Data from Box Office Mojo identifies the 20 highest-grossing concert documentaries at the domestic box office, a list led by the 2023 release "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour." The music documentary subgenre experienced a peak in volume between 2008 and 2013, with 10 of the top 20 earners released during that six-year span. A 2024 Fandango survey indicated continued interest in the format, finding that 77% of ticket buyers who saw a concert film in 2023 expressed a desire to see another tour in theaters.
The top-ranking film, "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour," earned more than $180 million in domestic ticket sales, doubling the earnings of the second-place film, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never." Other high-earning titles from the 2008-2013 period include films featuring Miley Cyrus, Michael Jackson, Katy Perry, and One Direction. More recent entries on the list include a 2026 3D concert film from Billie Eilish and a 2025 release from the K-pop group BTS, both of which captured sold-out performances in Los Angeles.
The documentaries utilize various filming techniques and narrative structures, ranging from the 1983 Talking Heads film "Stop Making Sense" to the 2023 "Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé," which the artist wrote, directed, and produced. While some films, such as Michael Jackson's "This Is It," were assembled from rehearsal footage, others like "U2 3D" and "Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft" utilized 3D technology to capture stadium-scale productions. The list also includes historical recordings, such as "Amazing Grace," which features 1972 footage of Aretha Franklin.
For the movie theater industry, these documentaries represent a content category during periods of high consumer demand, as shown by the 77% of 2023 viewers who told Fandango they intended to return for future concert films. The domestic box office figures indicate that a successful concert film can generate between $4.4 million—the entry point for the top 20—and upwards of $180 million. This trend affects how artists plan their tours, as some now include theatrical releases as a component of their strategy, creating a secondary market for their live performances.
The continued production of these films sets a precedent for how musical legacies are documented and commercialized. Future projects are already scheduled to join this list, including a Harry Styles tour documentary directed by John Wilson that is currently in development. As filming technology evolves, such as the 3D formats used by Billie Eilish and U2, the distinction between live attendance and theatrical viewing may continue to narrow. The next major milestone for the genre involves the ongoing release of films from artists like Billie Eilish, whose "Hit Me Hard and Soft" debuted in 2026, and the upcoming project from Harry Styles.