Harry Styles' Together Together tour is expected to gross over $1billion in revenue, which would make him the first solo male artist to achieve the figure, as he kicked off the US leg in New York on Wednesday night.
The 32-year-old Sign of the Times singer has brought his Together, Together tour to Madison Square Garden (MSG) for a record-breaking 30-date residency that will run until October 31. This follows a 12-night stint at Wembley Stadium in London, which also broke records as his main stop in Europe after a string of dates in Amsterdam.
Styles has taken a different approach to this run of performances, appearing in only seven cities across six countries, including Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Melbourne, before ending in Sydney in December.
Economic boost and ticket demand
A report by Barclays projected that his UK leg would deliver a boost of nearly £1.1billion to the economy, with research suggesting fans were anticipated to spend £981 on average on tickets, travel, accommodation and outfits.
Despite a trimmed travel itinerary, the New York Times reported that more than 11.5million fans signed up for tickets for his MSG run, which Ticketmaster claimed was “the highest volume ever recorded for an artist presale”. His previous residency at the venue for his Love On Tour run grossed $63.1million, after selling around 277,000 tickets.
Emotional tribute to Dolly Parton
It was an emotional return to MSG for the former One Direction star, as he took to the stage with a tribute to music icon Dolly Parton, following her death on Tuesday. She died at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer. Tributes have poured in from around the world, with Beyonce, Eminem, Jane Fonda, Taylor Swift and many more reflecting on her career.
Addressing the crowd, Styles thanked the late country legend for inspiring him throughout his musical journey. “I want to say a proper 'Thank you' to all the musicians over the years that've inspired me,” he told the audience, via People Magazine. “Dolly, we love you, thank you so much.”
Shortly after, her version of 1974 hit I Will Always Love You played out. While he didn't perform a cover, he encouraged fans to dance along, while the stadium lit up from phone torches across the venue.
Remaining schedule
Styles will remain at MSG for the next two months, with his final date currently slated for October 31, an event fans have dubbed 'Harryween'. From there, he will take a break before picking things up in Australia at the end of November.
The Mirror has contacted reps for Styles for a comment.
