective, continuing our relationship with the Michael Jackson estate is paramount. It is a true partnership committed to furthering his legacy for generations to come.”

Rumors continue to circulate about possible new Jackson music-both Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen have said May has worked on tracks that Freddie Mercury and Jackson recorded in 1983-but neither Sony nor Branca would divulge any details about when fans might see the next album from the King of Pop.

“There’s definitely music coming, but I can’t reveal when we think it’s coming,” says Branca, who also declined to reveal whether any other Jackson-related projects are in the works beyond album releases. “Michael had a policy that we try to follow-not to talk about things until they’re ready to be released. We like to keep things under wraps until we’re ready to go with everything. We have ideas and things we’re working on, but nothing that we’re ready to announce.”

LAST WEEK’S COVER STORY: Eminem >>

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Michael Jackson Wiki

Welcome to the Michael Jackson Wiki , the encyclopedia intending to honor the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson . Here, you can discover or even share your knowledge about the star. Before doing so however, please make sure to check our rules and guidelines .

Dangerous World Tour

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You are currently reading the article dedicated to the tour. You may have been looking for the album .

The Dangerous World Tour is the second worldwide concert tour by Michael Jackson . It was launched in support of the artist's eighth studio album, Dangerous (1991) and lasted from June 27, 1992 until November 11, 1993. The shows were sponsored by Pepsi .

The tour grossed a little less than its predecessor, Bad World Tour , gaining over $100 million. All profits were donated to charities including Heal the World Foundation . As it was nearing its end, the Dangerous World Tour was unfortunately cancelled due to Jackson's declining health. The tour was originally going to end on Christmas 1993.

• 1 Background
• 4.1 Cancelled dates
• 5.1 Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour
• 6.1 Lead performer
• 6.2 Dancers
• 6.3 Musicians
• 6.4 Vocalists
• 9 References

Background [ ]

During the final show of the Bad World Tour in 1989, Jackson stated it was going to be the final time the world would see him on stage. This was initially the plan for his career going forward, as Michael later explained, concerts were exhausting and he went through "hell" touring. Additionally, the artist wanted to focus on making music and filmmaking instead.

On February 3, 1992 Michael held a press conference at Radio City Music Hall in New York, where the Dangerous World Tour would be announced. Michael explained, that the sole reason he'd do the tour was to raise funds for the Heal the World Fundation. The goal was to gain $100 million by Christmas of the following year; a goal the artist succeeded with.

As the tour was nearing its end, in 1993 Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by Evan Chandler. This caused Michael to begin taking drugs to ease his mind, but caused his physical health to worsen. On November 11, Michael played in Mexico, which would unfortunately become the final show of the tour, as the rest of it would be cancelled so the artist can focus on improving his health.

Outfits [ ]

For the tour, Jackson rocked a couple different outfits. These were designed by Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins .

He wore two different, military-like outfits; first was blue and glittery with a golden stripe crossing over the top, while another version was colored in black, and with two golden stripes. Another outfit was completely different from the above; featuring a completely golden top, and black pants. A fourth outfit featured Jackson with a golden, glittery top and two black striped crossing over it, and blue pants.

Setlist [ ]

• "Brace Yourself" (intro)
• " Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' "
• " Human Nature "
• " Smooth Criminal "
• " I Just Can't Stop Loving You " (with Siedah Garrett )
• " She's Out of My Life "
• Jackson 5 Medley
• " Thriller "
• " Billie Jean "
• "Black or White Panther" (video interlude)
• " Workin' Day and Night "
• " Beat It "
• " Someone Put Your Hand Out " (instrumental interlude)
• " Will You Be There "
• " The Way You Make Me Feel "
• " Black or White "
• " We Are the World " (video interlude)
• " Heal the World "
• " Dangerous "

Tour dates [ ]

Cancelled dates [ ], broadcasts & recordings [ ], live in bucharest: the dangerous tour [ ].

On November 16, 2005, a little over a decade after the show took place, a DVD of the October 1, 1992 show at the Bucharest National Stadium was released as a part of The Ultimate Collection , and saw its separate release as Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour on July 25, 2005.

While all of the tour was professionally filmed, the Bucharest concert was the only broadcasted show of the Dangerous World Tour. However, amateur recordings of other shows have been shared online for years.

Personnel [ ]

Lead performer [ ].

• Michael Jackson

Dancers [ ]

• LaVelle Smith (choreographer)
• Dominic Lucero (asst. choreographer; 1992 leg)
• Jamie King (1992 and 1993 legs)
• Eddie Garcia (1992 leg)
• Randy Allaire (1992 leg)
• Travis Payne (1993 leg)
• Jason Yribar (1993 leg)
• Bruno "Taco" Falcon (asst. choreographer; 1992 and 1993 legs)
• Michelle Berube
• Yuko Sumida
• Damon Navandi

Musicians [ ]

• Musical director: Greg Phillinganes (1992), Brad Buxer (1993)
• Assistant musical director: Kevin Dorsey
• Keyboards, synthesizers: Greg Phillinganes (1992); Brad Buxer, Isaiah Sanders (1993)
• Drums: Ricky Lawson
• Lead/rhythm guitar: Jennifer Batten (1992), Becky Barksdale (1993), David Williams
• Bass guitar, synth bass: Don Boyette

Vocalists [ ]

• Vocal director: Kevin Dorsey
• Background vocals: Darryl Phinnessee, Dorian Holley, Siedah Garrett , Kevin Dorsey
• Slash – lead guitar on " Black or White " in Oviedo (September 21, 1992) and Tokyo (December 30 and 31, 1992)

Gallery [ ]

• After the Oslo, Norway concert, " The Way You Make Me Feel " and " Bad " weren't performed for the rest of the tour, although the songs did return for the first 4 concerts in Tokyo. This also became the final performance of "Bad" Jackson ever gave.
• " Workin' Day And Night " and " Beat It " were taken out of the setlist in the third leg. The cherry picker that was used for "Beat It" in the first and second legs was then used for " Black or White " in some concerts in the third leg.
• " Rock with You " and " Remember The Time " were taken out of the setlist due to wardrobe malfunctions.
• Rehearsals for the tour have taken place in Jackson's Neverland home and at Culver City Studios. Footage of the rehearsals can be found on YouTube. [1] [2]
• The " We Are the World " interlude in the 1993 shows was extended, starting with the band and the backup singers singing along with the crowd.
• In some early 1992 shows " Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " and "Beat It" were performed in their original key.
• Diana Ross was in the attendance on the Oslo show on July 15th 1992.
• Elizabeth Taylor was in the attendance on the Stockholm show on July 17th 1992.
• " Man in the Mirror " was taken out of the setlist of 1993, but was performed in Argentina (first and second night, on the third he had a headache and didn't perform it. He had added it due to the Argentinian audience's warmth according to what their people had told us), it was also performed at the last concert in Mexico. Contrary to popular belief, "Man in the Mirror" was not performed on any night in Brazil or Israel. It is believed by the words of the public that "Man in the Mirror" was also performed during the concert in Chile.
• During " Heal the World " in Bangkok, Michael wore the white shirt from "Man in the Mirror".
• The magic trick at the end of " Thriller " was not performed at the third leg and at select first leg shows.
• Michael cut his finger during the performance of " Jam " in the Copenhagen show, prompting Michael Bush to put a bandage on Michael's finger during " Human Nature ".
• The silver jacket that Michael wore during "Jam" in the 1992 shows (except for Munich and 7 Tokyo shows), was used for the Jackson 5 medley in the 1993 shows. It was confirmed thanks to a photograph that it was used in Tokyo (December 24).
• The original black jacket of "Jam" was only used in Munich and in possibly 7 concerts in Tokyo 1992. This jacket has 3 other versions. One of these was used in the 1993 Superbowl . Another version was used only in the first concert of 1993. And the final version was used during the rest of 1993, during the photo session of the album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I in 1994, the Royal Concert 1996, and it was last used for Michael's scan for a video game in 1999.
• " Will You Be There " had 3 different endings during the tour: in one Michael would be joined by a female dancer in a angel costume (similar to MTV 10th Anniversary performance in 1991); in another one Michael would be joined by a girl who would do sign language and in the final one he would finish the song alone.

References [ ]

• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC_cWKW3EOc&pp=ygUZZGFuZ2Vyb3VzIHRvdXIgcmVoZWFyc2Fscw%3D%3D
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DPeBxSE6BI&t=11049s&pp=ygUZZGFuZ2Vyb3VzIHRvdXIgcmVoZWFyc2Fscw%3D%3D
• 1 List of unreleased songs
• 2 Bigi Jackson
• 3 Michael Jackson

Dangerous World Tour: 1992 – 1993

The Dangerous Tour started on June 27th 1992 and ended on November 11th 1993. It consisted of 69 concerts and was seen by approximately 3.5 million people. All proceeds from the tour were donated to various charities, including Michael’s Heal The World Foundation. The tour was unfortunately cut short due to health reasons.

The tour had a spectacular ending, with what looked like Michael putting on a jet pack and flying over the audiences’ head and out of the stadium’.

Set List – 1st Leg:

• Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
• Human Nature
• Smooth Criminal
• I Just Can’t Stop Loving You
• She’s Out Of My Life
• Jackson 5 Medley
• Billie Jean
• Workin’ Day And Night
• Will You Be There
• The Way You Make Me Feel
• Black Or White
• Heal The World
• Man In The Mirror

Set List – 2nd Leg:

Latest news, michael biopic set for 2025, the greatest night in pop trailer, ‘we are the world’ documentary, alternate ‘thriller’ album cover photos, ‘beat it’ hits 1 billion.

Jackson's Death Means Multimillion-Dollar Woes for Concert Promoter

Promoter AEG Live stands to lose millions on Jackson's U.K. concert series.

June 26, 2009— -- The refunding of nearly 750,000 tickets to Michael Jackson 's 50-show London concert run is going to be an extremely complex and probably messy process.

But that's only the beginning of the headaches for promoter AEG Live, which stands to lose millions of dollars because of the pop icon's death and will need to scramble to find another act to fill its O2 Arena in London.

The promoter and the primary and secondary ticket vendors are expected to refund money to all fans who purchased tickets for the show, making it hard, depending on AEG Live's insurance policy, for the company to recoup the estimated $40 million it spent to book Jackson and promote the event.

"It's a complex and messy situation, and it has to be resolved quickly, as I understand it, by U.K. law," Ray Waddell, senior editor of touring for Billboard , told ABCNews.com this morning. "It would be bad enough if it were just straight up ticket sales through Ticketmaster , but a significant portion of these sales were through the 'secondary' or resale market as producer/promoter AEG Live partnered with UK reseller Viagogo on these dates."

Tickets to see Jackson's first solo concert tour in 12 years sold out quickly -- with fans around the world snagging seats at the rate of 40,000 an hour. Roughly $85 million worth of tickets were sold. The tickets had a face value of $80 to $125 but were reselling for much more.

VIP tickets -- called the Thriller Package -- were on sale for up to $1,300 and included a champagne reception, seats close to the front and an after-show party.

"These secondary tickets are typically priced much higher than face value. So somebody has to track down each reseller, each buyer and coordinate the refund transaction," Waddell said in an e-mail. "Adding to this is the fact that tickets were purchased from a global market, though the overwhelming bulk were in the U.K. When you throw in the large number of VIP, premium and travel packages associated with this run, it's a mess."

While AEG Live is known to have taken out insurance to cover the millions spent to book and promote at least some of the concerts, the sudden nature of Jackson's death could put any payouts in jeopardy, particularly if his death is ruled to be drug- or alcohol-related.

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The Weeknd has set a new tour record previously held by Michael Jackson, notoriously known as the “King of Pop,” for over 20 years.

Since the summer of 2022, the Canadian performer has embarked on his ongoing “ After Hours Til Dawn Tour ” in support of his fourth and fifth studio albums. With his millions of fans and constant chart-topping records, many believed Weeknd could do something special with his seventh tour, and he did.

The Grammy Award-winning singer has passed the late Jackson’s record for the highest-grossing tour ever by a Black artist . His global experience has already garnished over $350 million in revenue. Jackson held the record since 1987 when he went on his “Bad Tour.” According to Hot New Hip Hop , the musical icon grossed $311 million after adjusting for inflation.

After setting a new tour marker, Weeknd celebrated the milestone by honoring Jackson , who passed away in 2009 at age 50. The “I Feel It Coming” producer shared a video of a fan recording his performance of Jackson’s ’80s hit “Dirty Diana” in Brussels, Belgium. “My king. Then, now, and forever. Rest easy,” Weeknd captioned his Instagram post .

Per Billboard , Weeknd joined Jackson earlier this year as the only male soloist with multiple Hot 100 No. 1s from three or more albums. If not in concert, most fans can see Weeknd on TV portraying Tedros, a nightclub impresario, on HBO’s “The Idol.” In a previous interview with W magazine , the talented storyteller opened up about the difficulties of juggling re-filming the series as Tedros while performing live as his stage name .

“I had to rest and reflect and think about The Weeknd and Tedros and all that had happened with the show. I realized that I need to know that, I’ve made the best version of whatever I’m making. It was a challenge to redo ‘ The Idol ,’ and, in truth, I sacrificed my health and home to make it work,” he said. “When you’ve done the best you can, I would call that a happy ending.”

Michael Jackson was 'the highest-paid dead celebrity of 2018,' but the singer died in debt. Here are some of the most extravagant things he spent his fortune on.

• Michael Jackson was known as the King of Pop, and he had the crown jewels to show for it. 
• While the "Thriller" singer is said to have been a millionaire who lived like a billionaire , he actually died millions of dollars in debt . 
• But Forbes reported that the performer's estate has made millions more since his death — from both auctions of his collections and memorabilia and music that's still being played and marketed today.
• Jackson bought and renovated the Neverland Ranch he lived on — outfitting the property with a zoo, theme park, train station, and arcade . He also bought jewelry as gifts for friends like Elizabeth Taylor, and he even purchased a pet monkey named Bubbles, among other things.
• While the prices Jackson paid for certain items aren't confirmed, take a look at some of the more extravagant — and sometimes unusual — things he spent his money on and collected over the years.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

Michael Jackson topped Forbes' list of the highest-paid dead celebrities of 2018 after raking in around $400 million that year alone.

Source: Forbes

But before he died, the singer was millions of dollars in debt. According to William R. Ackerman, a forensic accountant, Jackson was spending thousands of dollars more than he was making.

Source: Los Angeles Times , Money

Ackerman, who testified in a 2013 case involving the singer, said Jackson was making $30 million-a-year payments toward his debt at the time of his death, according to Newsweek. But Ackerman said he was simultaneously spending lavishly on things like jewelry.

Source: Newsweek

It wasn't a secret that the king of pop had a bizarre fleet of collectibles, but it wasn't until he died, and things were put up for auction, that the public got to see the full roster.

Source: The Richest , Reuters

He owned the gloves Johnny Depp's character wore in "Edward Scissorhands" ...

Source: TIME , Billboard , CNN , Forbes

... several replicas of his own face in different expressions ...

Source: The Richest

... a robotic replica of his head, as seen in the "Moonwalker" film starring Jackson ...

Source: Go Social , The Richest

... and life-size figures of fictional crime fighters like Batman ...

... Superman ...

... and Spider-Man.

He also had figures of sci-fi characters like E.T. ...

Source: Getty Images

... Yoda ...

Source:   Getty Images

... and villains like Darth Vader.

His Neverland Ranch featured a fully functioning arcade with loads of games available for playing.

Source: Associated Press

The arcade was in the pool house on the property, according to The Associated Press.

According to NBC, Jackson paid $1.5 million for the Academy Award statue that was awarded to 1939's best-picture winner, "Gone With the Wind."

Source: NBC , Reuters

He displayed the statue on a rotating stand next to the fireplace in the home's main living room, according to NBC.

Source: NBC

Forbes reported that Jackson purchased the oil on canvas painting seen below for $46,000. The painting, called "Cleopatra's Last Moments," was signed by the artist, D. Pauvert, and dated 1892.

The Neverland Ranch was an enormous expense for Jackson. Entertainment Weekly reported that the singer paid $19.5 million for it in 1988.

Source: Entertainment Weekly , Business Insider

Jackson also made additions to the property and house, like the Disney Parks-themed train station ...

Source: Business Insider

... a working train that passed through the station ...

... and bronze statues of children that littered the property and could be seen from the train as it went around the grounds.

Some of the statues were available for purchase at the 2009 auction.

Entertainment Weekly reported that, at one point, it cost Jackson $10 million to keep up the ranch and all of its amenities, including the train, theme park, zoo, and theater.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Neverland Ranch was filled with hints of glitz on the inside, too, like the gold-colored gooselike spout on the star's bathtub.

While the amount he spent on building and furnishing Neverland Ranch hasn't been confirmed ...

... certain items like the front gate, pictured here, had an estimated price tag of up to $30,000, according to Forbes.

Jackson wasn't living at the ranch at the time of his death, though. He was paying $100,000 a month to rent this mansion in Los Angeles' Bel Air neighborhood, according to Forbes.

He also collected cars, like this personalized Rolls-Royce limousine.

Source: The Travel

The limousine was customized by Jackson and featured leather seats and an embellished ceiling.

Source: The Richest , Hot Cars

Jackson's spending didn't stop at cars. In the early '80s, he famously purchased a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles.

According to Newsweek, Jackson's "extreme debt" dates back to 1994, when he owed $30 million.

Billboard reported that it was the 1993 legal battle — when Jackson was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy — that benchmarked the turning point in Jackson's career, as well as his mental, physical, and financial health.

Source: Billboard

Jackson paid the family $25 million in 1994, according to NBC News.

Source: NBC News

While he was spending on going to trial in the '90s, Jackson was still making money. He was collecting about $75 million a year during that time from owning the rights to his music library, as well as that of the Beatles — which he bought for $47.5 million in 1985 — according to the Daily News. Still, he spent more than he made.

Source: The Daily News , Business Insider

The 2009 auction was actually planned before the singer died in June 2009. It was set to feature items belonging to Jackson himself and collectors around the world.

At the 2009 auction, the iconic white-spandex Swarovski-encrusted glove that became synonymous with the King of Pop sold for $350,000.

Source: Reuters

Julien's auction house estimated the worn-in, sweat-stained glove would sell for up to $200,000.

Forbes reported that just before the auction was set to take place, Jackson had made between $200 million and $300 million from his planned London concert tour.

The day before the first public exhibit of belongings on offer, Jackson filed a lawsuit against Julien's to prevent the auction from happening. The suit ultimately resulted in Jackson paying a reported $2 million worth of expenses — plus an undisclosed additional amount — Julien's had already taken on in planning the auction.

Since his death, Jackson's belongings, like this "Smooth Criminal" hat and family notebook ...

Source: Reuters , Billboard , Associated Press

... and memorabilia, have been auctioned off around the world for thousands of dollars.

Source: Reuters , Billboard

But, that doesn't necessarily mean the singer paid high prices for those things when he first acquired them.

Even so, the things he did spend on — like the acres and acres of trimmed grounds at the Neverland Ranch — set him back quite a lot.

• Main content

Did Taylor Swift Really Overtake Michael Jackson With Her Highest Grossing Concert Flim? Here’s the Full Picture

Taylor Swift has been consistently making waves in the music industry with her Eras Tour. But the release of the tour film marked a new chapter in her successful career. The film has become a cultural phenomenon in the past months, drawing millions of fans in theatres. And it recently added a new gem to the glittering tiara of success this singer wears. The movie became the highest-grossing concert and documentary film of all time, dethroning Michael Jackson’s iconic This Is It from its 14-year reign. 

While this is a significant achievement for the pop icon, it did not sit well with Jackson fans, who have been wondering if this was calculated rightly or not.

Did Taylor Swift surpass Michael Jackson’s record? 

The Eras Tour concert film raked in a staggering $261.6 million globally , surpassing This Is It ‘s record of $261.2 million. However, this victory has left fans divided considering the difference in run time of both films and genres. Several people pointed out that the Michael Jackson film is a documentary, not a concert film which was released posthumously. His film earned this number in five weeks only, while the Taylor Swift film has been in theatres for over 13 weeks. 

Within its initial two weeks, the 2009 film garnered an impressive $200 million from 25,000 theaters worldwide. As for Swift’s movie, it bagged $123.5 million during its opening, including $92.8 million in North America. In addition, This Is It  had an average ticket price of $7.50 whereas Eras Tour film ticket cost $10.5.  So one cannot compare both films because Jackson’s film had a shorter run, less pricing, and it was more of a tribute to the memory of this musician, per his fans.

ALSO READ: Taylor Swift Showcases Utmost Respect in Defeat, as ‘The Eras Tour’ Fails to Leave a Mark Against ‘Barbie’ at Golden Globes

While determining which film had the greatest feat in cinema history seems complex, one cannot deny the indelible mark Swift’s tour has left on the music industry.

Eras Tour dominated the concert ticket sale charts in 2023 

It is by far no secret Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has made astounding achievements in 2023. From crashing the Ticketmaster website to becoming the highest-earning tour, it achieved a groundbreaking feat. Pollstar year-end charts for 2023 named it as the first tour to cross the billion-dollar mark both worldwide and in North America. With her enchanting voice, Taylor Swift raked up USD 1.04 billion in revenue, with 4.35 million tickets sold throughout 60 tour dates. 

This information covers the period from Nov. 17, 2022, to Nov. 15, 2023, based on box office reports, venue capacity estimates, and historical Pollstar venue ticket sales. Apart from this, the tour also earned approximately $200 million from merchandise sales, like bracelets. Through this record, the Grammy winner has solidified her image as a legendary singer . But the parade does not end here because she will resume her international leg on February 7.

ALSO READ: For the First Time in 33 Years, Taylor Swift Becomes the Only Artist Ever to Clinch a Billboard Record

What do you think about this victory of Swift over Jackson? Drop your comments below!

The post Did Taylor Swift Really Overtake Michael Jackson With Her Highest Grossing Concert Flim? Here’s the Full Picture appeared first on Netflix Junkie .