Madonna, a cultural icon commuted on the tube to arrive at North Greenwich for London’s The O2 Arena, to wrap the sold-out European leg of her critically praised The Celebration Tour.
The continent was brought to a standstill as the tour, spanning eleven countries and twenty-eight shows, delivered an unparalleled experience of powerful presence, infectious energy, and a mesmerizing production. Launching this past October in London with the first of six sold out shows at The O2, The Celebration Tour, a testament to Madonna's groundbreaking legacy, spared no detail.
The best-selling female artist of all time delivered a non-stop, fearless performance featuring captivating choreography, bold costumes, and her most elaborate stage to date, masterfully designed by Stufish. Reflecting on her extraordinary career, Madonna took the enraptured audience on an emotional odyssey through her greatest hits, including songs not performed for decades.
From her struggling artist days in New York City to meteoric success, personal and professional lows, and spiritual awakening, the show encapsulated Madonna's past while embracing the future. Directed for the stage by longtime collaborator Jamie King and musically orchestrated by Stuart Price, the setlist featured iconic tracks like "Nothing Really Matters," "Open Your Heart," "Like A Prayer," "Into The Groove," and "Crazy For You." Madonna has also been joined by various special guest judges during “Vogue” including Debi Mazar, Donatella Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, Diplo and FKA Twigs, to name a few.
The Celebration Tour, spanning four decades of unstoppable hits, featured twenty onstage performers on a colossal 4,400 square ft. stage—the largest in Madonna's touring history. The stage, inspired by the Manhattan grid, showcased Uptown, Downtown, Midtown, East, and West stages, with a unique three-layered circular stage reminiscent of Madonna's original VMA performance wedding cake.
Backstage and behind the curtain were three traveling mobile gyms, forty-five wardrobe trunks, three physical therapists, and forty pairs of boxing gloves. The production boasted fourteen spotlights for Madonna, over six-hundred intelligent lights illuminating the stage, 8800 lighting cues, 80 tons of production equipment, and a traveling crew of 200+. Notably, the costume department alone comprised 25 crew members, showcasing the scale of the production.
The 79-date tour, produced by Live Nation, now heads to Madonna's adopted hometown of New York City in December, commencing the North American leg. The celebration will continue across the U.S. and Canada throughout spring 2024, concluding with four sold-out show and a 5th & final date added due to demand in Mexico City next April. The full tour routing is detailed below.
