Comedian Peter Kay's tour raked in a whopping £27million last year. His Better Late Than Never string of dates has been named one of the most globally successful tours of 2024.
The 51 year old amassed a total of £26,992,507 from his 35 performances, according to official tour revenue data from US analytics company Pollstar. Only fellow comedian Michael McIntyre, 48, came close to matching the Bolton-born star among UK comics, earning £10,284,888.
With tickets priced at an average of £59.70, each show last year generated around £771k. The Phoenix Nights star's success on tour surpassed revenues of many big names including Billie Eilish (£14.3m), Robbie Williams (£10.1m) and Lady Gaga (£10.4m).
He also outperformed international comedians Trevor Noah (£20.8m) and Kevin Hart (£17.2m) in terms of annual revenues. The Pollstar figures, highlighted in a special Year End 2024 Report for the music industry, disclose the box office earnings of the world's top live entertainers.
The top three spots were dominated by US stars - with Nashville's family-friendly Nate Bargatze banking £56.2m, Sebastian Maniscalco £38m and Jerry Seinfeld £31.16m. All charged higher ticket prices than Kay.
Last year, Peter was crowned Britain's highest-earning comedian, with his staggering £34.6million fortune unveiled. He outstripped the likes of The Office stars Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant to secure the top spot on the stand-up rich list.
In November 2022, The Sun reported that the comedian had a cool £22.6million sitting in his company's accounts. The accounts for his main company, Hussein Traders Ltd, showed that he has £22.6million in investments, and is £10.5million in profit.
Peter continues to perform as part of his tour, now in its fourth year. In November, due to "overwhelming demand," 21 new shows were added, extending the tour until February 2026. New performances are scheduled in Aberdeen, Liverpool, Cardiff, before wrapping up on the Isle of Man.
The announcement of the new dates came with a comical advert featuring Peter carrying a gold toilet to his mum's famous bungalow. "It's been wonderful doing what I love most, stand-up comedy. Laughter is more important than ever in these challenging times," he expressed.
Peter's tour, which kicked off in Manchester in December 2022, has already made history. He marked his 100th show at the Manchester AO Arena, smashing all attendance and performance records.
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Getty Images)He also became the first artist globally to hold a monthly residency at The O2, London, performing an unprecedented 45 shows - the highest number by any artist in the venue's history.
Peter made a victorious return to the stage in 2022 after his 2018 shows were called off due to "unforeseen family circumstances". The comedy icon first graced our screens back in 1997 on ITV's New Voices, which showcased emerging stars of the time.
That same year saw him featuring in his segment called Peter Kay's World of Entertainment on BBC2's The Sunday Show. His breakthrough came with Live at the Top of the Tower in 2000, propelling him into the limelight as a household name.
Before long, he had his own Channel 4 series, The Peter Kay Thing, which eventually led to the creation and starring role in the hit series Phoenix Nights. He shattered records with the Guinness World Record for the largest stand-up comedy run ever, entertaining over 1.2 million fans in 2010.
In 2022, he stepped back into the limelight with his eagerly awaited live comedy acts, marking his first stage appearances in 12 years. Offstage, Peter's personal life has seen him wed Susan Gargan in 2001, with the couple now sharing three children.
English (US) ·