How big is too big? The biggest concert by live attendance clocks in at a record 3.5 million people. This begs the question: Do bigger venues, stages, or concerts mean a better concert experience? Personally, the best concerts in terms of performance and sound were at the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas and The Warfield in San Francisco. Both venues can hold a decent crowd. Yet neither is known for breaking any world records. The Warfield holds approx 2,300 seats, while the Hard Rock Cafe approx 2,000.
Record Attendance
Compare that to the 3.5 million attendance at the Rod Stewart or Jean Michel Jarre concerts. With that many people, how close to stage can you possibly get or even within viewing distance with millions in front of you. Once you get to that level, it becomes more about the light shows, fireworks, and crowd experience.
1. Rod Stewart at Copacabana Beach
(1994) 3.5 million people
The Guinness World Records site credits the largest live concert to Rod Stewart who drew 3.5 million for a New Year’s Eve 1994 performance at Copacabana Beach
2. Jean Michel Jarre
(1997) 3.5 million people in Moscow
Musician Jean Michel Jarre was commissioned by the Mayor of Moscow to give a concert in celebration of the city’s 850th anniversary
(1994) 2.5 million people in Paris
Paris La Defense – Une Ville En Concert by musician Jean Michel Jarre in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution. Jarre designed a pyramid-shaped stage for the concert which played out in downtown Paris complete with a synchronised illumination of 65 tons of fireworks.
3. New York Philharmonic in Central Park
(1986) 800,000 people
The Philharmonic concert in Central Park is credited as the largest ever attendance at a classical concert.
4. Garth Brooks in Central Park
(1997) 750,000 people
5. Steve Wozniak’s 1983 US Festival
(1983) 670,000 people
6. Summer Jam at Watkins Glen
(1973) over 600,000 people
7. Isle of Wight Festival
(1970) 600,000 people
8. Simon & Garfunkel in Central Park
(1981) 500,000 people
9. Toronto SARS Benefit
(2003) 450,000 people
10. Woodstock 1969
(1969) 400,000 people
Notable Concerts:
(1997) 385,000 people at Blockbuster RockFest featuring Paula Cole, Bush, Counting Crows, No Doubt, Collective Soul, Jewel, Matchbox 20, The Wallflowers
(1983) 375,000 people at Heavy Metal Day in San Bernadino California
(1988) 180,000 people at Tina Turner concert in Maracan Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
(1990) 180,000+ people at Paul McCartney concert in Maracan Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
(1998) 100,000 people at Widespread Panic concert in Athens, Georgia
(1985) 1.5 billion people watched a “Live Aid” a “live” televised concert via satellite raising money for famine relief in Ethiopa.
Jean Michel Jarre? I assume this is one of those cultural things where Europeans see something very different in an artist.
Yeah JM Jarre is huge in Europe. Mainland Europe mainly, us Irish (and the British) Aren’t too interested, bit too pretentious for our weather beaten tastes.
I was in Hungary once, and I never saw/heard so much Vangelis and Jarre in my life! Crazy for it they are!
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, on August 17 1991, a free Monster of Rock festival was held in Moscow, with AC/DC headlining and performances from Metallica and Pantera. It had an estimated 1.6 million in attendance – and nobody was there for any reason other than the music.
Not even the more important reason of celebrating the fall of communism!
The Soviet Union was ordered dissolved by Gorbachev on August 24th, 1991.
That concert was 1 week before the collapse.
In other words, Gorbachev saw Metallica, and said “that’s it for me, I’m out.”
Thus, Metallica clearly won the Cold War for us.
sounds great, but you are wrong. Monsters of Rock in Moscow Tushino airfield was on September 28 1991, more than a month from the Soviet Union collapse.
Also, the attendance was free, so nobody knows exactly how many people were there, but just imagine an airfield packed. I was there and I remember that I could not get closer than 500 meters to the stage- the place was packed. It was soo crazy, I have been to many concerts after that but I have never seen such a crowd. Not even on football championships
Missing from this list is Cal Jam 2 at Ontario Motor Speedway in California March 18, 1978 . 1 day event attendance was in excess of 350,000. I was a Marine Stationed in 29 Palms, California then and I was there..Aerosmith, Bob Welch (With Stevie Nicks) , Heart, Foreigner, Santana, Rubicon, Dave Mason, Frank Marino and Mohagany Rush, Ted Nugent.
Skydivers, Art Sholl (Daredevil Stunt Pilot. It Was Amazing!
Look it up and behold.
Great work but you missed ROCK IN RIO in 1985 – 1,5 milion people!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_in_Rio
OLE!
you are wrong, the 1.5 mil people at rock in rio represents the total, over an 11 day period
and yes, do mention monsters of rock in moscow ~1.600.000, although there could have been even more
Monsters of Rock was estimated over 2 million actually
should definitely be in there.
It is said that Mike Oldfield’s Art in Heaven Concert in Berlin had an audience of “More than half a million spectators”, but it’s impossible to find a precise number.
Information on that point is welcome.
Ummmm…. What about Michael Jackson….
Monsters of rock 91 had an official audience of 500,000 according to soviet aouthorities at the time. The audience was probably closer to 800,000 or 900,000 certainly not 1 million or more as stated above.
Bon jovi at the moscow peace festival and rock in rio lisbon attracteed more than 100;000 people
It was over a million. MTV does not now rock n roll nor do they know how to count. Bon Jovi? lol
Not trying to be rude, but can either of you back up those statements? It would make “Nick’s” correction seem more… correct. (<—- only word I could think of. Lol)
Zulfu Livaneli
Ankara, Turkey, 19 May 1997, at the celebration of Youth and Sports.
The people were uncountable but unofficial number was more than 500.000.
You also missed the Rolling Stones in Copacabana beach, Rio, February 2006: 1,3 million people, according to local police stats.
What about the Rollings Stones 2006, 1.3 million ppl , Copacabana Beach
Genesis Live in Rome Circus Maximus 650.000 people, july, 2007.
What about U2..at Sattle Castle and recently at the ESTADIO AZTECA…the stadium capacity is for 110,000 people , but including field ( “cancha” ),
I guess we were almost 180,000. May 11, 2011 U2 360
You should include in notable concerts The Wall, Roger Waters, Berlin 1990
KISS
live maracana rio 1983
150 000 peoples
Metallica, live in quebec city on plaines d’abraham, for festival d’ete de quebec, 130 000 only could get in. so maybe double wanted to get there.
And new: Woodstock Festival 2011, Kostrzyn nad Odra, Poland: over 700 000
this is NOT correct…. I see not even a mention of Roger Waters, The Wall, Live at The Berlin Wall. Well documented concert will well over 1 million
There are no less than 3 other Jarre concerts missing from the top of the list, with 1 million, 1.2 million and 1.3 million peoeple.
Rock in Rio, first day of Queen, 470,000
Scorpions in the year 2000 rocked Poland and over 750,000 fans came to see them. It seems to me that the Scorpions are the most ignored band in the histroy of rock. Why is that?
1991 Monster of rock 1.5 million. Rolling Stones Rio 1.7 million.
The chieftains “played in a concert for Pope John Paul II, and an audience of more than one million people in 1979 in Phoenix Park in Dublin, to mark the Papal visit to Ireland.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chieftains)
Plenty of good artists mentioned but they forgot one. ACDC AT DONIGNTON!!!!!! Not as big as some up there but pretty [removed] big.
AC/DC live at river plate 200000
Look 1991 Metallica Moscov concert and Queen open area concert.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QP-SIW6iKY
Funny that Diana Ross Live in Central Park (1983) isn’t mentioned as notable when there were 800,000 people the first day, then 500,000 on the makeup day! Guess 1.3 million attendees weren’t notable enough. Umph.
I am surprised how small Woodstock attendance was. I thought it would have been much higher than 400,000.
You forgot Metallica 1991 Moscow concert. The problem is that there were no helicopters and much cameras, but there was about 1,600,000 people
Red hot chili peppers @ slane castle
You’re forgetting the Boston Pops July 4th concerts. They average about 700,000/800,000 every year.
AVANDARO!!!!!!! September 11 and 12 of 1971 in México, 250,000 in attendance
KISS in Maracaná Stadium 1983 with more than 100,000 in attendance
Well, maybe you should do a better research… Between other facts,there was a gospel concert in Brasil, for the Before the Throne Worship Ministry (Ministério de Louvor Diante do Trono, which gathered 2 million people in one night. They was recording their sixth album, “I Wanna Fall in Love” (“Quero me Apaixonar). The show was realized at July 12, 2003, at the Campo de Marte, São Paulo.
Queen – Hyde Park London 1976 – over 150,000
Largest for any concert in London (at the time)
“Queen Hyde Park London 1976 over 150,000
Largest for any concert in London (at the time)”
The Rolling Stones – Hyde Park 1969. It was estimated that over 250 000 attended this free concert.
Also missing is Stones’ Altamont concert in December 1969 gathered around 300 000 fans.
What about A-Ha? 198,000 in 1991 , Rio De Janero – Maracan stadium.
Genesis, Rome 2007
500,000 people
I was at hard rock day (US Festival) near San Bernardino CA in 1983. It was crowded, hot, and the powers that where cooled us down with fire hoses. It became a mud fest. Who cared, we were witness to history, our young brains, hearts and loins loved every rockin minute of it.
“Rock n’Roll will never die.”
us down with fire
Sept 12, 1970 Fete de L’Humanite, Paris France 500,000