After months of eager anticipation and buzz, cultural trailblazer and undisputed Queen of Pop Madonna kicked off her massive The Celebration World Tour at London’s The O2 over the weekend with two electrifying sold-out performances.
Madonna @ The O2 - 2023-10-14 (Kevin Mazur)
In a rare reflection of her unparalleled career, Madonna took the captivated audience on an emotional journey through some of her biggest hits, including songs she hasn’t performed on stage in decades.
With nods to her beginnings as a struggling artist living in New York City, her meteoric rise to fame and success and through personal and professional lows to spiritual awakening, the show captures Madonna’s past while looking to the future.
Directed by her long-time collaborator Jamie King and featuring musical direction by Stuart Price, memorable tracks included Nothing Really Matters, Open Your Heart, Like A Prayer, Into The Groove and Crazy For You alongside a tribute to the King (to Madonna’s Queen) of Pop’s, Michael Jackson, which saw Madonna mash-up global smashes Like A Virgin and Billie Jean.
Madonna is renowned for her ground-breaking tours and The Celebration Tour is no different. True to form and her distinctive style, the best-selling female artist of all time leaves no detail overlooked. This non-stop, fearless performance features mesmerising choreography, bold costumes and her most elaborate stage to date designed by Stufish.
Check out some live clips from the debut show below:
The colossal 78-date tour, produced by Live Nation, will move across Europe before landing in Madonna’s adopted hometown of New York City in December to begin the North American leg. The celebration will then sweep across the US and Canada throughout the spring of 2024; concluding with four sold-out shows in Mexico City in April 2024.
The Queen is in residence (as marked by a Royal Standard flag flying in Madonna’s honour at The O2 to mark the arrival and duration of her accompanying shows)…. and this calls for a celebration!
Photos of Madonna’s debut show from The Celebration Tour at London’s O2 Arena courtesy of Kevin Mazur / WireImage for Live Nation.
Madonna played:
Celebration Intro/Nothing Really Matters
Everybody
Into The Groove
Burning Up
Open Your Heart
Holiday
Live To Tell
Like A Prayer
Act of Living For Love/The 90’s (Interlude)
Erotica/Papa Don’t Preach
Justify My Love/Fever
Hung Up On Tokischa
Bad Girl
Vogue (Estere’s Ball)
Human Nature/Crazy For You
The Beast Within (Interlude)
Die Another Day
Don’t Tell Me
Mother And Father
Survive/La Isla Bonita/Argentina
I Don’t Search I Find (Interlude)
Bedtime Story
Ray of Light
Rain
Billie Jean vs. Like A Virgin
GMAYL/Bitch I’m Madonna
A full list of Madonna’s UK & European tour dates are listed below:
OCTOBER
14th – London, UK – The O2
15th – London, UK – The O2
17th – London, UK – The O2
18th – London, UK – The O2
21st – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis
22nd – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis
25th – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena
26th – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena
28th – Stockholm, SE – Tele2 Arena
NOVEMBER
1st – Barcelona, ES – Palau Sant Jordi
2nd – Barcelona, ES – Palau Sant Jordi
6th – Lisbon, PT – Altice Arena
7th – Lisbon, PT – Altice Arena
12th – Paris, FR – Accor Arena
13th – Paris, FR – Accor Arena
15th – Cologne, DE – Lanxess Arena
16th – Cologne, DE – Lanxess Arena
19th – Paris, FR – Accor Arena
20th – Paris, FR – Accor Arena
23rd – Milan, IT – Mediolanum Forum
25th – Milan, IT – Mediolanum Forum
28th – Berlin, DE – Mercedes-Benz Arena
29th – Berlin, DE – Mercedes-Benz Arena
DECEMBER
1st – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome
2nd – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome
5th – London, UK – The O2
6th – London, UK – The O2
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