Spice Girls' ?16.5m reunion tops list of worldwide sell-out concerts

Victoria Beckham vowed never to sing again after the end of the Spice Girls reunion concert earlier this year.

But Posh Spice might want to reconsider her decision after figures reveal she and her bandmates hold the record for the highest-grossing series of gigs.

Their 17 sell-out shows at London's O2 arena in January pulled in just over ?16.5million.

The Spice Girl reunion tour netted ?16.5million for the band, making them the highest-grossing concert act of the year

One last time: The Spice Girls on the last night of their reunion tour this February, rumoured to be the last time the girls will sing together

The concerts with Beckham, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell, Mel B and Mel C, had the biggest take out of any of the groups performing around the world from April 2007.

The Spice Girls, who played to a capacity 20,000 audience each night, completed their mini world tour in Toronto, Cananda, in February.

According to business magazine Forbes all 17 shows in London sold out in one minute when tickets went on sale.

After the final concert the five stars issued a statement which said: 'Our time is up... we've come to the end of the road... there are tears of both sadness and joy. Look how far we've come!

'Who would have thought that our reunion could have turned out to be this amazing? It just shows what can grow out of an exciting thought, an idea, a hope, a dream. Yes, our reunion tour is proof that dreams do come true.'

Victoria Beckham later said she had no intention of ever singing again.

Ambassadors? The band met world-leaders across the world, with Baby, Scary and Ginger pictured here meeting Prince Charles and Nelson Mandela

The O2 arena was also the setting for the second highest grossing concert series from April 2007 - April 2008.

Reclusive star Prince pulled in ?11million after his 21 sell-out concerts last August.

The Police, who like the Spice Girls staged a reunion tour, took three places on the list, which was calculated according to venue.

The band grossed ?7.2million by packing more than 104,000 into France's national stadium, Stade de France, in Paris on two dates in early September 2007.

The band also sold out two shows at the 50,000-seat Tokyo Dome in February, grossing ?3.5million.

The Police rocked out with a concert at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. They appeared on the Forbes list three times

Another big-ticket performance drew 59,000 Police fans and ?2.9million to Maracan? Stadium in Rio de Janeiro for South America's highest-grossing concert of all time.

The 80s supergroup - Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers - disbanded after their final concert last week at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Rock group Bon Jovi took third place on the list with a 10-day sell out run that grossed ?8.27million and attracted 138,000 fans to the Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey.

Music festivals made up the rest of the top ten, with the Download Festival at Donnington Park realising gate receipts of ?10.15million.

Acts who took part included Linken Park, Velvet Revolver and My Chemical Romance.

Ticket sales for all concerts in the US were almost a record ?2billion.

The top ten grossing concerts between April 2007 and April 2008:

1. Spice Girls - ?16.5million

2. Prince - ?11million

3. Bon Jovi - ?8.27million

4.The Police - ?7.75million

5. Justin Timberlake - ?3.75million

6. The Police - ?3.5million

7.The Police - ?2.7million

8. Download Festival, UK - ?10.15million

9. Festival Oxegon, N.Ireland - ?8.6million

10. Coachella Festival, California - ?8.5million

Spice Girls cancel their world tour 'after both the Mels quit

The Spice Girls have cancelled their world tour after just two months of performances and two continents amid reports of poor ticket sales.

So far, they have performed in the UK, Canada, the US and in Madrid and Cologne in Europe.

But instead of playing dates in Australia, Argentina, and China the five will finish the reunion tour in Toronto on February 26.

Mel B and Mel C are said to be fed up of the reunion tour

In the run up to the tour Victoria reportedly tried to eat more to deal with the group's dance regime

However, despite citing family commitments as their reason for cutting the tour short, sources close to the group say the two Mels did not want to continue.

After they were presented with a new tour schedule the friend said to the Daily Mirror: "Mel B wasn't having any of it. She misses her husband and children and said she couldn't go on. She's also been flooded with US offers after her success on Dancing With Stars.

"Mel C agreed it was time to call it a day. She was the least excited about it. She also feared it might jeopardise her solo career."

Officially, a spokesman for the girls said: "Sadly the tour needs to come to an end by the end of February due to family and personal commitments for Emma, Geri, Mel B, Melanie C and Victoria.

The groups stuck loosely to the characters they had when they first formed: Ginger, Sporty, Baby, Posh and Scary

"It was announced in June that, as well as the Europe and the US, the girls planned to visit Australia, China, South Africa and Argentina.

"Due to the phenomenal demand for tickets in the UK and the US along with the touring logistics for such a massive production it was not possible to fit everything in.

Sparkling: The Spice Girls' London shows were sold-out show in London

"As the girls return to normal family life and the kids go back to school they are reviewing all the options. Who knows what the future might bring."

The Spice Girls said: "We've had such an amazing time over the last three months.

"It's been incredible being back together and seeing our fans again.

"We want to thank everyone who came to see us. It was all so mad the first time round, so we've really been able to appreciate it properly this time.

The Spice Girls will be dissapointing fans in three continents by cancelling the rest of their tour dates

"There have been so many highlights and good times that we know it will be hard to be apart after Toronto.

"Really sorry if we didn't get to see you this time round. We all have other commitments in our lives now but who knows what will happen next."

The tour was originally meant to last until June but the dates in Cape Town, Buenos Aires, Beijing and Sydney were first cancelled apparently so the group could play extra nights in London. They had not been rescheduled.

The spokesman told the Mail then: "The plan is for these dates to happen."

But last night the spokesman admitted: "The decision came out of America. The girls want to get back to their families - it's not about lack of demand.

"Sorry - we appear to have been duped."