Published in · 2 min read · Jul 3, 2012
--
Ever wondered what the biggest concert in history was? Well look no further, here’s a look at some of the record-breaking crowds that artists have played for. But how big is too big…
The Rolling Stones, 2006–1.5 million
The Rolling Stones’ 2006 performance on Copacabana beach in Rio certainly lived up to the name of the tour, ‘A Bigger Bang’. An audience of 1.5 million watched the rockers perform hits including Satisfaction and It’s Only Rock n Roll from a stage the height of a seven storey building. They couldn’t have picked a more appropriate tour name.
Love Parade, 2008–1.6 million
Germany’s Love Parade festival was famous for attracting huge crowds, and in 2008 it was bigger than ever, with around 1.6 million partygoers joining the festivities in Dortmund. The world’s top DJs helped transform the city into the biggest free party Germany had ever seen.
Monsters of Rock, 1991–1.6 million
There have been countless large-scale rock festivals throughout history, but none bigger than the Soviet Union’s one-off edition of Monsters of Rock. In 1991, the combination of Metallica, AC/DC , The Black Crowes and many more attracted 1.6 million rockers to Moscow. With that many rock fans in one place, we imagine it must have been rather loud.
Rod Stewart, 1994–3.5 million
Music legend Rod Stewart holds the current world record for the biggest gig of all time — in 1994, he also performed on Copacabana Beach to to a staggering 3.5 million people celebrating New Year’s Eve. Although 99% of the crowd probably couldn’t see a thing, being part of the world’s biggest concert at New Year must have made for a pretty amazing atmosphere and a night the gig-goers will never forget.
Jean Michel Jarre, 1997–3.5 million
The king of big gigs is undoubtedly Jean Michel Jarre, performing a grand total of four concerts with an audience of over a million people each. Back in 1979 he set the world record for the biggest gig ever — his performance in Paris attracted a million fans. He then went on to break his own record twice. 1.5 million watched him in Houston in 1986, 2.5 million in Paris in 1990, and an astonishing 3.5 million in Moscow in 1997, equalising Rod Stewart’s world record. No concert since has matched up to that scale, but who knows what’s to come in the future?
What’s your opinion on big gigs? Do you love being part of the biggest crowds or do you prefer more intimate shows?
