Welcome 2
Concert tour nameWelcome 2
Landscapeyes
LocationNorth America · Europe · Oceania
ArtistPrince
Album20Ten
Start dateDecember 15, 2010
End dateSeptember 26, 2012
Number of legs7
Number of shows83
Last tourPrince 20Ten
(2010)
This tourWelcome 2
(2010–12)
Next tourLive Out Loud Tour
(2013)

Welcome 2 was a concert tour by American musician Prince. Playing over 80 shows, the tour reached North America, Europe, and Australia. Each leg of the tour was branded with the "Welcome 2" title followed by the continent in which the leg was located. The tour marked the singer's first performances in North America in over six years. The show was composed of the singer performing his hits with his band The New Power Generation. Alongside Prince, various musicians performed including Janelle Monáe, Esperanza Spalding, and Cassandra Wilson. The tour placed 39th on Pollstar's "Top 50 Worldwide Tour", earning nearly $20 million.[1]

Background

Prince announced the tour on October 14, 2010 at the famed Apollo Theater in New York City.[2] He stated the tour would begin in Greater New York. He further explained to the audience each show would be different. "Come early, come often. I have a lot of hits... no two shows will be the same". For the tour, Prince played a custom gold Fender Stratocaster (made by the Fender Custom Shop), which was auctioned off at the end of the tour. The proceed benefited the Harlem Children's Zone.[3]

The concerts were staged in the round, with the stage shaped like the singer's iconic love symbol.[4] During shows, Prince invited several celebrities to come onstage and "jam out" with him, including Naomi Campbell, Whoopi Goldberg, Jamie Foxx, Alicia Keys, Leighton Meester, Questlove, Sherri Shepherd, Whitney Houston, and Cornel West.[5][6] He also performed duets with specials guests throughout the shows in North America. For "The Beautiful Ones", Prince was joined onstage by ballet dancer Misty Copeland.[7] During the concert at Madison Square Garden on December 29, 2010, Janelle Monáe performed "If I Was Your Girlfriend" with the singer. During the same show, Cyndi Lauper and Egypt Sherrod performed "Jungle Love".[6]

Following his shows in Greater New York, Prince expanded the tour to include the San Francisco Bay Area and The Carolinas. In April, he announced he would perform a twenty-one night residency show at The Forum in Inglewood, California, during an appearance on Lopez Tonight.[8] Dubbed "Welcome 2 America: 21-Night Stands", the singer performed throughout the months of April and May, including stops in Fresno, San Jose, and Sacramento. As the tour continued, Prince performed at several music festivals in Europe. In the fall of 2011, he announced he would bring his tour to Canada, his first performances in the territory in nearly ten years. In 2012, a tour of Australia received a warm response from spectators.[9]

Opening acts

Tour dates

List of 2010 concerts[3][10]
DateCityCountryVenue
December 15, 2010East RutherfordUnited StatesIzod Center
December 17, 2010
December 18, 2010New York CityMadison Square Garden
December 29, 2010
List of 2011 concerts[3][15][16][17][18][19]
DateCityCountryVenue
January 18, 2011New York CityUnited StatesMadison Square Garden
February 7, 2011
February 21, 2011OaklandOracle Arena
February 23, 2011
February 24, 2011
March 21, 2011ColumbiaColonial Life Arena
March 23, 2011RaleighRBC Center
March 24, 2011CharlotteTime Warner Cable Arena
March 26, 2011GreensboroGreensboro Coliseum
March 28, 2011GreenvilleBI-LO Center
March 30, 2011North CharlestonNorth Charleston Coliseum
April 14, 2011InglewoodThe Forum
April 21, 2011
April 22, 2011
April 23, 2011
April 28, 2011
April 29, 2011
April 30, 2011
May 5, 2011
May 6, 2011
May 7, 2011
May 13, 2011
May 14, 2011
May 18, 2011FresnoSave Mart Center
May 19, 2011San JoseHP Pavilion
May 21, 2011
May 22, 2011SacramentoPower Balance Pavilion
May 27, 2011InglewoodThe Forum
May 28, 2011
May 29, 2011
June 24, 2011MontrealCanadaMétropolis
June 25, 2011
June 30, 2011Saint-DenisFranceStade de France
July 2, 2011GdyniaPolandBabie Doły Airfield
July 3, 2011BeltringEnglandHop Farm Country Park
July 5, 2011GhentBelgiumSint-Pietersplein
July 6, 2011
July 8, 2011RotterdamNetherlandsRotterdam Ahoy
July 9, 2011
July 10, 2011
July 13, 2011Esch-sur-AlzetteLuxembourgRockhal
July 15, 2011PerugiaItalyArena Santa Giuliana
July 16, 2011LuccaPiazza Napoleone
July 21, 2011HelsinkiFinlandHartwall Arena
July 24, 2011AmsterdamNetherlandsMelkweg
July 25, 2011
July 26, 2011RotterdamRotterdam Ahoy
July 28, 2011CologneGermanyLanxess Arena
July 30, 2011MalahideIrelandMalahide Castle
August 2, 2011OsloNorwayOslo Spektrum
August 3, 2011
August 6, 2011CopenhagenDenmark10 Øren
August 7, 2011
August 9, 2011BudapestHungaryÓbuda Island
August 12, 2011GothenburgSwedenSlottsskogen
August 17, 2011ZürichSwitzerlandHallenstadion
November 25, 2011TorontoCanadaAir Canada Centre
November 26, 2011
November 30, 2011HalifaxScotiabank Centre
December 2, 2011MontrealBell Centre
December 3, 2011OttawaCanadian Tire Centre
December 5, 2011LondonBudweiser Gardens
December 8, 2011WinnipegMTS Centre
December 13, 2011EdmontonNorthlands Coliseum
December 14, 2011CalgaryScotiabank Saddledome
December 16, 2011VancouverRogers Arena
December 17, 2011VictoriaSave-On-Foods Memorial Centre
December 19, 2011TacomaUnited StatesTacoma Dome
List of 2012 concerts[20][21]
DateCityCountryVenue
May 11, 2012SydneyAustraliaQudos Bank Arena
May 12, 2012
May 14, 2012MelbourneRod Laver Arena
May 15, 2012
May 18, 2012BrisbaneBrisbane Entertainment Centre
May 22, 2012SydneyQudos Bank Arena
May 26, 2012BrisbaneBrisbane Entertainment Centre
May 30, 2012MelbourneRod Laver Arena
September 24, 2012ChicagoUnited StatesUnited Center
September 25, 2012
September 26, 2012
Festivals and other miscellaneous performances

:These concerts were a part of "21-Night Stands"[8]

These concerts were a part of the "Montreal International Jazz Festival"[22]
This concert was a part of the "Heineken Open'er Festival"[23]
This concert was a part of the "Hop Farm Festival"[24]
These concerts were a part of the "North Sea Jazz Festival"[25]

:This concert was a part of the "Umbria Jazz Festival"[26]

This concert was a part of the "Lucca Summer Festival"[26]
These concerts were a part of the "NPG Music and Arts Festival"[27]
This concert was a part of the "Sziget Festival"[28]
This concert was a part of the "Way Out West Festival"[29]
Cancellations and rescheduled shows
December 14, 2010East Rutherford, New JerseyIzod CenterCancelled[10]
February 4, 2011DallastheEvent Tent ComplexCancelled.[30] The concert was to benefit the Goss-Michael Foundation
July 23, 2011Oslo, NorwayOslo SpektrumRescheduled to August 2, 2011 due to the 2011 Norway attacks
July 24, 2011Oslo, NorwayOslo SpektrumRescheduled to August 3, 2011 due to the 2011 Norway attacks
August 4, 2011Berlin, GermanyO2 WorldCancelled
December 11, 2011Saskatoon, SaskatchewanSaskTel CentreCancelled

Box office score data

VenueCityTickets sold / availableGross revenue
Madison Square GardenNew York City70,855 / 72,911 (97%)$7,592,092[31]
Oracle ArenaOakland42,475 / 42,475 (100%)$4,418,308[32]
Save Mart CenterFresno11,918 / 13,028 (91%)$837,960[33]
Bell CentreMontreal8,753 / 10,900 (80%)$1,113,260[34]
John Labatt CentreLondon8,790 / 9,053 (97%)$958,695[34]
Halifax Metro CentreHalifax10,039 / 10,039 (100%)$1,000,320[35]
Rexall PlaceEdmonton10,775 / 16,258 (66%)$1,119,660[36]
Allphones ArenaSydney39,827 / 44,118 (90%)$7,182,190[37]
Rod Laver ArenaMelbourne42,086 / 42,900 (98%)$7,540,270[38]
Brisbane Entertainment CentreBoondall17,798 / 20,036 (84%)$3,212,670[39]
TOTAL263,316 / 281,718 (93%)$34,975,425

;Notes

The gross for the January 18th concert at Madison Square Garden placed second on Billboard's "Hot Tours", for the month of January 2011.[40]

Notes

1.The annual Pollstar ranking of the concert industry's top performing artists is tabulated for all worldwide shows, worked between January 1 and June 30, 2011. All ticket sales figures are calculated in U.S. dollars and are based on reported information and extensive research by Pollstar.

References

  1. ^ "Top 50 Worldwide Tours (01/01/2011 – 06/30/2011)". Pollstar. July 2011. Archived 3 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  2. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (14 October 2010). "Prince Announces 'Welcome 2 America' Tour". Billboard. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  3. ^ "PRINCE "WELCOME 2 AMERICA" EXCLUSIVE NORTH AMERICAN PERFORMANCES IN NEW YORK AREA". Izod Center Official Website. 25 October 2010. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  4. ^ "Seating Chart for Prince – Welcome 2 America". Izod Center Official Website. New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  5. ^ Johnston, Maura (20 December 2010). "Prince Parties With Naomi Campbell, Whoopi Goldberg Onstage at MSG". Rolling Stone LLC. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  6. ^ Perpetua, Matthew (30 December 2010). "Prince Performs Killer Show With Help From Janelle Monáe, Cyndi Lauper". Rolling Stone. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
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  14. ^ Little, Caryn (16 March 2011). "Prince Announces Opening Act for Charlotte Tour". WCCB. Bahakel Communications. Archived 3 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  15. ^ Additional sources for dates in North America: *Lesemann, T. Ballard (11 March 2011). "Prince's Welcome 2 America Tour Rolls Through Carolinas". Charleston City Paper. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011. *"Prince Announces Oakland Tour Dates". KPIX-TV. CBS Corporation. 16 February 2011. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011. *"Prince Coming to Fresno Next Week". KGPE. Newport Television. 13 May 2011. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011. *Horowitz, Steven J. (8 April 2011). "Prince Announces 21-Night Residency in Los Angeles". Spinner. AOL Inc.. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011. *Reitz, Allison (17 May 2011). "Prince takes brief break from Forum to tour California". Ticket News. Archived 3 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
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  17. ^ Additional sources for dates in Europe: *Steenhaut, Bart (6 July 2011). "Prince in Gent: strak als silliconenborsten" [Prince in Ghent: tight as silicone breasts] (in Dutch). De Morgen. De Persgroep. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011. *Holzer, Thomas (14 July 2011). "La Rockhal a trouvé son Prince mercredi soir" [The Rockhal found its Prince on Wednesday night] (in French). L'essentiel. Tamedia and Editpress. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011. *"PRINCE TO HELSINKI". Fullsteam Records & Agency. 31 May 2011. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011. *"Prince plays surprise concert at Melkweg in Amsterdam". Dutch Daily News. 24 July 2011. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011. *Kneip, Ansbert (29 July 2011). "Prince-Konzert in Köln" [Prince-Concert in Koln] (in German). Der Spiegel. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011. *Brady, Buzz (31 July 2011). "Pop funk legend Prince rocks Dublin". IrishCentral. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011. *Aubert, Fabrice (18 October 2011). "Prince signe sur un label suisse" [Prince sign on a Swiss label] (in French). 20 minutes. Tamedia. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  18. ^ Evans, Rob (28 October 2011). "Prince unveils "Welcome 2 Canada" tour". SoundSpike. SoundSpike Media, LLC. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  19. ^ "Purple will rain on Tacoma Dome with Prince tour". The News Tribune. 15 November 2011. Archived 4 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  20. ^ "Prince: Everyone should experience 'Purple Rain' live". ninemsn. Nine Entertainment Co. / Microsoft. 11 May 2012. Archived 4 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  21. ^ Greenwald, David (31 August 2012). "Prince Bringing 'Welcome 2' Tour to Chicago". Billboard. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  22. ^ Thompson, Arienne (15 June 2011). "Prince performing at Montreal Jazz fest". USA Today. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  23. ^ Reevers, China (5 May 2011). "Open'er Festival Announces Prince As Headliner". Paste. Wolfgang's Vault. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  24. ^ Horan, Tom (4 July 2011). "Prince, Hop Farm Festival 2011, review". The Daily Telegraph. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
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  26. ^ Paloscia, Fulvio (24 June 2011). "Lucca vuole Prince ed è polemica con Umbria Jazz" [Prince wants to Lucca and controversy with Umbria Jazz] (in Italian). la Repubblica. Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  27. ^ Michaels, Sean (19 July 2011). "Prince to curate music festival in Denmark". The Guardian. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  28. ^ Gregory, Jason (11 August 2011). "Prince Dedicates Song To Amy Winehouse At Sziget Festival". Gigwise. Giant Digital. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  29. ^ Osorio, Kim (15 August 2011). "Prince Brings Out Kanye West in Sweden". BET News. BET Networks. Archived from the original on 2 November 2011. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  30. ^ Tarradell, Mario (5 February 2011). "Did Prince dis Dallas? Some truth behind his no-show for Super Bowl concert". The Dallas Morning News. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
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  40. ^ Allen, Bob (27 January 2010). "Hot Tours: Garth Brooks, Prince, Jeff Foxworthy". Billboard. Archived 2 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 November 2011.