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Madonna Announces 'The Celebration Tour'

Today, Madonna announced Madonna: The Celebration Tour , in an iconic viral video with a wink to her groundbreaking film Truth or Dare. The video  (click here for trailer version) features notable names such as Diplo, Judd Apatow, Jack Black, Lil Wayne, Bob The Drag Queen, Kate Berlant, Larry Owens, Meg Stalter, Eric Andre and culminates with Amy Schumer daring the global superstar to go on tour and perform her four decades of mega hits. Madonna, the best-selling female solo touring artist of all time, rises to the challenge announcing The Celebration Tour which will be highlighting her unmatched catalog of music from the past 40 plus years. Produced by Live Nation, the 35-city global tour will kick off in North America on Saturday, July 15th at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC with stops in Detroit, Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and more before making its way to Europe where she will hit 11 cities throughout the fall, including London, Barcelona, Paris, and Stockholm, among others. The Celebration Tour will wrap in Amsterdam, NL on Friday, December 1st at Ziggo Dome. The Celebration Tour will take us on Madonna’s artistic journey through four decades and pays respect to the city of New York where her career in music began. “I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for,” states Madonna. The Celebration Tour will offer a one-of-a-kind experience with special guest Bob the Drag Queen a.k.a. Caldwell Tidicue across all dates on the global tour. TICKETS: Tickets go on sale Friday, January 20 and Friday, January 27at 10am local time at madonna.com/tour .

FAN CLUB PRESALE:  Legacy members of Madonna’s Official Fan Club will have a pre-sale opportunity for the shows that go on sale on Friday, January 20 beginning Tuesday, January 17 at 12pm ET through Wednesday, January 18 at 5pm ET for the North America based shows and from 9am GMT/10am CET to 5pm GMT/6pm CET on Wednesday, January 18 for UK and European shows. An additional Legacy pre-sale for the North American based shows going on sale on January 27th begins on Monday, January 23 (10am) through Wednesday, January 25 (5pm). U.S. CITI PRESALE: Citi is the official card of Madonna The Celebration Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets for shows going on sale January 20th beginning Tuesday, January 17 at 2pm local time through Thursday, January 19 at 6pm local time through the Citi Entertainment program. The Citi cardmember presale for the shows going on sale on January 27 will begin Tuesday, January 24 at 10am local time through Thursday, January 26 at 6pm local time. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com . CANADA AMEX PRESALE:  American Express Cardmembers will have access to presale tickets in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal beginning Wednesday January 18 at 10am local time through Thursday, January 19 at 6pm local time. Visit ticketmaster.ca/americanexpress)] to purchase tickets.  Ticket limits & terms apply. EUROPE AMEX PRESALE: American Express Cardmembers can purchase tickets to Madonna’s tour in Sweden, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Belgium before the general public. Pre-sale open from 18 January at 9am, until 19 January at 6pm. VIP: Fans can also purchase VIP Packages, which may include premium tickets, exclusive access to a behind the scenes tour, group photo on-stage, pre-show reception, limited edition lithograph & more. For more information, visit vipnation.com . THE CELEBRATION TOUR NORTH AMERICAN DATES:   Sat Jul 15 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena Tue Jul 18 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena Sat Jul 22 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center Tue Jul 25 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena Thu Jul 27 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center Sun Jul 30 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center Wed Aug 02 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse Sat Aug 05 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena Mon. Aug 07 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena Wed Aug 09 – Chicago, IL – United Center Sun Aug 13 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena Sat Aug 19 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell Wed Aug 23 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Thu Aug 24 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Wed Aug 30 – Boston, MA – TD Garden Sat Sep 02 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena Tue Sep 05 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena Thu Sep 07 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena Sat Sep 09 – Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena Wed Sep 13 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center Mon Sep 18 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center Thu Sep 21 – Austin, TX – Moody Center ATX Wed Sep 27 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena Wed Oct 04 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center Sat Oct 07 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena THE CELEBRATION TOUR EUROPE DATES:  Sat Oct 14 – London, UK – The O2 Sat Oct 21 – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis Wed. Oct. 25 – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena Sat Oct 28 – Stockholm, SE – Tele2 Wed Nov 01 – Barcelona, ES – Palau Sant Jordi Mon Nov 06 – Lisbon, PT – Altice Arena Sun Nov 12 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena Mon Nov 13 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena Wed Nov 15 – Cologne, DE – Lanxess Arena Thu Nov 23 – Milan, IT – Mediolanum Forum Tue Nov 28 – Berlin, DE – Mercedes-Benz Arena Fri Dec 1 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome

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Madonna The Celebration Tour setlist: All 28 songs played by Queen of Pop revealed

16 October 2023, 11:04

By Tom Eames

What songs does Madonna perform on The Celebration Tour? Here's the official setlist and every song included in the epic live show.

Listen to this article

Madonna is back on the road with her Celebration Tour , a retrospective of her four-decade-long career in music.

The pop icon kicked off the tour on October 14 at London's O2 Arena, the first of six sold-out shows at the venue. Fans were treated to a dazzling spectacle of songs, costumes, dancers, and special guests.

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But what songs did Madonna perform on the opening night of her tour? Here's a rundown of the setlist so far, though there's always a chance it may change throughout the tour.

The setlist featured over 25 songs, spanning Madonna's entire discography from her 1983 debut album to her latest release Madame X .

Warning: Spoilers below!

Madonna Carpool Karaoke

This is the full 28 song Celebration Tour setlist, in order, based on shows in London:

- Intro skit with Bob the Drag Queen, including elements of 'Lucky Star', 'Celebration' and 'Material Girl'

1. Nothing Really Matters 2. Everybody (contains elements of 'Where's the Party') 3. Into the Groove 4. Burning Up 5. Open Your Heart (contains elements of 'Live to Tell') 6. Holiday

- 'The Storm' interlude (contains elements of 'In This Life')

7. Live to Tell

- 'The Ritual' interlude (contains elements of 'Girl Gone Wild')

8. Like a Prayer (contains elements of 'Girl Gone Wild', 'Act of Contrition' and 'Unholy' by Sam Smith )

- The Sacrifice/Erotic interlude (contains elements of 'Living for Love', 'Erotica', 'Justify My Love' and 'Fever'

9. Erotica (contains elements of 'Papa Don't Preach') 10. Justify My Love / Fever 11. Hung Up 12. Bad Girl

- Ballroom interlude (contains elements of 'Up Down Suite', 'Vogue' and 'Break My Soul')

13. Vogue 14. Human Nature 15. Crazy for You

- The Beast Within interlude

16. Die Another Day 17. Don't Tell Me 18. Mother and Father 19. Little Star 20. I Will Survive (cover) 21. La Isla Bonita 22. Don't Cry for Me Argentina

- Madonna interlude (contains elements 'I Don't Search I Find')

23. Bedtime Story 24. Ray of Light 25. Rain

26. Like a Virgin (contains Michael Jackson tribute including 'Billie Jean') 27. Bitch I'm Madonna / Give Me All Your Luvin' 28. Celebration / Music

Madonna’s The Celebration Tour is set to continue until April 2024, visiting various cities in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia.

Fans can expect some changes in the setlist as Madonna likes to surprise her audience with different songs and guests.

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Madonna Unveils Ultimate Greatest Hits Show ‘The Celebration Tour’

By Larisha Paul

Larisha Paul

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

Truth or dare? ? Madonna has rarely ever been one to shy away from the latter. In an announcement video that nods to her documentary of the same title, a slate of special guests prompts her with a challenge: “I dare you to do a world tour and play your greatest motherfucking hits.”

Madonna: the Celebration tour will span 40 years of the singer’s career, bringing her greatest hits to 35 cities across North America and Europe. “I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for,” Madonna shared in a statement.

On Thursday, she added an additional 13 dates due to “overwhelming demanded.”

General sale for the Celebration tour begins Friday, Jan. 20, at 10 a.m. local time. More information is available via the official Madonna website .

Bob the Drag Queen – who appears in the announcement video alongside Diplo, Judd Apatow, Jack Black, Lil Wayne, Bob The Drag Queen, Kate Berlant, Larry Owens, Meg Stalter, and Eric Andre – will join as support across the entire tour.

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This story was updated on Jan. 19 at 5:15 pm ET to include Madonna’s additional tour dates in bold .

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Madonna announces 2023 tour that will celebrate her greatest hits

Madonna is getting ready to "express herself" all over again with her latest global tour.

On Tuesday, the music icon announced a new 35-city global tour, aptly named "Madonna: The Celebration Tour." The 64-year-old shared the news on her Instagram page and revealed that the tour would feature hits from across her four decades performing.

"Come join the party! 🎉💃🏼🎵🕺🏾🎤," she captioned the post.

The singer also teased the news in a video that paid tribute to her 1991 film "Truth or Dare." In the four-minute clip, Madonna is joined by several stars, including Amy Schumer, Jack Black, Lil Wayne and Judd Apatow, for a game of truth or dare.

Toward the end, Schumer dares Madonna to go on a tour and sing all of her best hits. It's a challenge that the icon gladly accepts.

A release posted to Madonna's website said the tour would follow her "artistic journey" and pay special homage to New York City, the place where her career began.

“I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for,” she said.

Want to know more about the tour? Here's everything we know so far.

What are the dates of the tour?

The tour will kick off its North American leg on July 15 in Vancouver then make its way to Seattle, Denver, Chicago, New York and other major cities.

• July 15 — Vancouver, B.C.
• July 18 — Seattle, Wash.
• July 22 — Phoenix, Ariz.
• July 25 — Denver, Colo.
• July 27 — Tulsa, Okla.
• July 30 — St. Paul, Minn.
• Aug. 2 — Cleveland, Ohio
• Aug. 5 — Detroit, Mich.
• Aug. 7 — Pittsburgh, Penn.
• Aug. 9 — Chicago, Ill.
• Aug. 13 — Toronto, Ont.
• Aug. 19 — Montreal, Q.C.
• Aug. 23 — New York, N.Y.
• Aug. 24 — New York, N.Y.
• Aug. 30 — Boston, Mass.
• Sept. 2 — Washington, D.C.
• Sept. 5 — Atlanta, Ga.
• Sept. 7 — Tampa, Fla.
• Sept. 9 — Miami, Fla.
• Sept. 13 — Houston, Texas
• Sept, 18 — Dallas, Texas
• Sept. 21 — Austin, Texas
• Sept. 27 — Los Angeles, Calif.
• Oct. 4 — San Francisco, Calif.
• Oct. 7 — Las Vegas, Nev.

The European leg of the tour will commence on Oct. 14 in London and will include stops in Barcelona, Paris, Milan, Berlin and other famous European cities.

• Oct. 14 — London, England
• Oct. 21 — Antwerp, Belgium
• Oct. 25 — Copenhagen, Denmark
• Oct. 28 — Stockholm, Sweden
• Nov. 01 — Barcelona, Spain
• Nov. 06 — Lisbon, Portugal
• Nov. 12 — Paris, France
• Nov. 13 — Paris, France
• Nov. 15 — Cologne, Germany
• Nov. 23 — Milan, Italy
• Nov. 28 — Berlin, Germany
• Dec. 1 — Amsterdam, the Netherlands

When do tickets go on sale?

Fans will have a few chances to get their hands on the coveted tickets:

General public sales: Tickets will go on sale Friday, Jan. 20 and Friday, Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. local time, and will be available to purchase on Madonna's website .

Fan club presales: If you’re a legacy member of Madonna’s official fan club, you can participate in the following presales.

• The first presale applies to North American shows that go on sale to the general public on Jan. 20. The presale takes place from Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 12 p.m. ET through Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. ET.
• The second presale applies to European and UK shows and will span from Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 9 a.m. GMT to 5 p.m. GMT.
• The third presale is for the North American shows that go on sale to the general public on Jan. 27. This final presale will run from Monday, Jan. 23 at 9 a.m. ET through Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. ET.

Citi presale: Citi cardholders can take part in two presales. Tickets can be purchased through the Citi Entertainment program.

• The first presale is for tickets going on sale to the general public on Jan. 20. The presale will run from Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. local time through Thursday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. local time.
• The second is for tickets going on sale to the general public on Jan. 27. The presale will run from Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. local time. 

Canada American Express presale: American Express cardholders can participate in a presale for concerts in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Tickets will be available to purchase on Ticketmaster .

• The presale will span from Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 10 a.m. local time and run through Thursday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. local time.

European American Express presale:  American Express cardholders can participate in a presale for concerts in Sweden, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Belgium. Tickets will be available to purchase on Ticketmaster .

• The presale will span from Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 9 a.m. local time through Thursday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. local time.

Who is the opening act?

Caldwell Tidicue, whose stage name is Bob the Drag Queen, will appear at all dates of the tour.

Chrissy Callahan covers a range of topics for TODAY.com, including fashion, beauty, pop culture and food. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, watching bad reality TV and consuming copious amounts of cookie dough.

Madonna announces Celebration global tour: What to know

The tour kicks off in July.

It's official: Madonna's hitting the road.

The Celebration Tour, kicking off July 15 in Vancouver, was announced Tuesday morning with a video featuring a star-studded guest list.

The NSFW video features Madonna playing Truth or Dare with an eclectic lineup of celebs, including Jack Black, Judd Apatow, Lil Wayne, Meg Stalter, Eric Andre, Bob The Drag Queen, Kate Berlant, Amy Schumer and more.

It ends with Schumer daring Madonna to go on a world tour and perform all her biggest hits.

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After singing a few bars of "La Isla Bonita" along with Schumer, Madonna says, "F--- yeah!" and announces, "80s, 90s, 2000s, four decades of music avec moi -- MLVC -- welcome to the party, b****es!"

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The phrase in part translates to "with me, Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone," in case you're not familiar with French, or with the Queen of Pop's birth name.

The 35-city world tour starts in North America before hitting Europe, wrapping up in Amsterdam on Dec. 1.

"I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for," Madonna said in a statement.

A one-of-a-kind experience with special guest Bob the Drag Queen will be featured on each date.

Tickets go on sale Jan. 20 and Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. local time, depending on the city. Presales for Citi cardmembers start Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. local time for the shows going on sale Jan. 20, and Jan. 24 for the shows going on sale Jan. 27.

MORE: Review: 50 best albums of 2022

A presale for members of Madonna's Official Fan Club starts Tuesday at noon ET for the North American shows, and 9 a.m. GMT on Jan. 18 for the U.K. and European shows. Visit Madonna.com for all the details and ticket information.

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Madonna announces The Celebration global world tour to mark 40th anniversary

The Celebration tour will mark four decades of Madonna's greatest hits, starting with her self-titled debut album, and will include a date at London's O2 Arena. The star revealed the news with a video announcement - featuring cameos from several other well-known stars.

By Gemma Peplow, arts and entertainment reporter

Tuesday 17 January 2023 16:56, UK

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Madonna has announced a major world tour marking her 40th anniversary, including a show at London's O2 Arena.

The announcement comes after weeks of speculation the Queen of Pop had been planning something big to celebrate her career since the release of her self-titled debut album, which launched her on the path to stardom with hits including Holiday, Lucky Star and Borderline.

Writing on Instagram - after previously clearing her page to make way for the news - Madonna simply said: "Come join the party!" In a statement sent to Sky News, she said: "I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for."

The Celebration tour will feature the 64-year-old artist's four decades of greatest hits, starting in Vancouver, Canada, on 15 July. The star will play gigs across Canada and the US between July and October, before launching the European leg at the O2 on 14 October.

She will follow this with shows in cities including Barcelona, Paris and Berlin, finishing in Amsterdam on 1 December - taking in 35 cities in total.

Tickets will likely sell out quickly, so it is possible there could be an announcement of further shows to come.

As the tour was revealed on big screens featuring clips from her back-catalogue in London, Madonna also released a video featuring stars including Diplo, Judd Apatow, Jack Black, Lil Wayne and Bob The Drag Queen, culminating with Amy Schumer daring the star to take on the tour of her career so far.

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Madonna is one of the biggest-selling artists of all time and the best-selling female artist in the world, holding numerous records in the US and UK - with 13 number one singles in the UK she has more than any other female artist, as well as 12 number one albums.

In 2022, she became the first woman to chart in the US Billboard top 10 in every decade since the 1980s.

Her last tour was the smaller Madame X tour in 2019 and 2020, which saw the star performing at more intimate theatre venues. However, the shows were delayed due to the singer suffering knee and hip problems, and some were cancelled due to the pandemic. This time round, she will be on stage at major arenas, including Madison Square Garden in New York.

Click to subscribe to Backstage wherever you get your podcasts

'She needs no introduction'

Over the years, Madonna has been known for continuously reinventing her music and her image, with hits including Like A Virgin, Into The Groove, Papa Don't Preach and Like A Prayer in the 1980s; Vogue, Justify My Love, Erotica and Frozen in the 1990s; and Music, Hung Up, Sorry, and collaborations with Britney Spears (Me Against The Music) and Justin Timberlake (4 Minutes) in the 2000s.

Her first greatest hits album, The Immaculate Collection, released in 1990, is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with reported sales of around 30 million. Overall, she is reported to have sold up to 300 million records worldwide.

A multi-Grammy, Brit and Ivor Novello winning performer, she was also inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2008, her first year of eligibility, for which she was described in her introduction as "the record-setting, line-crossing, sexuality-flaunting, ever-evolving Material Girl".

It continued: "Madonna is an icon. With her larger than life persona and penchant for provocation, she needs no introduction."

As well as her music, the star is almost as famous for pushing boundaries with fashion and her choices of controversial and even explicit outfits over the decades.

In the early days of her career, she pioneered the "underwear as outerwear" trend by wearing a corset bodysuit with conical bra cups, designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, and in 1992 published Sex, a book of erotic photographs.

In 2016, she attended the Met Gala in a bondage-inspired Givenchy outfit featuring leather, lace, thigh-high boots, a thong and nipple pasties; in 2021, she hit out at Instagram for taking down provocative photographs in which her nipple was exposed.

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In 2022, the singer revisited a number of tracks which made her an international star, including a new take on her 1998 classic Frozen, which she recorded with Canadian musician Sickick, and a remix of her dance hit Hung Up with Dominican rapper Tokischa.

It followed a reformed partnership with her previous long-time record label Warner Music Group, which produced her debut single in 1982.

Tickets for Madonna: The Celebration tour will go on sale on Friday.

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As expected, Madonna  has announced dates for “Madonna: The Celebration Tour,” in a viral video with a wink to her 1990 film “Truth or Dare.” The video features Judd Apatow, Jack Black, Lil Wayne, Diplo, Bob the Drag Queen, Kate Berlant, Larry Owens, Meg Stalter, Eric Andre and culminates with Amy Schumer daring Madonna to go on tour and perform her four decades of mega hits.

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“I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for,” Madonna says in the announcement. 

Bob the Drag Queen (a.k.a. Caldwell Tidicue) will be the special guest on all dates of the tour.  

Tickets go on sale starting Friday, January 20th at 10am local time at madonna.com/tour. Citi is the official card of the tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning today (January 17) at 2 p.m. local time through January 19 at 6 p.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program.

Legacy members of Madonna’s Official Fan Club will have a pre-sale opportunity beginning on January 17 at 12 p.m. ET through January 18 at 5 p.m. ET for all North America based shows and from 9 a.m. GMT/ 10 a.m. CET to 5 p.m. GMT/ 6 p.m. CET on January 18 for U.K. and European shows.

THE CELEBRATION TOUR NORTH AMERICAN DATES:  

Sat Jul 15 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena 

Sat Jul 22 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center 

Tue Jul 25 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena 

Thu Jul 27 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center 

Sun Jul 30 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center 

Wed Aug 02 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse 

Sat Aug 05 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena 

Mon. Aug 07 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena 

Wed Aug 09 – Chicago, IL – United Center 

Sun Aug 13 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena 

Sat Aug 19 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell 

Wed Aug 23 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 

Thu Aug 24 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 

Wed Aug 30 – Boston, MA – TD Garden 

Sat Sep 02 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena 

Tue Sep 05 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena 

Thu Sep 07 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena 

Sat Sep 09 – Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena 

Wed Sep 13 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center 

Mon Sep 18 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center 

Thu Sep 21 – Austin, TX – Moody Center ATX 

Wed Sep 27 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena 

Wed Oct 04 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center 

Sat Oct 07 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena 

THE CELEBRATION TOUR EUROPE DATES:  

Sat Oct 14 – London, UK – The O2 

Sat Oct 21 – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis 

Wed. Oct. 25 – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena 

Sat Oct 28 – Stockholm, SE – Tele2 

Wed Nov 01 – Barcelona, ES – Palau Sant Jordi 

Mon Nov 06 – Lisbon, PT – Altice Arena 

Sun Nov 12 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena 

Mon Nov 13 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena 

Wed Nov 15 – Cologne, DE – Lanxess Arena 

Thu Nov 23 – Milan, IT – Mediolanum Forum 

Tue Nov 28 – Berlin, DE – Mercedes-Benz Arena 

Fri Dec 1 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome 

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• 17 maart 2024
• Buitenlands nieuws

Get into the groove: 25 fascinating facts about Madonna’s Celebration Tour

After 14 albums, 38 top 10 hits, 11 tours, and the  esteemed title  of biggest-selling female recording artist  of all time ,  Madonna  more than earned a victory lap.

That’s why her twelfth global jaunt –– a greatest-hits retrospective with nearly 80 shows across the globe dubbed The Celebration Tour  –– is nothing short of iconic, historic, and well, celebratory.

The tour kicked off in October 2023 with a three-night run at the O2 Arena in London.

And with every show since, Madge has reminded us why she’s the Queen of Pop –– bringing fans to tears, reinventing iconic moments, and making headlines with special guests and off-the-cuff comments.

It’s no surprise that tickets  sold out in record time . New Yorkers snatched up seats for three shows within 15 minutes; Parisians bought out the arena in under seven minutes, and tickets for London’s first two shows were gone within 20 minutes.

Fittingly, in 2023,  Rolling Stone  dubbed it “one of the most popular shows of both this  and  next year.”

If you weren’t able to see the herstory-making spectacle in person, worry not.

Ahead of its expected closing show in Mexico City this April, we’re diving into the lore, history, and preparation behind Madonna’s most ambitious (and successful) tour ever.

Here are 25 fascinating facts about Madonna’s Celebration Tour.

1. She harkened back to Truth or Dare for its announcement.

If you’re going to announce a retrospective tour and you’re Madonna, a basic social media post won’t do! To unveil the plan, Madge recreated an iconic scene from her 1991 documentary  Truth or Dare , playing the game at a dinner table alongside famous friends like Amy Schumer, Bob the Drag Queen, Larry Owens, Jack Black, and  Meg Stalter .

And when Schumer dared Madonna to go on a world tour and play her greatest hits, it was game on!

2. The tour put the Madonna biopic on an indefinite hold.

The press had a field day tracking the development of the Madonna biopic, which was announced in 2020 and set to be directed by the Queen of Pop herself. She worked with Oscar-winner Diablo Cody on a draft! There was an intense singing and dancing bootcamp! Julia Garner beat out the likes of Florence Pugh and Bebe Rexha for the lead!

Unfortunately,  Variety  confirmed  the project was put on hold after the tour’s announcement, as Madge wanted to make sure that was her “sole focus.” Still, she “remains committed to making a film about her life one day.”

Although it seems there’s no hard feelings with the actress who would’ve played Madonna. Garner even showed up at a Brooklyn show to flash 10’s across the board!

3. This is Madge’s first tour not promoting a specific album.

Dit bericht op Instagram bekijken Een bericht gedeeld door Madonna (@madonna)

Although Madonna released a greatest hits album called  Celebration  in 2009 , she didn’t update the comprehensive collection ahead of the tour’s 2023 kickoff, making this her first global jaunt not pegged to a specific release. Instead, by revisiting her past eras, she sought to  “give [her] fans the show they have been waiting for.”

4. A health scare delayed its highly-anticipated opening show.

In June 2023 –– just weeks before the Celebration Tour was set to kick off in Vancouver –– Madonna was rushed to the ICU for a  “serious bacterial infection”  and stayed in the hospital for several days.

While she made a full recovery, it was a tough period in her life. “It was so hard for me to walk from my house to the backyard and sit in the sun,” she  told fans in Los Angeles . “I know that sounds insane, but it was difficult, and I didn’t know when I could get up again, when I could be myself again, and when I’d have my energy back.”

But you can’t keep a queen down! After rescheduling a handful of dates, she hit the stage in October for London’s opening night.

5. There’s a storyline to the whole show.

"This show every night is not really so hard for me physically, it's harder for me emotionally because I'm really telling you the story of my life" Madonna last night in LA 🔥 #MadonnaCelebrationTour pic.twitter.com/2xXUzWUf5q — Madonna Ultimate (@MadonnaUltimate) March 5, 2024

As Madonna tells fans during the show, its expansive setlist reflects her own biography. And  according to musical director Stuart Price , the concert is structured to recount her evolution, “from being a young woman in New York and learning the scene, all the way through to motherhood, spiritual awakenings, and all the ups and downs.”

6. Madge teamed up with an old friend once again

Madonna turned to longtime friend and director Jamie King to help stage the massive spectacle. Their first collab  dates back to the risqué music video for 1995’s Human Nature , where King appeared swinging upside down amidst S&M gear and leather-clad dancers.

And their relationship evolved from front-and-center to behind-the-scenes, as King helped direct her  Drowned ,  Re-Invention ,  Confessions ,  Sweet & Sticky ,  Rebel Heart , and  Madame X  tours, as well as her 2012 Super Bowl halftime show .

7. She’s got a huge entourage following her…

The Celebration Tour is like a full-on Broadway production, and fittingly, it takes a village to put the show on. Each and every city,  Madonna brings  24 onstage performers (plus her own children who take the stage!) and a production crew of 200-plus, including “25 [people] in the costume department alone.”

8. And that’s not the only thing she brings!

If you’re traversing 15 different countries, you want to be comfortable! In addition to lugging along the show’s massive production and crew, Madonna  reportedly brings  three mobile gyms, three physical therapists, and eight humidifiers for her dressing room everywhere she goes.

9. There’s a very good reason she doesn’t have a live band onstage.

A first in Madonna’s career, the Celebration Tour does not feature a dedicated live band on stage. While there are live musicians who perform throughout each act, the concert heavily relies on backing tracks and recorded audio –– and for good reason.

“The original recordings are our stars,” musical director Stuart Price  told  People . “Those things can’t be replicated and can’t be recreated, so we decided just to embrace that.”

10. Madge experimented with some new tech to make tour visuals.

What happens when Madonna doesn’t like the sky? She makes her own. When the queen did not approve of the  “swirling, sunset-tinted” clouds that appeared during La Isla Bonita , her team worked with a rising tech start-up to create their own using a text-to-video A.I. program. According to creative director Sasha Kasiuha, Madonna has always been a strong proponent for “[bringing] in new technology and new kinds of visual elements.”

11. She’s got a very on-the-nose quick-change secret.

How does Madonna stay fresh as she rushes through different eras and iconic costumes? Her own perfume, duh!

According to  People , there’s a bottle of the MDNA Rose Mist spray “in each quick-change space.”

12. The merch pays tribute to her past tours and eras.

Some Celebration Tour merch I’ve picked up from the Vegas shows. @Madonna #MadonnaCelebrationTour pic.twitter.com/FLE6qY6ao2 — Drew S. (@DrewSrivanlop) March 3, 2024

If a gay goes to a concert and doesn’t buy a t-shirt, did they even really go? With that in mind, Madonna and her team crafted nearly 50 merchandise pieces for the tour, including recreations of tees from her  “Like a Virgin,”   “Blond Ambition,”  and  “Who’s That Girl” tours . And, of course,  one that says “Italians Do It Better” as an homage to her Papa Don’t Preach  visual. Look at the material –– literally!

13. You’ll never guess how many costumes Madonna travels with…

Thank you Barcelona 🇪🇸…………… incredible. Energy ⚡️⚡️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/GQpMmlv7uI — Madonna (@Madonna) November 3, 2023

For her expansive wardrobe, Madonna turned to design experts Eyob Yohannes and Rita Melssen, who created and designed nearly all the outfits –– with some help from Versace and, of course, cone-bra genius Jean Paul Gaultier. “We wanted to reference everything that she’s done, and make something new out of that,” Melssen  told  Vogue . “We created a whole new world.”

Even during her triumphant performance of Like a Virgin , Madonna’s style is omnipresent, as all the dancers on stage sport recreated looks from her personal archives. That’s probably why the production lugs around a whopping 45 wardrobe trunks !

14. The setlist isn’t concrete…

The Queen of Pop has typically stayed loyal to the same setlist, but that doesn’t mean she won’t pivot if inspiration strikes. Case-in-point: on her daughter Lourdes Leon’s 27th birthday, she  serenaded her with “Little Star,”  a cover of  Cesária Évora’s “Sodade”  snuck in during her Lisbon shows, and she paid tribute to the city that made her by  singing “I Love New York”  during her Big Apple performances.

15. And “Express Yourself” originally did not make the cut!

You read that right! Express Yourself  might be one of Madge’s most beloved hits, but she didn’t dust off the bop until her 2024 tour dates –– after already hitting countries like Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and two of her New York and D.C. shows.

The track took the spot of I Will Survive , though the moment remains just as powerful as Madonna recontextualizes the top-10 hit on the acoustic guitar.

16. She’s brought out some incredible guests to strike a pose.

Madonna brings Pamela Anderson on stage as a guest judge during “Vogue” in Vancouver, 02/21/2024. How I wish I was there! 🩵 #MadonnaCelebrationTour pic.twitter.com/yV2YxKjMgl — Drew S. (@DrewSrivanlop) February 23, 2024

One of the most iconic traditions to come out of the Celebration Tour happens during the ballroom segment, when Madonna brings a special guest to help judge her dancers’ –– and daughter Estere’s –– best moves. (Spoiler alert: everyone always  deserves  10’s across the board!)

So far, celebs like  Diplo , Julia Fox,  Aquaria , Donatella Versace, Pamela Anderson, Miz Cracker,  Trinity The Tuck , and even Madonna’s private chef have walked the runway!

17. F*ck a start time! Madge is defending her punctuality “vigorously.”

Have you ever heard of “fashionably late”?! In January, two attendees of a December 2023 show in Brooklyn filed a lawsuit against Madonna for “deceptive trade practices” and “false advertisement” after coming on stage  “roughly two hours after the start time listed on their tickets.”

In a statement, the pop star’s team claimed a technical issue delayed the show, adding they “intend to defend this case vigorously.”

18. The tour continues her longtime support for the LGBTQ+ community.

From her dancers, to the costumes, and spirit of her music, Madonna puts the LGBTQ+ community front and center during the Celebration Tour . Still, the most meaningful moment comes during  a rendition of “Live to Tell”  as photos of people she lost to AIDS flash on the screen. As smaller pictures begin to appear, it transforms into a powerful tribute to all those who we’ve lost to the disease.

“Because my show is a retrospective of my journey of the last four decades, told through music, how could I not recognize this incredibly important moment,” the singer explained on Instagram. “Not only in my life, but in so many others.”

19. She pays homage to a performance she thought ruined her career.

In a white wedding dress, Madonna made herstory (and kind of showed her butt) while performing Like a Virgin  at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards. Although the performance is now iconic, Madonna told Jimmy Fallon  that back then, her manager said her “career was over with.”

Fittingly, the Celebration Tour ’s central circular stage, featuring three revolving layers,  is a nod  to the wedding cake prop that she danced around 40 years ago.

20. She’s got a history of subverting norms with her opening acts.

For the tour’s opener (and resident emcee), Madonna recruited the hilarious Bob the Drag Queen, who’s onstage nearly the whole time with seven costume changes of his own. “[She] respects me as an artist,” he  told  Los Angeles Magazine . “I have a point of view and a perspective for what I’m trying to say, and Madonna really sees that, and I appreciate that.”

But the  RuPaul’s Drag Race  winner isn’t the first unconventional artist to kick off a Madonna concert. During the Rebel Heart Tour , she turned to  comedian Amy Schumer  and  the DJ skills of Idris Elba  to warm up the crowds in select cities.

21. Two albums got no representation on the packed setlist.

With decades of hits and only a couple hours, there’s no way Madonna could fit every album or fan favorite into the jam-packed show. Two fan-favorite albums that didn’t nab a spot  in the setlist ? Her eleventh album  Hard Candy (which featured acclaimed bop 4 Minutes ), and 2019’s Latin-trap-infused  Madame X .

22. The stage is divided into five sections: Uptown, Downtown, Midtown, West, and East.

Once a New York girl, always a New York girl!

The Celebration Tour boasts Madonna’s biggest stage yet ––  4,400 square feet  –– with a set of five  metropolitan-inspired  grids that she moves across throughout the show.

23. She hit up one of her tour designers via Instagram DMs.

During her Bedtime Story  performance, Madonna recreates an immersive, multi-dimensional fantasy world reminiscent of its pricey 1995 music video –– and she turned to 27-year-old artist and video game designer Gabriel Massan  for help.

After happening upon a demonstration of one of their video games in London, the singer DMed them on Instagram with an invitation to collaborate. Over 15 days, they built the fantastical universe. “It was really fun,” Massan  told  Art Net .  “She has so much energy and was always thinking about how the work could evolve.”

24. Her opening night was fit for a queen –– literally

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For the tour’s grand opening in London, a giant, Royal Standard flag bearing the cover for Madonna’s 1986 album  True Blue  flew outside of 02 Arena, made by none other than the Royal Family’s flag manufacturers.

“We’ve been manufacturing flags for the Royal Family for over 20 years, but we’ve never made a flag quite like this,” Chris Taylor of Flying Colours  said in a statement . “To have it fly above The 02 every time she takes to the stage for The Celebration Tour  shows will be really something.”

25. The tour celebrates her greatest hits, in every sense of the word.

Yes, Madonna does the hits like Hung Up and Into the Groove and Crazy for You , but the true intent of the tour was always to go deeper than the music, and put on a show that touches on her cultural impact in fashion, art, and politics.

“A greatest hit doesn’t have to be a song,” musical director Stuart Price  told  People . “It can be a wardrobe, it can be a video, or a statement.”

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