Artists around the world invest a lot of time and energy into planning their tours, and the most expensive concert stages also require a big spending budget. This B-side of the concert world is the one that many fans take for granted, but production companies know that some musicians are willing to invest millions for the perfect stage set-up to enhance their show. From lighting, to custom made stage props and meticulous engineering, creating the perfect atmosphere for a live show takes time, and most of all, money.
Some of the top 10 most expensive concert tours in 2013, which we recounted in a previous article, featured extravagant stage settings and costume changes, so in this article we’ll take a closer peek at how much artists spent on ambience. From pop icons to rock legends, these five musicians pride themselves on having the most expensive concert stages.
5. Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Ball
Cost per set-up: $1 million
When Lady Gaga announced her Born This Way Ball tour in 2012, music critique and fans expected supreme extravagance. And they weren’t disappointed: the pop icon invested $2 million to create an enormous 30-ton Gothic castle that was five stories tall and featured with three dimensions. The structure was designed from sketches that Gaga made herself and its ground-breaking technology allowed for the 400 square foot stage to be assembled in six hours. Along with the mega-stage, Gaga also required specific props for her 98 shows, including a massive zipped vagina, a meat rack, a human horse, and knights in shining armour. The extremely controversial visuals earned the singer $181 million, making her the fifth highest grossing tour by a female artist.
