HYBE’s K-Pop Stars Shake Up the World Tour Scene

• HYBE earned $469.2M from its artists’ global tours, climbing to No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Promoters list.
• K-pop acts including Stray Kids, SEVENTEEN, J-Hope, and ENHYPEN featured on Billboard’s Top Tours chart.
• The rising tour earnings highlight K-pop’s growing influence in the global live music market.

HYBE, the Seoul-based company behind K-pop stars like BTS and ENHYPEN, generated $469.2 million USD this year from its artists' global tours. The results reflect rising international demand for K-Pop live performances, as well as the company's growing impact in the global music industry.

HYBE Among World’s Top Tour Promoters, Says Billboard

HYBE took a five-spot leap ranking at No.4 on Billboard's Top Tour Promoters list, which compiled tour earnings of artists from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. The list is a part of Billboard's yearly Boxscore Year-End Report.

Notably, HYBE's roster outperformed several seasoned live-event promoters, drawing a total of 3.3M audience members across 213 events globally. With over $7.6B in tour income worldwide, Live Nation, the renowned American entertainment company, continued to hold the top spot. AEG Presents followed next with reported earnings of $2.5B, while Ocesa, the Mexican concert promoter, earned $940.7M.

K-Pop Acts Rank on Billboard’s Top Tours Chart

Several K-Pop singers were also named with other notable artists in the top 40 of the Billboard Top Tours list. The rankings indicate a heightened popularity and demand for international tours of such K-Pop artists. Stray Kids, who ranked No. 10 in the category, brought in $185.7M as tour revenue backed by 1.3M audience.

SEVENTEEN emerged as HYBE's most successful global touring group, ranking at No. 17. The group reportedly generated earnings of $142.4M from 34 gigs that drew 964,000 fans. BTS’s rap and dancing star J-Hope came in at No. 32, earning $79.9M from 33 shows. ENHYPEN, which earned $76.1M from 25 gigs and was attended by 556,000 spectators, ranked No. 37 as well, thus rounding off all K-Pop artists in the list.

K-Pop’s Global Tour Rise Amid Western Revenue Leaders

Coldplay topped the overall Top Tours category, showing the popularity of large-scale stadium tours. With 59 shows and a total audience of 3.5M, the British band earned $464.9M. Beyoncé came next to Coldplay, earning $407.6M from 32 performances that drew 1.6M attendees.

Nevertheless, HYBE's rise up the ranks and recurrent chart placements indicate Korean performers are now becoming more competitive, giving well-known Western celebrities a tough fight in terms of popularity. This is due to their improved promoter placement and surging tour earnings. Even while artists like Coldplay and Beyoncé continue to dominate overall revenue totals, K-Pop’s touring scale has expanded largely to include popular markets like North and Latin America, Asia, and Europe.