10. Blockbuster RockFest 1997 [385,000] was a music event that celebrated capital punishment. It was held on Texas Motor Speedway with hot artists like No Doubt, Counting Crows and Matchbox Twenty.
9. Woodstock 1969 [400,000] was the pop culture event of that decade that had a big influence on both American music and culture. Legendary artists like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Santana and the Who was only a few of many others that performed. The audience, that were mostly hippies, sent a message to the world that everyone could gather together to enjoy music and celebrate peace.
8. Toronto SARS Benefit 2003 [450,000+]. The disease SARS that attacked Asia and Toronto in Canada was the reason for this benefit concert. Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Justin Timberlake were some of the artists that supported by performing.
7. Simon & Garfunkel [500,000] held their second reunion concert in Central Park in 1981. It was a free concert that was televised by HBO.
6. Isle of Wight Festival [600,000] was the biggest concert ever held in UK. The Who, The Doors and Leonard Cohen were some of the performing artists, and Jimi Hendrix had unfortunately his last performance on this event. All the tickets were sold out the first day.
5. Summer Jam at Watkins Glen [600,000+]. A huge hippy concert heldat the Grand Prix auto circuit in Watkins Glen, New York, with bands like The Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers.
4. Steve Wozniak’s 1983 US Festival [670,000] was a culture festival sponsored by one of the co-founders of Apple Computers, Steve Wozniak. It was held in California with great performers like Motley Crue, U2 and David Bowie.
3. Garth Brooks in Central Park [750,000] was a great country concert with excited and cheering “cowboys” in the audience. Brooks performed classics as “Friends in Low Places”, and “The Dance”.
2. New York Philharmonic in Central Park 1986 [800,000]. The largest classical concert that celebrated the rededication of the Statue of Liberty. It was one of largest outdoor concert ever
1. Rod Stewart at Copacabana Beach 1994 [3,500,000]. A New Years celebration featuring Rod Stewart with the largest concert crowd ever. The wonderful Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was overcrowed with singing and celebrating audience.
Enssen says
May 9, 2010 at 7:09 pmI bet you never heard of the polish “Przystanek Woodstock”(between 300.000 and a million visitors every year) or the hungarian “sziget”(about 400.000 visitors every year)…
embarassing…
Piwo says
May 9, 2010 at 7:22 pmWhere is Monsters of Rock ’91 in Moscow?
Stacey says
May 10, 2010 at 1:22 amWhat about Live 8/Live Aid?
Paul says
May 10, 2010 at 3:16 amhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Michel_Jarre#cite_note-keystosuccess-58
On 6 September that year the Moscow State University became the backdrop for a spectacular display of image projections, skytrackers and fireworks. The event, celebrating the 850th anniversary of Moscow, was viewed by an audience of about 3.5 million, Jarre’s fourth record for the largest ever outdoor concert audience.
Yuriy says
May 10, 2010 at 9:13 amPiwo, I’ve just wanted to post it too 🙂
Ben says
May 10, 2010 at 11:43 ammissed out Rolling Stones in Brazil which drew over a million people: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4725050.stm
makina says
May 10, 2010 at 6:47 pmhow about love parade?
vasile says
May 10, 2010 at 7:00 pmWhat about Tushino Airfield in 1991? 1,000,000+ metalheads can to that one
homem robô says
May 11, 2010 at 5:34 pmdude, rolling stones in brazil… 1 million c’mon
marky says
May 24, 2010 at 1:22 pmhmm.. Pantera, ACDC & Metallica 1991 Moscow. Over 1.5 million.
Pressure says
June 28, 2010 at 12:25 pmJean Michel Jarre has at least 2 positions there.C’mon, you should have been more informed 😉
Bogdan says
July 1, 2010 at 3:00 pmRammstein playd if front of a 2 million people crowd on “Live aus Berlin” concert in ’98 according to: http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Rammstein
Kate says
July 2, 2010 at 2:52 amI feel like the festivals and single artist shows should be separated. It’s just really hard to compare a whole bill of artists with a single act.
zer0 says
July 7, 2010 at 3:39 amMissed JMJ’s record breakers in Russia, Paris and Houston, TX.
gringo says
July 7, 2010 at 10:48 amWhat about rock in rio, iron maiden joined 1 million people
Felipe Gonçalves says
July 11, 2010 at 7:35 pmWhere´s MONSTER OF ROCK with 1,5 million people???????? WTF
the first in my lovely nation!! BRASIL!
rertCardy says
July 26, 2010 at 3:00 amWhat do you mean?
aramis says
August 24, 2010 at 6:01 pmlove parade 2010 !!!! 1 400 000 ppl , 21 deaths , 500 injured
sledgehammer1963 says
September 2, 2010 at 12:18 pmiron maiden,rush,the rolling stones,and page and plant played to 1 million people in brazil!!!
Josh says
November 5, 2010 at 3:17 pmWhat about Altimont in Cali, 1969. Not everyone who attended was able to leave alive. =) Gotta love Sonny and his Angels.
metalhead says
November 27, 2010 at 4:23 pmMonsters of Rock ’91 in Moscow was the biggest concert of all time.
love parade isnt a concert..
Ultimatejustice4u says
December 8, 2010 at 7:37 amCheck your facts everyone and the Guiness Book of Records. Jean michel Jarre dwarfs them all with having the largest gathering of people in history in one place for any event (in this case for a rock concert in Moscow, Paris and Houston respectively, of course), other than for the purposes of war. The world does not consist only of performers of US nationality or those from English speaking backgrounds.
angelclandestino says
February 23, 2011 at 2:46 amWhere is Live Aid 1985? performed simultaneously in London in Wembley Stadium and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia
rajitha says
March 23, 2011 at 6:16 pmmichael jackson did the biggest shows
Sev says
June 3, 2011 at 3:02 amMonster’s of Rock ’91 like 2 million people, with Pantera and Metallica
raja says
June 7, 2011 at 2:47 pmwhat!!? The no. 1 is not genuine, because it was at the same time with New Year’s Eve. They should state it more clearly, THE LARGEST AND MOST ROCKING CONCERT EVER. Because I bet during Rod’s concert, people just gather and mostly for New year’s event. Only rock and metal concert where people attend TO ROCK THE CONCERT OUT.
Camper. says
June 18, 2011 at 12:04 pmMadonna in Poland- 750 000.
Petterrific says
June 24, 2011 at 5:58 pmJean Michel Jarre’s concerts in Moscow and Paris La Defense? Seriously???
BossMan says
July 2, 2011 at 6:43 pmi dont care, woodstock should be number 1, PEOPLE WERE BORN AT WOODSTOCK…
jeff womack says
July 13, 2011 at 12:38 ami like how metallica had 2.5mill. people in moscow in 1991 and there not up there lol
Melanie Roels says
July 14, 2011 at 6:46 pmIn France Tokio Hotel performed for 500 000 people
Paleotos says
July 20, 2011 at 1:34 pmYou know, there is nothing outside the US 😉
Guest says
August 17, 2011 at 4:14 amWhy couldn’t you put the *YEAR* on each item in the list????
kretzu_popik says
August 20, 2011 at 2:40 pmI am so proud of your viewpoint about the world largest concert and the largest audience ever,but,just remember that nobody breaked yet Jarre’s record in Moscow,the event was viewed by an audience of 3,5 millions people,it’s still no.1 in Guinness World Records Book,please,be more informed,this is the fourth Jarre’s record,1st was in Place de la Concorde(14 July 1979),attended by 1million,2nd was Rendes-vous Houston(5 April 1986),attended by 1,5millions,3rd was Paris La Defence(14 July 1990) and 4th was Oxygen In Moskow(6 Sept 1997) attended by 3.5 millions people,and Jarre have many other concerts with an audience more that 1 million,but I was talking here strictly about concerts chronology in Guiness Records Book.But what did you say about the 3 BILLION audience on Monaco Concert………………………… happy for you.
file666 says
August 20, 2011 at 5:54 pmand where is rock in rio ’85 , 400 000 people and Monsters of Rock ’91 in Moscow 1.6m people ????
Victor Aguiar says
August 20, 2011 at 7:58 pmThe Stones had 1 and a half MILLION people in copacabana and it wasn’t at new year’s eve. That’s 1,500,000 people, so you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Cheryl Bianchi says
August 27, 2011 at 6:30 pmBeach Boys & others played DC and Philly on same day…over 1.5 million…not sure of the year but on July 4…to benefit renovation of Statue of Liberty…
rolling my eyes says
August 28, 2011 at 6:02 pmjean michel jarre should have at least 3 placements in this top ten!
very inaccurate!
jameshetfield says
September 1, 2011 at 7:01 amThis list is a total bullshit. 1st Jarre 2nd Monsters of Rock 1991. New Year’s Eve is the event itself so it can’t be taken into cosideration
Karla METALLICA!!!!!!!! says
September 1, 2011 at 11:33 amWhat about Metallica and AC/DC in Moscow in 1990. There must have een atleast 800 000 – 1 000 000 people!
ANDR3S98 says
September 4, 2011 at 1:28 amHey hey!!!! Monsters of Rock 1.6 million!!!!!!!!!
Hadi Zamka says
September 5, 2011 at 2:00 amDoes any of these words means something?
Metallica?, 1991?, moscow?, Monsters of Rock Festival?, 1.6 millions?, Metal up your a**?, Heavy Metal?
jason says
September 22, 2011 at 1:45 amI think you guys forgot pink floyd the wall live in berlin. where all of germany east and west were brought together by a 400 metre stage that was 4 storiies high and broardcast live round the world maybe beiigest stage to.
Phil says
September 26, 2011 at 12:01 amisn’t the Simon ’91 concert missing from this. It outdrew S&G ’81.
Sergio says
October 13, 2011 at 3:11 amBlack eyed peas in rio more than 1 million in 2006
Kelsey says
October 13, 2011 at 4:31 pmLove Parade in Berlin is an electronic music festival that drew 1,400,000 people last year. Where’s that on your list?
Jono says
October 22, 2011 at 9:04 amElton central park – 450,000
Diana Ross, central park, 900,000 (est)
mike says
October 27, 2011 at 10:17 pmdude weres monsters of rock of 1991? it had somewere between 1.6 and 2.5 million people
Gary says
November 3, 2011 at 9:04 pmUrrr….Jean Michel Jarre?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Moscow – 1997 (3,500,000) – WORLDS LARGEST CONCERT!!!!!
Paris – 1990 (2,500,000) – Record Breaker at time
Houston – 1987 (1,300,000) – Record breaker at time
Paris – 1995 (1,200,000)
Paris – 1979 (1,000,000) – Record breaker at time
All of these are larger than this entire top 10 (except Rod Stewart, which equals Jean’s Moscow concert)
Stan says
November 7, 2011 at 9:35 pmFishbone. Waterloo Records, Austin, TX. October 26, 2011. 12 people attended. Better than Rod Stewart.