The Celebration Tour

Madonna Year(s) 2023-2024 Legs 2 Dates 78

The Celebration Tour is the twelfth concert tour by American recording artist Madonna. Launched as her first retrospective tour, it highlights her more than four decade-long recording career. Visiting Europe and North America, the tour comprises of 78 shows, which began on 14 October 2023 at the O₂ Arena in London, England.

Development

Building off the excitement of week's announcement, Madonna turned directly to her fanbase as she builds out her Celebration Tour setlist, asking her fans "What song would you like to dance to at my show?" on her social platforms. California-born artist Jess Cuevas was in charge of tour's promotional poster.

Stuart Price, a former producer of the singer, informed the BBC that "a greatest hit doesn't have to be a song [...] It can be a wardrobe, it can be a video, or a statement." He went on further to state "many hits will be played in full, some will be interpolated into other songs, and still more will be used as "bridges" between acts." Mark Savage asked if there were comparisons to other tours that utilize different track rotations. Price stated "Madonna's reputation is for being highly precise and highly rehearsed across all departments. When you look at a tour of this scale, it has so many moving parts, so many elements, that everything has to be highly fixed... but there's one thing that's always dynamic, and that's Madonna herself. Her personality is so strong, her interaction with the audience is so strong, that it creates opportunities for variation from night to night."

Postponement

After Madonna developed a "serious bacterial infection" in late June, which led her to a several day stay in Intensive care unit (ICU), she announced the postponement of the initial North American leg via an Instagram post. The rescheduled dates were announced on August 15, 2023.

Speaking about her health struggles in the first show on October 14 in London, she reflected: "I forgot five days of my life, or my death [...] If you want to know my secret, and you want to know how I pull through and how I survive, I thought, 'I've got to be there for my children. I have to survive for them'".

Rehearsals

Rehearsals first began in New York City in April. In early June, the rehearsals moved to the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale but were temporarily stopped during Madonna's stay at the ICU at the end of the month and during her recovery. The rehearsals then restarted in mid August at the same venue. In early October, the team moved to Manchester to rehearse at the AO Arena. She made a total six weeks of rehearsals after her return from hospital. Stage director, Ric Lipson from Stufish, commented: "Madonna rehearses unlike most artists [...] Other artists, their dancers go and build the show somewhere and they come in a few weeks later".

Production

Madonna's crew onstage performers include some of her children, including David Banda playing the guitar and Mercy James in the piano.

Madonna enlisted Lewis James as the creative director and Jamie King. She collaborated closely with them, with James saying she "is extremely involved in the process, which is amazing. She has a lot of conviction in her ideas, and she knows what she wants". The Celebration Tour boasts a crew of 24 onstage performers, including some Madonna's children, and additional 175 crew members accompanied her, including 25 people working in the costume department.

London-based entertainment architecture company Stufish, designed the stage headed by Ric Lipson. Madonna also closely collaborated with the company. Lipson stated the stage was designed to create a vast network of "on-stage runways that allowed her to get up close and personal with nearly every section of the arena", and unlike her previous tours, it focused more on staging, lighting and photography.

Rolling Stone UK described the tour as a "masterclass in arena production". According to Thomas H Green from The Arts Desk, "It is spectacle on the very grandest scale" and a "biographical concept album as dance theatre".

Stage and lighting

The design of the stage evokes her historical wedding cake setup from the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards and Manhattan neighborhoods (where Madonna kickstarted her career in the early 1980s). It is a three-layered circular stage combined with a 230 m (750 ft) length of catwalk, as well as the shape of a clock, nodding to the element of time. With 4,400 square feet on stage, it is the largest square footage of any Madonna tour ever.

The production included various stage elements, including a circular lighting rig, a giant disco ball, a spinning carousel, a giant cube and several hanging retractable screens

The production equipment has 80 tons, and consists of 3700 amps of show power, 600 intelligent lights to illuminate the stage and 14 spotlights for the singer, as well 3600 square feet of LEDs to give a complete imagery to the show.

One of the stage’s most important props is a circular lighting rig, and an illuminated portal frame, designed to act like a time machine looking into the past, present and future where Madonna is lifted 9 m (30 ft) off the ground, and move at 4.5 m (15 ft) per second. It is also used by some of her children, including David Banda.

Other stage elements include a giant disco ball, a giant video cube, several laser turnbuckles emulating a boxing ring and a spinning carousel-like glass-architectures with large crucifixes. Described as a "city of portraits", the show have also several hanging retractable screens (which evokes the Who’s That Girl World Tour), and used the most amount of video ever in her tours. Speaking about the screens that came out constantly with projections on, according to Lipson, it allows singer's image and "key motifs" of her career to be "displayed to the entire crowd throughout the show".

Music

Price became assigned as musical director for the tour following a call with Madonna congratulating her on the announcement of the tour. Although some of her children play instruments, for the first time in her touring career, there was no live band, which according to Price, the reason is "to let the original recordings shine". He also stated "There's a couple of spoken word sections in the show where we just use track. But it's all live vocals".

The Celebration Tour is designed as a retrospective across Madonna's recording career of over 40 years. It featured numerous of her songs that had not been performed live in decades, including "Justify My Love" (since The Girlie Show), “Bad Girl” (since Saturday Night Live), Erotica" (since The Confessions Tour with original song lyrics and production), and "Rain" (since the Girlie Show) “Bedtime Story" since 1995, as well "Nothing Really Matters" since 1999, "Die Another Day and "Mother and Father" both since 2004 and "Live to Tell" since 2006.

Upon the announcement, various publications elaborated their dream set list, including Rolling Stone, Consequence and Variety. On January 18, 2023, Billboard dedicated a list of potential songs across the four decades they would like to hear, as well as creating a poll for fans to comment on what song they would like to see be performed. On January 20, 2023, the poll showed the 1987 single "Causing a Commotion" as the leading contender.

Fashion

Initially, media reported costume designer Guram Gvasalia from Vetements was enlisted to be the costume director. In early April 2023, Madonna showcased her costume archives on Instagram ahead of the tour. She enlisted creative duo designers Yohannes and Rita Melssen. The costume duo created and designed almost all outfits paying tribute to her four decades of fashion; they began their research by looking at Madonna's polaroids and performances from her beginnings, commenting "we wanted to reference everything that she's done, and make something new out of that [...] We created a whole new world". According to Yohannes and Melssen:

She is involved in every single process of the costume design. She looks at all the fabrics, sketches, and buttons. She cares about who the characters are, and the clothes telling that story.

The tour also included designs of Dilara Fındıkoğlu, Almarow, Ruslan Baginskiy, Rosamario, Miu Miu, Víctor Barragán, Vetements, a catsuit by Donatella Versace and Jean Paul Gaultier whom created a brand new version of her cone bra made famous during the Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990, a black cone mini dress encrusted with black crystals. She also wore a halo-style headpiece by House of Malakai with a kimono by Eyob Yohannes. Having 45 wardrobe trunks, tour's wardrobe included hats and 45 pairs of boxing gloves.

Derrick Bryson Taylor and Ben Sisario from The New York Times described the new costumes as "sexy, religious and futuristic". Harper's Bazaar's Jessica Davis similarly commented she has showcasing "some incredible designer looks on stage". Christian Allaire from Vogue described them as "epic" outfits.

Synopsis

The Celebration Tour is a two-hour-plus set with multiple-costume-change and more than 30 songs. The show was separated into five different sections: Uptown, Downtown, Midtown, East and West "grids". According to tour creative director Lewis James, the stage and show also serves as an archive of her life, celebrating her fans, and is a "continuation of her legacy" more than just a biography.

Through the concert, Bob the Drag Queen serves as an emcee, appearing during different moments of the show interacting with the singer, often dressed as Marie Antoinette (resembling Madonna's "Vogue" 1990 MTV Video Music Awards performance). During segments of the show, dancers appear wearing recreations of 17 outfits originally wore by Madonna, representing many of her reinventions.

The concert starts with the Shep’s Deeper Dub mix of Deeper and Deeper briefly play as Bob the Drag Queen (donning Madonna's costume from the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards) interacts with the audience while making his way to the stage. Upon reaching the stage, Bob declares that "It's Showtime!" as a spotlight shines on him and the lights of the arena turn off. The intro of "Lucky Star" plays, followed by the Benny Benassi remix of "Celebration" and then "Material Girl", as Bob starts to talk about Madonna's beginnings from 1979 with clips from Madonna's music videos and previous content play on the video screens. Afterwards, Bob declares that "This isn't just a show, this isn't just a concert, this isn't just a party. It's a Celebration, bitches!" as he is lowered from the stage and the white video screen rolls up. White lights emit the stage as Madonna appears on the main stage dressed in a black kimono and a celestial headdress as she performs "Nothing Really Matters". The song's arrangement consists of a mix between the album version and the Club 69 mix. After singing the first chorus of the song, the cameras pan on Madonna's right hand which shows the OM symbol. During the second chorus, the stage rotates counterclockwise referencing a clock traveling back in time. Madonna finishes the song by singing the last part of the bridge "In your arms" four times symbolizing four decades of her career.

Madonna leaves the stage for a quick costume change as a short intermission taking the audience back to 1982 with collages of Madonna from her beginnings from the Lower East Side are shown on the screen accompanied by dancers dressed in punk clothing from the 80's, a vocal sample of "Where's The Party" and Bob the Drag Queen's voice acting as an emcee for the Danceteria playing in the background. Madonna returns to the stage dressed in a punk style corset and a coat with chains to sing her debut single "Everybody" and "Into The Groove" with elements from "Into The Hollywood Groove". Madonna then makes it to the runway and talks about her beginnings coming to New York City with $35 in her pocket and a dream. She is accompanied by a dancer in a latex mask dressed as her from the 80's as she then performs the demo version of "Burning Up" with her electric guitar. During the New York stops, Madonna performs "I Love New York" over the Burning Up instrumental before performing the latter. Several video screens lower down showing the Tamara de Lempicka painting "Andromeda" (that Madonna owns) and various other marquees as Madonna takes her coat off, runs to the runway, sits on a chair and sings "Open Your Heart" accompanied by three dancers. Throughout the song, Madonna references the song's music video and several male and androgynous paintings by Tamara de Lempicka are shown on the video screens. The dancers including Bob The Drag Queen (dressed as a doorman) returned to the stage re-enacting a club as he lets the dancers in except Madonna. Madonna and the dancers then put on black overcoats as they performed "Holiday" along with excerpts from "I Want Your Love" by Chic while a giant disco ball appears on stage. At the end of the song, one dancer falls unconscious and pretends to die on stage as Madonna takes her coat off and covers the dancer with it. She and the dancer gets lowered on the stage and the first few lines from "In This Life" plays in the background followed by "Live To Tell".

Madonna returns to the stage to perform the song while she is strapped onto a giant frame symbolizing a time machine travels to every part of the stage. The video screens lower down displaying pictures of several of Madonna's friends and various queer individuals who died of AIDS including her best friend Martin Burgoyne (who In This Life was written about), her dance teacher Christopher Flynn, former Blonde Ambition Tour dancer Gabriel Trupin, and icons such as Keith Haring and Freddie Mercury of Queen. The time machine lowers down to the stage as elements of the intro of the MDNA Tour play including Gregorian chants. The dancers dressed in black hooded robes then dress Madonna in the same hooded robe from the Blonde Ambition Tour as they hold alter sensers while traveling to the main stage that transformed into a carousel full of topless dancers in black balaclava masks. An excerpt from Sam Smith's song "Unholy" and Madonna's own song "Girl Gone Wild" plays as the latter performs "Like A Prayer" combining elements from it's extended version, the Act of Contrition and Girl Gone Wild. As Madonna leaves the stage for a costume change, her son David (dressed as Prince) appears to finish the song with an electric guitar solo of the Act of Contrition and Prince's own "I Would Die 4 You".

The next act consists of an interlude called "The Sacrifice" consists of the Offer Nissim Promo remix of Living For Love from the Rebel Heart Tour and various other 2015 performances play in the background with four dancers doing a choreographed performance similar to the “Breathwork” performance from The Madame X Tour. A video interlude called "Erotic" shows Bob The Drag Queen doing a monologue with the 12" mix of "Fever" plays in the background. After the video, the stage turned into several boxing rings and excerpts from "Justify My Love" plays as Madonna returns on stage with several male dancers to perform the original version of "Erotica" dressed in a black boxing robe and a pair of long lace up boots from The Sticky and Sweet Tour referencing the boxing motif from The Girlie Show. During the song, Madonna also sings the chorus from its original demo for the first time since its performance in The Confession Tour. The song ends with an extended sample of "Papa Don't Preach" playing over the drums of "Erotica" as a dancer dressed in Madonna's gold Jean Paul Gaultier corset from the Blonde Ambition Tour masturbates on stage on the red velvet bed from that same tour. After removing the robe revealing a red slip dress, Madonna and the dancer perform a routine referencing the Papa Don't Preach performance from the Blonde Ambition Tour as they masturbate and lay on the red bed. Afterwards, Madonna leaves the bed and joins several dancers in flesh toned underwear performing a mashup of Justify My Love and the instrumental of Kehlani's "Gangsta" (from Madonna's collaboration with Vogue called "The Enlightenment") while doing a choreography inspired by Busby Berkeley. Afterwards, Madonna sings an excerpt of "Fever" which ends with a cellphone ringtone playing the chorus of "La Isla Bonita". A dancer gives Madonna a flip phone. Madonna opens the phone as Tokischa appears on the background with her saying that she loves the drama. Madonna then performs "Hung Up On Tokischa" which eventually transitions to "Hung Up". Hung Up was performed with parts of it's original choreography from 2006. It is accompanied by the disco ball and pink lights as a reference to Madonna's previous performances from that era and the Confessions Tour. It ends with Madonna and her dancers being covered by a large black lace veil. The latter's daughter Mercy James appears on stage along with a piano as she plays "Le Regret Op 332" which transitions to "Bad Girl", making the song's first appearance since Saturday Night Live back in 1993.

The next act is called "Ballroom" as it opens with Madonna's daughter and one of the twins Estere on the carousel playing "Up Down Suite" along with excerpts from the David Morales mix of "Deeper and Deeper", MikeEQ's track "Let It All Out", the samples from "Love Break (Ohhh I Love It)" that was used in "Vogue" and the Queens Mix of Beyonce's "Break My Soul" before transitioning to an extended intro for Vogue. The dancers appear in several extravagant costumes for each category for the ballroom including a recreation of a Thierry Mugler Haute Couture outfit from 1997. During the long intro, samples of "Walk For Me" and excerpts of the Queens Mix of Break My Soul play and Bob The Drag Queen returns to the stage to recite Big Freedia's excerpts from the latter sample, Madonna then returns to the stage to perform Vogue dressed in a new Jean Paul Gaultier conical corset with a matching cut out blazer. After performing the first chorus, Madonna makes it to the runway and takes off her jacket to reveal the corset and performs the rap section before sitting down with a member of the audience to re-enact a Ballroom scene as both Madonna and the guest act as judges. After Vogue, dancers acting like bondage style Policemen show up and arrest Madonna as she performs a short version of "Human Nature" while being strapped onto several leather straps and belts. After she sing the line "I didn't know I couldn't talk about sex", a dancer punches her as another dancer dressed as Madonna's character from the Human Nature video appeared to fight the policemen off. Later, Madonna sings a short version of "Crazy For You" which ends with the line "Absolutely No Regrets!" from the music video of Human Nature. Madonna then lights a match and throws it on the main stage as it is set ablaze for the next intermission.

The next intermission consists of the return of "The Beast Within" since it's appearance on "The Reinvention Tour" in 2004, which also brings back the visuals from the "X-Static Process" by Steven Klein that was used as a video introduction from that same tour accompanied by dancers dressed in burkas and war clothing referencing the performance of "American Life" and The Beast Within's performance from "The Girlie Show". It ends with one dancer left alone on stage and he is lowered down through the lifts. The video screens show a quote by G.I Gurdjieff as Madonna returns to the stage to perform "Die Another Day" (for the first time since 2004 and 2012) dressed in a leather western trench coat and cowboy hat while the Tree of Life symbol appears on the video screens. A clip of several horses running in the sunset appear as Madonna performs "Don't Tell Me" with it's original choreography accompanied by several dancers dressed in Western costumes, her son David and one of the twins Stella and Bob The Drag Queen. For "Mother and Father", the video screens show several pictures of Madonna's late mother "Madonna Fortin Ciccone", Madonna's father "Silvio Ciccone" and the biological parents of Madonna's adopted children. The song was accompanied by a cello player and Madonna's own son David on guitar. During the rap section, Madonna ends it with a scream. Madonna then makes it to the runway and does a speech for the audience before getting a guitar to sing a short acapella of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" and transitioning to "La Isla Bonita". During one of her speeches, Madonna talked about her near death experience in the ICU. Another speech in one of the shows, Madonna talked about the death of her eldest brother Anthony. During later shows, Madonna performs an acoustic version of “Express Yourself” on the guitar. During the show in St. Paul Minnesota, she pays tribute to Prince by covering his song “Kiss”. During one of the shows in Inglewood, Madonna brought Australian pop singe Kylie Minogue on stage to perform “I Will Survive” and a short a cappella version of Kylie’s signature song “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”.

For La Isla Bonita, Madonna performs it along with the cello player and her son David on guitar being strapped onto the time machine while pictures of several icons such as Frida Kahlo, Che Guevara, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, Nina Simone, James Baldwin, Martha Graham, Sinead O' Connor, David Bowie and Marlon Brando and several others appeared on the screens. She then wears the Pride flag and sings a short acapella of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" next to a dancer dressed as a mix between Madonna's character from the "American Life" video and Charlotte Rampling's character Lucia from The Night Porter while the latter turns back to show the sign "No Fear" written in the back of the dancer.

The next act opens with a video interlude showing several news clips and additional content from Madonna's career and the controversies surrounding her plays in the background as a mash between Vogue and the Honey Dijon remix of “I Don't Search I Find" soundtracks the video. Bob The Drag Queen returns to perform the entire interlude. It ends with one line from Madonna's speech from the Billboard Music Awards back in 2016 "The most controversial thing I have ever done is to stick around" before it fades out. Madonna then returns on stage to perform a modified arrangement of "Bedtime Story" (complete with arpeggios, chopped up and reverbed samples and vocoders) dressed in a mirrored catsuit and a straight long wig. Madonna enters on the C-stage as the stage lifts transform into a giant cube showing psychedelic sceneries and an avatar of Madonna singing the song. The time machine then flies to Madonna's direction as the song transitions to the Junior's Sound Factory Mix and eventually the Sasha Ultra Violet mix of "Ray Of Light". Madonna then performs the latter while strapped onto the time machine. The latter's arrangement consists of the Sasha Ultra Violet Mix combined with elements from the original recording. The time machine lowers down as several splices from the "Frozen" music video play in the background. Madonna then performs a modified version of the original recording of "Rain" while she dons the large parachute coat from the "Sticky and Sweet Tour". During the shows in Toronto and Detroit, Rain was replaced by a new arrangement of "Frozen" which contains both elements of the original recording and the Sickick remix. While “Take A Bow” was performed during the show in St. Paul Minnesota using an arrangement similar to the one from The Rebel Heart Tour.

The final act symbolizes the present which opens with a dancer dressed as Michael Jackson appeared along with another dancer dressed as Madonna's 1984 Video Music Awards look to perform Michael's songs "Billie Jean", "Smooth Criminal", "Dangerous", "You Rock My World" and "The Way You Make Me Feel" and then using excerpts from Madonna's own "Express Yourself", "She's Not Me" and "Celebration" as it transitions to "Like A Virgin". As a silhouette of Madonna and Michael appeared on the large white screen and several pictures of them appeared on the video screens. Excerpts of "Gimme All Your Luvin'" play as several dancers dressed in Madonna's iconic looks took the stage. Madonna appears on stage in another corset and a white veil as she performs "Bitch I'm Madonna" along with Bob The Drag Queen returning as Madonna's 1990 Video Music Awards look. In the bridge, a clip of Nicki Minaj performing her lines appeared on the screens along with watercolor paintings of Madonna's imagery. Madonna, Bob and the dancers make it to the main stage. The final song for the evening is a reprise of the Benny Benassi remix of "Celebration" accompanied by excerpts of "Music" and "Bitch I'm Madonna" as Madonna thanks Bob The Drag Queen for emceeing the evening. Madonna ends the show wrapping herself in her white veil as she is lowered down the stage as the lights go out. After a few seconds, the arena's lights turn back on.

Set list

1. "It's a Celebration" (Bob the Drag Queen intro, preceded by "Deeper and Deeper (Shep's Deeper Dub)" accompanied by elements from "Lucky Star", "Celebration (Benny Benassi Remix)" and Material Girl, along with excerpts from "Express Yourself", "Vogue", and "Bitch I'm Madonna")
2. "Nothing Really Matters" (With elements from the "Club 69 Remix")
3. "Everybody" (With elements from "Where's the Party")
4. "Into the Groove" (With excerpts from "Into the Hollywood Groove")
5. "Burning Up" (With elements from the 1981 demo)
6. "Open Your Heart"
7. "Holiday" (With elements from "I Want Your Love" by Chic) / "In This Life" (Interlude)
8. "Live to Tell"
9. "The Ritual" (Interlude, with elements from the MDNA Tour intro and "Birjina Gaztetto Bat Zegoen")
10. "Like a Prayer" (With elements from "Unholy" by Sam Smith and Kim Petras, "Girl Gone Wild" and "Act of Contrition")
11. "Living for Love" (Offer Nissim Remix, dance interlude with elements from "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince)
12. "The 90s" (Video interlude, with elements from the 12" mix of "Fever")
13. "Erotica" (With elements from "Justify My Love," "Erotica (Final Demo 2)" and "Papa Don't Preach")
14. "Justify My Love" (With elements from "Gangsta" by Kehlani) / "Fever" (Snippet)
15. "Hung Up On Tokischa / Hung Up" (contains a snippet of "La Isla Bonita")
16. "Bad Girl" (With Mercy James on piano, preceded by a piano solo of "Le Regret, Op. 332")
17. "Vogue" (With elements of "Up Down Suite," "Deeper and Deeper," "BREAK MY SOUL (THE QUEENS REMIX)" by Beyoncé and Madonna, “Everybody Everybody” by Black Box, “Let It All Out 2012" by MikeQ and "Walk 4 Me" by Robbie Tronco)
18. "Human Nature" / "Crazy for You"
19. "The Beast Within" (Video interlude, with elements from the Re-Invention World Tour backdrop)
20. "Die Another Day"
21. "Don't Tell Me" (With elements from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly")
22. "Mother and Father"
23. "I Will Survive" / "La Isla Bonita" / "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (Acoustic medley)
24. "I Don't Search I Find" (Bob The Drag Queen solo) (Honey Dijon Remix) (Video interlude) (contains the drums from "Vogue")
25. "Bedtime Story" (With elements from "Junior's Sound Factory Remix") / "Ray of Light" (Sasha Ultra Violet Remix)
26. "Rain" / (replaced by "Frozen" (contains elements of the Sickick Remix - only performed in Toronto and Detroit) and eventually "Take A Bow")
27. "Like a Virgin / Billie Jean" (Video interlude, with elements from "Express Yourself," “Celebration”, “She’s Not Me”, "Smooth Criminal," "Dangerous," "You Rock My World" and "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson, and "Angel")
28. "Bitch I'm Madonna" (With elements from "Give Me All Your Luvin'")
29. "Celebration" (Benni Benassi Remix, with elements from "Music" and "Bitch I'm Madonna," outro)

Notes

• An a cappella snippet of "Little Star" dedicated to Lourdes Leon was performed on the first London show, before the acoustic medley.
• The "Like a Virgin / Billie Jean" interlude, "Bitch I'm Madonna" and "Celebration" were not performed on the second London show due to venue curfew restrictions and Madonna being late to start.
• An a cappella snippet of "Causing a Commotion" is performed on selected shows. So far, it's been performed in
  • the second Antwerp show
  • Cologne
  • the second Amsterdam show
  • the fifth and sixth London shows
  • the second and third New York City shows
  • Washington DC
  • Boston
  • Toronto
  • Detroit
  • the fifth New York City show
  • Philadelphia
  • the second Chicago show
  • the first Seattle show
  • Vancouver
  • Sacramento
  • the second San Francisco show
  • the first three Inglewood shows
• "Sôdade" by Cesária Évora was included in the acoustic medley in Lisbon, before "I Will Survive."
• "Burning Up" was mashed with "I Love New York" in New York City.
• An a cappella snippet of "This Little Light of Mine" was performed on the first Boston show and in Vancouver, before the acoustic medley.
• Starting from the first concert in Boston, "I Will Survive" was replaced by "Express Yourself," except during the sixth New York City show and the third Inglewood show.
• "Rain" was replaced by "Frozen" in Toronto and Detroit.
• Tokischa joined Madonna on stage to perform "Hung Up" on the sixth New York City show.
• An a cappella snippet of "This Used to Be My Playground" was performed on the second Chicago show, before the acoustic medley.
• An acoustic version of "Kiss" by Prince was performed in Saint Paul, between "Express Yourself" and "La Isla Bonita"
• Starting from the Saint Paul show, "Rain" was replaced by "Take a Bow."
• An a cappella snippet of "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X was performed on the second San Francisco show, before "Burning Up."
• Madonna was joined by Kylie Minogue on stage to perform "I Will Survive" and "Can't Get You Out of My Head" on the third Inglewood show.
  

Recurring References

Madonna made several references and brought several costumes and props back from her past tours and videos throughout the entire show.

• The Red Velvet bed from the Blonde Ambition Tour during Like A Virgin
• The sheer black hooded robe from the Blonde Ambition Tour during Papa Don't Preach
• The censers from the MDNA Tour during it's introduction
• The Disco Ball from The Girlie Show during Express Yourself
• The Boxing Motif from The Girlie Show during Erotica
• The Papa Don't Preach choreo from the Blonde Ambition Tour during the latter.
• The Masturbation scene from the Blonde Ambition Tour during Like A Virgin
• The Beast Within performance and visuals from both The Girlie Show and The Reinvention Tour
• The Hung Up choreography from the Confessions Tour during the latter
• The OM symbol on Madonna's hand from the Frozen video
• The Church bells from the MDNA Tour intro mixed with Birjina Gaztetto Bat Zegoen from the Enlightenment for Vogue Magazine.