| Tour byJustin Timberlake andJay-Z | |||||||
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| Location | North America | ||||||
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| Associated albums | |||||||
| Start date | July 17, 2013 (2013-07-17) | ||||||
| End date | August 16, 2013 (2013-08-16) | ||||||
| Legs | 1 | ||||||
| No. of shows | 14 | ||||||
| Box office | $75.3 million ($101.64 million in 2024 dollars)[1][2] | ||||||
| Justin Timberlake concert chronology | |||||||
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TheLegends of the Summer Stadium Tour was a co-headliningconcert tour by American singer-songwriterJustin Timberlake and American rapperJay Z. The tour supported Timberlake's third studio album,The 20/20 Experience (2013) and Jay Z's twelfth studio album,Magna Carta Holy Grail (2013). The tour began on July 17, 2013, inToronto, and concluded on August 16, 2013, inMiami Gardens. Overall, the duo performed to 622,559 fans in two countries.
The tour received generally positive reviews from critics, who highlighted the strong on-stage chemistry between Timberlake and Jay-Z, the lengthy setlist with smooth pacing, and the show's spectacle. However, some reviewers gave mixed opinions on the overall impact of the performance. Commercially, it grossed US$75.3 million (US$101.64 million in 2024 dollars). With all 14 dates sold out, it was the fifteenth highest-grossing tour of 2013.[3]
After a six-year musical hiatus, on January 14, 2013, Timberlake released "Suit & Tie", thelead single from the singer's third studio album,The 20/20 Experience which featured American rapperJay-Z.[4] Before the2013 Grammy Awards ceremony,Ryan Seacrest interviewed Timberlake and teased him about a possible joint tour with another artist. On that, Timberlake responded, "We are still putting it together, but it's gonna be a lot of fun. I don't know how much I should say."[5]
During the award ceremony, Timberlake was joined by Jay-Z at the stage for the performance of "Suit & Tie".[4] Following their appearance on Grammys, rumors of a stadium tour between the artists were raised as a result of Jay-Z's posts on his Life + Times blog; he posted series of venues with the note "#LegendsOfSummer this week".[6] The Legends of the Summer tour was officially announced on February 22, 2013, when North American dates were revealed.[4] The show started on July 17, 2013, inToronto, Canada.[4] The tickets for the show went on sale on February 28, with the pre-sale starting on February 27.[7] Citi cardmembers had access to pre-sale tickets beginning on Friday, February 22, at 12 noon local time through Citi's Private Pass Program.[4]
On July 14, 2013, Timberlake and Jay-Z performed at theOlympic Park in London, United Kingdom as part of theWireless Festival for a "special preview" of the tour.[8]
Billboard's Karen Bliss, after attending the Toronto'sRogers Centre date, thought "there was no one-upmanship, just camaraderie, not competition, two guys that work well together".[9] James Reed ofThe Boston Globe, who attended the show atFenway Park, said, "At nearly two and a half hours, it was a tightly choreographed show, but there was no shortage of spectacle or unbridled joy."[10]Greg Kot of theChicago Tribune, who attended the show atSoldier Field, said that "the contrast between the eager-to-please R&B entertainer and the imperious hip-hop godfather couldn't have been more stark".[11] Alex Young and Michael Roffman ofConsequence reviewed the Soldier Field show, with Young stating that "the show was cohesive in the sense that the structure of the setlist never really made for an awkward transition", while Roffan said, "This was a damn worthy summer blockbuster".[12] Nick Catucci ofEntertainment Weekly, who attended the show atYankee Stadium, said that "the cheery, elastic Timberlake is an excellently goofy foil to Jay's forbidding cool — if these two were superheroes instead of mere legends, Timberlake would be Robin to Jay Z's Batman".[13] Michael Mann ofThe Georgia Straight, who attended the show atBC Place, said, "Thankfully, the pair didn't linger too long on their latest musical offerings, which, let's face it, blow. On the obligatory four-storey-high stage, which featured massive LED screens and 18 or so backup performers that you couldn't care less about, JT and J-Hova treated those in attendance to a two-hour-and-15-minute-long hit parade".[14]
Rebecca Ford ofThe Hollywood Reporter, who attended the show at theRose Bowl, noted that although Timberlake and Jay-Z had differing performance styles, both were "larger-than-life performers even in that massive a venue".[15] Stephanie Cary of theLos Angeles Daily News, who also attended the show at the Rose Bowl, said, "Neither star deviated much from the music, only stopping a few times to address the audience, including Timberlake announcing it was the best crowd they've had so far on the tour. There were no hijinks, no backup dancers on stage or pyrotechnics. It was all about the music."[16] TheMiami Herald, who attended the show atSun Life Stadium, said, "The Legends of the Summer show runs at a lengthy two and a half hours with nearly 40 songs (some full-length, others abbreviated). Friday night, the show felt exceptionally well-paced. The transitions were seamless between collaborations and solo efforts".[17] Piet Levy of theMilwaukee Journal Sentinel, who attended the show at Soldier Field, said, "But legends Jay Z and Timberlake are not, nor could the show, be considered a legendary evening of entertainment".[18] Jeff Rosenthal fromRolling Stone, who attended the show at Yankee Stadium, highlighted the great chemistry between both artists: "Watching Justin Timberlake and Jay Z interact onstage it feels like the two have forever been friends and collaborators".[19] Jane Stevenson of theToronto Sun, who attended the show at Rogers Centre, said, "Legendary? Not quite. Highly entertaining, most definitely".[20] Celine Wong ofUSA Today, who also attended the show at Rogers Centre, asked, "What happens when a singer with the best-selling album of this year and a rapper with the current No. 1 album join forces to co-headline a North American stadium tour?", and said the results are "legendary".[21]
The following set list is representative of the Pasadena show on July 28, 2013. It does not represent all concerts during the tour.[15]
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening act | Attendance | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 17, 2013 | Toronto | Canada | Rogers Centre | DJ Cassidy | 47,221 / 47,221 | $5,440,288 |
| July 19, 2013 | New York City | United States | Yankee Stadium | 89,023 / 89,023 | $12,928,598 | |
| July 20, 2013 | ||||||
| July 22, 2013 | Chicago | Soldier Field | 52,671 / 52,671 | $6,136,393 | ||
| July 26, 2013 | San Francisco | Candlestick Park | 55,359 / 55,359 | $5,507,409 | ||
| July 28, 2013 | Pasadena | Rose Bowl | 63,162 / 63,162 | $7,597,545 | ||
| July 31, 2013 | Vancouver | Canada | BC Place | 40,181 / 40,181 | $5,160,984 | |
| August 4, 2013 | Hershey | United States | Hersheypark Stadium | 29,135 / 29,135 | $3,371,474 | |
| August 6, 2013 | Detroit | Ford Field | 42,035 / 42,035 | $4,260,593 | ||
| August 8, 2013 | Baltimore | M&T Bank Stadium | 49,668 / 49,668 | $5,074,762 | ||
| August 10, 2013 | Boston | Fenway Park | 68,251 / 68,251 | $9,465,359 | ||
| August 11, 2013 | ||||||
| August 13, 2013 | Philadelphia | Citizens Bank Park | 39,487 / 39,487 | $4,636,751 | ||
| August 16, 2013 | Miami Gardens | Sun Life Stadium | 46,366 / 46,366 | $5,744,515 | ||
| Total | 622,559 / 622,559 | $75,324,671 | ||||
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