The musical world takes Chicago

Michael Maticka, Entertainment Editor

The Year 2013 promises to be a gargantuan year in music, including many artists planning to make stops in Illinois on their worldwide tours.

Many artists have chosen to begin 2013 with a tour across the world. Beginning in the United States, Rihanna’s highly anticipated “Diamonds World Tour” is set to kick off on March 8, 2013 in Buffalo, New York. The singer’s fifth concert tour will assist her seventh studio album, Unapologetic, which was released on November 19, 2012. The concert will make its way to Chicago on March 22nd, 2013. In support of her sixth studio album, The Truth About Love, P!NK plans to kick off 2013 with a tour by the same name. With just 88 scheduled shows thus far, P!NK’s tour will begin in Phoenix, Arizona on February 13, 2013. Most tickets for the Chicago date on March 9, 2013 sold out within the first moments of ticket purchase availability.

Multiple tours have already begun and are just now making their way to the United States. One of the highest grossing tours of all time, “The Born This Way Ball Tour” starring Lady Gaga plans to come to America in early January. Two Chicago dates are scheduled for February 13th and 14, 2013. However, all tickets for both shows are completely sold out. With just 115 planned dates, the colossal “Born This Way Ball” has raked in a total of $118,723,375 thus far, selling out every date listed. Although not beginning in America, One Direction begins the North American leg of their “2013 World Tour” in Sunrise, Florida. On July 13th and 14, 2013, One Direction will be hosting their concert in Tinley Park, Illinois. The boy band’s previous tour made a total of $4,030,042 with only 62 tour dates.

Tickets for most 2013 tours have gone on sale several months before the end of 2012 and sold out some moments after the availability to purchase was there. A number of tickets may still be obtainable on ticket retailer websites, such as Stubhub.com. However, on such sites, tickets usually run for more than double their original sales price, though the price may be worth it due to the fact that these artists may not be back around for some time.