Number Ones, Up Close and Personal
Number Ones, Up Close and Personal World Tour was the sixth concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. It showcased her sophomore compilation album, Number Ones and visited Asia, North America, Europe, Australia, and Africa. Jackson traveled to thirty-five different cities selected by fans, one chosen for each of her number one hits. The tour took an organic and intimate approach, excluding the elaborate theatrics and pyrotechnics her concerts have become infamous for, focusing on her musicality and choreography. Jackson explained the tour to be "different from anything I have ever done", adding, "These concerts are not about special effects. This is a love affair between me and those of you who have supported me and my work for all these years." Jackson dedicated an individual song to the audience during every show to commemorate each city.
| Tour by Janet Jackson | |
| Associated album | Number Ones |
|---|---|
| Start date | February 4, 2011 |
| End date | December 5, 2011 |
| Legs | 8 |
| No. of shows | 81 |
| Box office | US$26.5 million ($34.47 million in 2022 dollars) |
| Janet Jackson concert chronology | |
The show's intimate aura was praised among critics, many commending Jackson's showmanship in contrast to her more recent contemporaries. The majority of the tour had completely sold out, notably two shows in Sydney, Australia, which sold out within fifteen minutes, in addition to Los Angeles, which sold in under ten minutes, and three shows in London. The tour achieved several attendance records, among the most attended concerts in the Reliant Stadium's history and top selling shows of the year in the Philippines. It had also broken the gross for a single performance at a venue located in Tampa, Florida, surpassing a record previously held by Mariah Carey. Private shows were held in Singapore, Shanghai, London, and Hertfordshire, the latter venue compensating Jackson a substantial amount to perform. An exclusive concert was also held at the Liaisons Au Louvre II Charity Gala in Paris, France, making Jackson the first female pop artist in history to perform at the I. M. Pei glass pyramid. Professional footage of shows in Singapore and London were filmed but have not been released. Entertainers such as Taylor Swift, Joe Jonas, Siti Nurhaliza, Rachel Stevens, Park Jung-Min, and British boy band JLS were reported to attend the tour.
Selected dates of the tour's first North American leg from March to April 2011 had ranked forty-fifth in Pollstar's Top 50 Worldwide Tours, earning $16 million. At the end of 2011, the tour placed 62nd on Pollstar's "Top 100 Worldwide Tours", earning $26.5 million from 71 shows worldwide.