Madonna: The Celebration Tour
# Madonna: The Celebration Tour

Madonna: The Celebration Tour is the upcoming twelfth concert tour by American singer Madonna, visiting cities in North America and Europe anticipating 84 shows. The tour is scheduled to start on October 14, 2023, at The $O_2$ Arena in London, England, and it is set to conclude on January 30, 2024, at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, Mexico. As Madonna's first retrospective tour, it highlights her more than four decade-long recording career.

The tour was announced on social media on January 17, 2023, after major speculation. To accompany its announcement, Madonna shared a truth or dare inspired, star-studded promo video featuring industry colleagues Diplo, Judd Apatow, Jack Black, Lil Wayne, Bob the Drag Queen, Kate Berlant, Larry Owens, Megan Stalter, Eric André, and Amy Schumer. A Live Nation pre-sale took place on January 19 at 10:00 a.m. local, prior to the public on-sale beginning January 20 via Ticketmaster.

After Madonna developed a "serious bacterial infection" in late June, which led her to a several day stay in ICU, she announced the postponement of the North American leg via an Instagram post.

## Background and development

Earliest speculations of a Madonna tour started after the release of her remix/compilation album Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones, when outlets in Latin America reported a Madonna reservation of Estadio Centenario in Uruguay in October 2022. On January 4, 2023, British tabloid The Sun and other media outlets started reporting about a rumored tour celebrating her 40-plus recording career. Rumors were fueled after Madonna wiped or hid her Instagram posts on January 16. The tour was formally announced on January 17 on Madonna's official website and social media channels. In her statement, Madonna said: "I am excited to explore as many songs as possible, in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for". On January 24, Variety reported that as a result of the development and production of the show, Madonna's biopic, which she was directing and co-writing, had been shelved.

The Celebration Tour marks two unprecedented facts in Madonna's career: the first is that this is her first time touring without promoting a specific studio album; the second is that the tour set list will exclusively focus on her greatest hits. BBC music correspondent Mark Savage suggested that her Re-Invention World Tour was her closest or first formal greatest hits tour, claiming that the set list largely ignored her then-current album, American Life — although six of the album's 11 tracks were performed nightly.

## Set list

Upon the announcement, 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. Publications such as Rolling Stone, Consequence and Variety also elaborated their dream setlist.

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.

## Commercial performance

### Presale

Originally a 35-date tour following the initial announcement, several new dates were added due to overwhelming demand on January 19, with second shows in Seattle, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas along with a third show in New York City. A second date was also added in London. On the same day, more than 90% of hotels around London's O2 Arena were booked up for Madonna's concerts.

### General sale

On the day of the general sale, January 20, additional second dates were added in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona and Milan, along with a third date in Paris and two extra dates in London due to popular demand. Over 200,000 fans queued to buy tickets for the London dates, and nearly 30,000 people were waiting in the digital queue in Netherlands according to Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANP). Ticketmaster's website in Spain crashed for moments. According to Billboard, over 600,000 tickets were sold that day. Despite numerous reports that tickets for the tour were some of the most expensive ever for any artist, shows across North America and Europe experienced "extraordinary demand" and sold out in record time, prompting Madonna's team to add several new dates in both continents. On that date, the first three New York City shows sold out under 15 minutes, the first two London dates within 20 minutes, Paris shows under seven minutes, and her Amsterdam date sold out in 10 minutes.

On January 23, second dates in Copenhagen, Cologne and Berlin were announced. On the same day, a second show was added in Lisbon due to very high demand despite tickets for the show being the most expensive for any concert tour in Portugal's history. Around the same time, Madonna herself posted a short video on her official platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, thanking her fans for their "love and support".

On January 26, after the four shows in London had sold out, a fifth concert, to be held at the $O_2$ Arena in December 2023, was announced due to "sensational demand" for tickets by British fans. Later that day, due to continued demand new dates were also added in Brooklyn and Inglewood bringing the total number of shows in each of New York City and Greater Los Angeles to six. On the following day, a fourth and final concert in Paris was announced as well. On January 30, due to continued "extraordinary demand", a sixth show at the $O_2$ Arena in London, to be held on 6 December 2023, was announced.

On March 27, 2023, due to continued "overwhelming demand", eight additional shows were added in the United States (billed as the last ones to be held in the country for the tour), including second dates in Phoenix and Washington, D.C., and third shows in San Francisco and Las Vegas. First shows in Nashville, Palm Springs, Sacramento, and Philadelphia were announced as well. The addition of the show in Nashville was in reaction to Tennessee Senate Bill 3 and to "over 100 anti-LGBTQ+ bills currently before state legislatures" in the United States. Calling the oppression of LGBTQ+ people "unacceptable and inhumane", the artist vowed to donate portion of the proceeds from the Nashville show to trans rights organizations.

After anticipation in the Mexican press, the first show in Mexico City was officially confirmed on April 17, 2023. This show would be held on January 25, 2024 at the Palacio de los Deportes. On April 21, 2023, a second date was announced after the first show sold out in minutes. The second show, to be held on January 27, 2024, also sold out within minutes of going on general sale, leading to the addition of a third date at the venue. Due to "overwhelming demand", a fourth date to be held on January 30, 2024, was revealed on May 4, 2023. On June 30, Billboard reported approximately 1.2 million tickets have been sold from the tour.

## Tour dates

List of European concerts :

| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening act | Attendance | Revenue |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| October 14, 2023 | London | England | The $O_2$ Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| October 15, 2023 | London | England | The $O_2$ Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| October 17, 2023 | London | England | The $O_2$ Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| October 18, 2023 | London | England | The $O_2$ Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| October 21, 2023 | Antwerp | Belgium | Sportpaleis | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| October 22, 2023 | Antwerp | Belgium | Sportpaleis | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| October 25, 2023 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Royal Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| October 26, 2023 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Royal Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| October 28, 2023 | Stockholm | Sweden | Tele2 Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 1, 2023 | Barcelona | Spain | Palau Sant Jordi | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 2, 2023 | Barcelona | Spain | Palau Sant Jordi | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 6, 2023 | Lisbon | Portugal | Altice Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 7, 2023 | Lisbon | Portugal | Altice Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 12, 2023 | Paris | France | Accor Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 13, 2023 | Paris | France | Accor Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 15, 2023 | Cologne | Germany | Lanxess Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 16, 2023 | Cologne | Germany | Lanxess Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 19, 2023 | Paris | France | Accor Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 20, 2023 | Paris | France | Accor Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 23, 2023 | Milan | Italy | Mediolanum Forum | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 25, 2023 | Milan | Italy | Mediolanum Forum | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 28, 2023 | Berlin | Germany | Mercedes-Benz Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| November 29, 2023 | Berlin | Germany | Mercedes-Benz Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| December 1, 2023 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Ziggo Dome | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| December 2, 2023 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Ziggo Dome | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| December 5, 2023 | London | England | The $O_2$ Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| December 6, 2023 | London | England | The $O_2$ Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |

List of North American concerts :

| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening act | Attendance | Revenue |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| December 13, 2023 | New York City | United States | Barclays Center | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| December 14, 2023 | New York City | United States | Barclays Center | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| December 18, 2023 | Washington, D.C. | United States | Capital One Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| December 20, 2023 | Philadelphia | United States | Wells Fargo Center | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| December 22, 2023 | Nashville | United States | Bridgestone Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| January 7, 2024 | Inglewood | United States | Kia Forum | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| January 8, 2024 | Inglewood | United States | Kia Forum | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| January 11, 2024 | Thousand Palms | United States | Acrisure Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| January 13, 2024 | Sacramento | United States | Golden 1 Center | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| January 15, 2024 | San Francisco | United States | Chase Center | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| January 18, 2024 | Las Vegas | United States | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| January 20, 2024 | Phoenix | United States | Footprint Center | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| January 25, 2024 | Mexico City | Mexico | Palacio de los Deportes | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| January 27, 2024 | Mexico City | Mexico | Palacio de los Deportes | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| January 28, 2024 | Mexico City | Mexico | Palacio de los Deportes | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| January 30, 2024 | Mexico City | Mexico | Palacio de los Deportes | Bob the Drag Queen | — | — |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | — | — |

### Postponed dates

List of postponed concerts, showing date, city, venue, opening act, and reason for postponement :

| Date | City | Country | Venue | Reason |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| July 15, 2023 | Vancouver | Canada | Rogers Arena | Bacterial infection |
| July 18, 2023 | Seattle | United States | Climate Pledge Arena | Bacterial infection |
| July 19, 2023 | Seattle | United States | Climate Pledge Arena | Bacterial infection |
| July 22, 2023 | Phoenix | United States | Footprint Center | Bacterial infection |
| July 25, 2023 | Denver | United States | Ball Arena | Bacterial infection |
| July 27, 2023 | Tulsa | United States | BOK Center | Bacterial infection |
| July 30, 2023 | Saint Paul | United States | Xcel Energy Center | Bacterial infection |
| August 2, 2023 | Cleveland | United States | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | Bacterial infection |
| August 5, 2023 | Detroit | United States | Little Caesars Arena | Bacterial infection |
| August 7, 2023 | Pittsburgh | United States | PPG Paints Arena | Bacterial infection |
| August 9, 2023 | Chicago | United States | United Center | Bacterial infection |
| August 10, 2023 | Chicago | United States | United Center | Bacterial infection |
| August 13, 2023 | Toronto | Canada | Scotiabank Arena | Bacterial infection |
| August 14, 2023 | Toronto | Canada | Scotiabank Arena | Bacterial infection |
| August 19, 2023 | Montreal | Canada | Bell Centre | Bacterial infection |
| August 20, 2023 | Montreal | Canada | Bell Centre | Bacterial infection |
| August 23, 2023 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | Bacterial infection |
| August 24, 2023 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | Bacterial infection |
| August 26, 2023 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | Bacterial infection |
| August 27, 2023 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | Bacterial infection |
| August 30, 2023 | Boston | United States | TD Garden | Bacterial infection |
| August 31, 2023 | Boston | United States | TD Garden | Bacterial infection |
| September 2, 2023 | Washington, D.C. | United States | Capital One Arena | Bacterial infection |
| September 5, 2023 | Atlanta | United States | State Farm Arena | Bacterial infection |
| September 7, 2023 | Tampa | United States | Amalie Arena | Bacterial infection |
| September 9, 2023 | Miami | United States | Kaseya Center | Bacterial infection |
| September 10, 2023 | Miami | United States | Kaseya Center | Bacterial infection |
| September 13, 2023 | Houston | United States | Toyota Center | Bacterial infection |
| September 14, 2023 | Houston | United States | Toyota Center | Bacterial infection |
| September 18, 2023 | Dallas | United States | American Airlines Center | Bacterial infection |
| September 19, 2023 | Dallas | United States | American Airlines Center | Bacterial infection |
| September 21, 2023 | Austin | United States | Moody Center | Bacterial infection |
| September 22, 2023 | Austin | United States | Moody Center | Bacterial infection |
| September 27, 2023 | Los Angeles | United States | Crypto.com Arena | Bacterial infection |
| September 28, 2023 | Los Angeles | United States | Crypto.com Arena | Bacterial infection |
| September 30, 2023 | Los Angeles | United States | Crypto.com Arena | Bacterial infection |
| October 1, 2023 | Los Angeles | United States | Crypto.com Arena | Bacterial infection |
| October 4, 2023 | San Francisco | United States | Chase Center | Bacterial infection |
| October 5, 2023 | San Francisco | United States | Chase Center | Bacterial infection |
| October 7, 2023 | Las Vegas | United States | T-Mobile Arena | Bacterial infection |
| October 8, 2023 | Las Vegas | United States | T-Mobile Arena | Bacterial infection |
