Grammy Award-winning reggae icon Buju Banton continues to make history on the live music circuit. According to Billboard Boxscore, the first two shows of his return to the U.S. at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, grossed an impressive $4.5 million, selling 30,000 tickets across two nights. The back-to-back performances were the highest-grossing Caribbean artist shows of 2024.
As previously reported by World Music Views in the Caribbean Music Report, Banton’s Overcomer Tour has officially become the highest-grossing solo headlining reggae tour of the 21st century. Spanning major arenas across the U.S. and Canada—with venues averaging 19,000 seats and ticket prices around USD $300—the tour delivered remarkable returns despite early challenges.
While Ticketmaster canceled shows in six cities due to low pre-sales, Buju rebounded with 9 packed North American shows between July and November 2024. Each stop drew between 8,000 and 15,000 fans, including the two sold-out performances at UBS Arena, which were part of his Long Walk to Freedom Tour extension.
He went to Toronto, where Buju headlined Scotiabank Arena for the first time in 15 years. Tickets ranged from US$191 to a staggering US$1,449—setting a record for the highest average ticket prices ever for a solo reggae act in Canada.
The Overcomer Tour concluded with a grand finale at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on November 17, solidifying Buju Banton’s place as one of the most commercially successful reggae artists of the modern era.
Since Banton’s history making sojourn last year, Vybz Kartel has done back to back sold out concerts at the Barclays Arena, Amerant Bank Arena in Florida and have upcoming dates in Atlanta, Baltimore, New Jersey and New York this summer.
