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.
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!
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
wooly101
Did you see the video Madonna insulting a disabled fan because he was sitting in his wheelchair and not standning. The woman has issues with reality.
[email protected]
She didn’t realize the lady was in a wheelchair. She apologized immediately.
Gabby
Dude You clearly did not see the video because it was a girl not a guy in a wheelchair. Madonna has built her career on getting people to get up and dance. She made a mistake and apologized. I was there and the woman was ushered backstage to meet Madonna after the show. The fan has since come out and said she has no issues with Madonna’s innocent mistake, why should you?
storm45701
Oh no, she made a mistake. How awful. She should be tarred and feathered, right? Madonna apologized and the fan forgave her. Thus, end of story. People are fallible, even celebrities. People have got to STOP jumping to instant cancellation. Move on.
sam83
And the fan didn’t care and said Madge couldn’t see her
https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/madonna-fan-wheelchair-responds-1235635183/amp/
Gabby
I have seen the show twice, one of my favourite concert experiences.
storm45701
I would argue that “Express Yourself” is one of Madonna’s top five overall hits (with “Vogue”, “Like A Virgin”, “Into the Groove”, and “Like A Prayer” taking the other four spots) so it’s strange it wasn’t included in the original set list. I’m glad they rectified this error.
Mr.Gavin Elster
As far as the real, young generation: the kids under 40, that go to Coachella, Burning Man and download the “new” music, Madonna is sort of what Rudy Vallee was to the Beatles generation. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Rudy could get a 1920’s “kollege krowd” on their feet, singing through a megaphone! He was the bee’s knees. I guess Madge could take the semi-classy Marlene Deitrich or Mae West route? But she doesn’t need the money.