Living Proof: The Farewell Tour

Living Proof: The Farewell Tour
World tour by Cher
Promotional poster for the San Diego date.
Location
  • North America
  • Europe
  • Oceania
Associated album
Start dateJune 14, 2002 (2002-06-14)
End dateApril 30, 2005 (2005-04-30)
Legs5
No. of shows
  • 283 in North America
  • 28 in Europe
  • 14 in Oceania
  • 325 Total
Box office$250 million[1]
Cher concert chronology

Living Proof: The Farewell Tour (also referred to as simply The Farewell Tour and later dubbed The Never Can Say Goodbye Tour) was the fifth concert tour by American singer-actress Cher to promote her twenty-fourth studio album, Living Proof and her eighth official compilation album, The Very Best of Cher.[2] It began on June 14, 2002 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and was originally planned as a 59-date tour in North America.

Due to the popularity of the tour, Cher decided to extend it by 100 more shows in North America then, after the tour concluded in 2004, she announced plans of playing in Europe, Oceania and Asia to play in territories she either had never been to or had not played for a long time. The final show took place at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles after a record-breaking 325 dates, grossing well over $200 million and earning Cher the Guinness World Record for the "Highest Grossing Tour by a Female Artist" at the time.[3]

The tour was planned similarly to her previous 1999/2000 Do You Believe? Tour. The set list consisted of 21 songs, 4 video montages, dancers and aerialists. It also included a dozen costume changes, designed by Cher's longtime collaborator Bob Mackie. Some changes were made to the set list during the European and Australasian legs.

The tour generated positive reviews from critics. The concert was broadcast on NBC from American Airlines Arena, in Miami during Thanksgiving weekend.[2] The concert special attracting near 17 million viewers and won three Primetime Emmy Awards.[4] A DVD titled The Farewell Tour was released in summer 2003.

Although Cher stated that this would be her final tour, she returned to touring in 2014 with her Dressed to Kill Tour, which visited 49 cities in North America. However, it would remain her last world tour until she embarked on the Here We Go Again Tour (2018–2020).

  1. ^ Lawrence, Jesse (March 23, 2014). "With Strong Demand For Tickets, Will Cher's Dressed To Kill Tour Really Be Farewell?". Forbes. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Cher's 'Farewell' Tour Beats On". Billboard. August 15, 2003. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  3. ^ "Billboard Bits: Sting/Fiction Plane, Cher, 'Hey Ya!'". Billboard. May 13, 2005.
  4. ^ "Cher to Take Final Bow in Los Angeles; April 30th Hollywood Bowl Concert to Be Her Last Live Performance" (Press release). PR Newswire. January 31, 2005. Retrieved October 16, 2010.