madonna tour new dates

Madonna announces rescheduled Celebration Tour dates after hospital stay in ICU

Madonna is ready to resume the celebration.

Following the postponement of her era-spanning Celebration Tour this summer after being sidelined by a bacterial infection that landed her in the ICU , Madonna will officially launch the worldwide jaunt Oct. 14 in London.

The North American leg will begin Dec. 13 with three shows in Brooklyn, followed by a pair in Washington, D.C., multiple dates in Boston and Toronto and dozens of other shows through April.

Tickets for previously scheduled concerts will be honored at the new dates with the exceptions of Los Angeles and New York due to venue changes.

Giddy up! : Shania Twain announces new Las Vegas residency

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Madonna date changes in New York and Los Angeles

Fans with tickets to the previously scheduled Aug. 27 show at Madison Square Garden will be automatically refunded by Aug. 28. Ticketmaster will then provide those ticketholders with a link and unique code based on their previous seat location to purchase tickets to the new date at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center Dec. 16. Any remaining tickets will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. ET Sept. 1.

Those with tickets for the Sept. 27-28 and Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 shows in Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena will also be automatically refunded by Aug. 28 with a follow-up link and code provided to purchase tickets for the rescheduled dates in Aug. 29-31 and Sept. 1-4, 2024. Remaining tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. PT Sept. 5.

All sales are via ticketmaster.com .

Which Madonna concerts have been canceled?

A few shows have been canceled due to scheduling conflicts: July 27 in Tulsa; Dec. 22 in Nashville; Jan. 15 in San Francisco; Jan. 18 in Las Vegas; and Jan. 20 in Phoenix.

Refunds will be available at point of purchase.

Madonna’s new concert dates for the Celebration Tour

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

Madonna reveals rescheduled Celebration tour dates for 2024 after bacterial infection

Bob the Drag Queen will accompany Madonna for the new set of dates.

There's finally a ray of light at the end of Madonna 's health scare, as the pop icon has revealed her rescheduled Celebration tour dates after suffering an infection in June.

After postponing the first leg of her Celebration world tour amid hospitalization in the intensive care unit , the 64-year-old revealed Tuesday that the initial North American portion of the concert series will now take place in early 2024, kicking off on Jan. 8 in Massachusetts and concluding on April 21 in Mexico.

Scheduling conflicts, however, forced the cancellation of several dates, including July 27 in Tulsa, Dec. 22 in Nashville, Jan. 15 in San Francisco, Jan. 18 in Las Vegas, and Jan. 20 in Phoenix.

Madonna also moved a summer date originally set for Aug. 27 at New York City's Madison Square Garden to a block of previously announced December 2023 dates at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.

Fans holding tickets to the previously scheduled Madison Square Garden concert will have "an exclusive opportunity to purchase tickets to the newly added Barclays Center performance," according to a press release, which also notes that tickets for the original show will be refunded by Monday, Aug. 28. Ticketmaster is expected to send affected purchasers with a link and a code based on their earlier seat locations. The advance sale begins Tuesday, Aug. 29 and runs through Thursday, Aug. 31. A similar system will be used for fans with tickets to the postponed Crypto.com Arena shows in Los Angeles.

All other tickets from the original shows will be honored at the rescheduled dates.

The postponed dates come two months after Madonna's manager, Guy Oseary, revealed that the superstar contracted a "serious bacterial infection" that prompted her to delay the highly anticipated tour, which EW has confirmed will still embark with special guest, RuPaul's Drag Race winner Bob the Drag Queen .

"On Saturday June 24, Madonna developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several day stay in the ICU. Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected," he said in a statement. "At this time we will need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour. We will share more details with you as soon as we have them, including a new start date for the tour and for rescheduled shows."

Amid statements of support from friends like Debi Mazar and Rosie O'Donnell , Madonna gave fans an update on her health via an emotional social media post in July.

"Thank you for your positive energy, Prayers and words of healing and encouragement. I have felt your love. I'm on the road to recovery and incredibly grateful for all the blessings in my life," she wrote on Instagram . "My first thought when I woke up in the hospital was my children. My second thought was that I did not want to disappoint anyone who bought tickets for my tour. I also didn't want to let down the people who worked tirelessly with me over the last few months to create my show. I hate to disappoint anyone."

See the full list of Madonna's rescheduled Celebration tour dates below, set to debut after the tour officially launches with four London shows in October.

Madonna's rescheduled Celebration tour dates

Dec. 16 — Brooklyn (Barclays Center) Dec. 19 — Washington, D.C. (Capital One Arena) Jan. 8 — Boston (TD Garden) Jan. 9 — Boston (TD Garden) Jan. 11 — Toronto (Scotiabank Arena) Jan. 12 — Toronto (Scotiabank Arena) Jan. 15 — Detroit, Mich. (Little Caesars Arena) Jan. 18 — Montreal (Bell Centre) Jan. 20 — Montreal (Bell Centre) Jan. 22 — New York City (Madison Square Garden) Jan. 23 — New York City (Madison Square Garden) Jan. 25 — Philadelphia (Wells Fargo Center) Jan. 29 — New York City (Madison Square Garden) Feb. 1 — Chicago (United Center) Feb. 2 — Chicago (United Center) Feb. 5 — Pittsburgh (PPG Paints Arena) Feb. 8 — Cleveland (Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse) Feb. 13 — Saint Paul (Xcel Energy Center) Feb. 17 — Seattle (Climate Pledge Arena) Feb. 18 — Seattle (Climate Pledge Arena) Feb. 21 — Vancouver (Rogers Arena) Feb. 24 — Sacramento (Golden 1 Center) Feb. 27 — San Francisco (Chase Center) Feb. 28 — San Francisco (Chase Center) March 1 — Las Vegas (T-Mobile Arena) March 2 — Las Vegas (T-Mobile Arena) March 4 — Los Angeles (Kia Forum) March 5 — Los Angeles (Kia Forum) March 7 — Los Angeles (Kia Forum) March 9 — Los Angeles (Kia Forum) March 11 — Los Angeles (Kia Forum) March 13 — Palm Desert, Calif. (Acrisure Arena) March 16 — Phoenix (Footprint Center) March 19 — Denver (Ball Arena) March 24 — Dallas (American Airlines Center) March 25 — Dallas (American Airlines Center) March 28 — Houston (Toyota Center) March 29 — Houston (Toyota Center) April 1 — Atlanta (State Farm Arena) April 4 — Tampa (Amalie Arena) April 6 — Miami (Kaseya Center) April 7 — Miami (Kaseya Center) April 14 — Austin (Moody Center) April 15 — Austin (Moody Center) April 20 — Mexico City (Palacio De Los Deportes) April 21 — Mexico City (Palacio De Los Deportes) April 23 — Mexico City (Palacio De Los Deportes) April 24 — Mexico City (Palacio De Los Deportes)

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• Madonna shares health update, thanks fans in new video: 'You must be my lucky stars too'
• Madonna joins Cher as the only women with this iconic chart record
• Bob the Drag Queen finally told Madonna about RuPaul's Drag Race Kimonogate: 'She laughed'

Related Articles

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

Madonna announces north american and european dates for 2023 celebration tour.

The superstar will explore her musical journey across four decades through concerts announced in a video featuring Amy Schumer, Lil Wayne, Kate Berlant, Jack Black, Judd Apatow, Eric Andre, Diplo and more.

By Abbey White

Abbey White

Associate Editor & News Writer

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Email
• Show additional share options
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Pinit
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Tumblr
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Print
• Share this article on Comment

Madonna announced dates for her Celebration Tour on Tuesday with the help of some Hollywood friends.

Related Stories

Cannes workers turn pre-fest meet into strike rally, clocking out at cannes: the 10 hottest watches on the croisette.

The tour will kick off this July in Vancouver and end in December in Amsterdam, spanning 35 cities in total across North America and Europe. Other major stops during the first leg include Detroit, Chicago, New York, Miami and Los Angeles, with 11 additional dates outside North America — in London, Barcelona, Paris and Stockholm, among others — slated for the fall and early winter.

Produced by Live Nation and featuring Bob the Drag Queen (Caldwell Tidicue) at all dates on the tour, the music event will honor Madonna’s musical journey across four decades with a special celebration of New York, the city where her career began. “I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for,” Madonna said in a statement included in her tour announcement .

Celebration Tour tickets go on sale at madonna.com/tour starting Friday at 10 a.m. local time. U.S. Citi cardmembers, European and Canadian AMEX cardmembers as well as Legacy members of Madonna’s official fan club will have access to separate presales. VIP packages — featuring premium tickets, exclusive access to a behind-the-scenes tour, a group photo onstage, a pre-show reception, a limited edition lithograph and more — will also be available at vipnation.com . 

The Celebration tour arrives nearly 40 years after Madonna’s 1985 North American Virgin Tour. Madonna last toured in 2019 and early 2020 as part of her Madame X theater tour.

More on the Celebration tour, including its dates and presales, can be found at madonna.com .

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Steve buscemi ok following random attack in new york, jerry seinfeld’s commencement speech draws cheers and some protest at duke university, ‘red, white & royal blue,’ ‘the last of us’ among top winners at glaad media awards in n.y., eurovision: switzerland wins the most divisive song contest in competition’s 68-year history, sam rubin remembered: reporter who filled in for ktla legend on day he died pays tribute (guest column), eurovision: dutch contestant joost klein disqualified after allegation of “intimidation”.

• TODAY Plaza
• Share this —

• Watch Full Episodes
• Read With Jenna
• Inspirational
• Relationships
• TODAY Table
• Newsletters
• Start TODAY
• Shop TODAY Awards
• Citi Concert Series
• Listen All Day

Follow today

More Brands

• On The Show

Madonna announces 2023 tour that will celebrate her greatest hits

Madonna is getting ready to "express herself" all over again with her latest global tour.

On Tuesday, the music icon announced a new 35-city global tour, aptly named "Madonna: The Celebration Tour." The 64-year-old shared the news on her Instagram page and revealed that the tour would feature hits from across her four decades performing.

"Come join the party! 🎉💃🏼🎵🕺🏾🎤," she captioned the post.

The singer also teased the news in a video that paid tribute to her 1991 film "Truth or Dare." In the four-minute clip, Madonna is joined by several stars, including Amy Schumer, Jack Black, Lil Wayne and Judd Apatow, for a game of truth or dare.

Toward the end, Schumer dares Madonna to go on a tour and sing all of her best hits. It's a challenge that the icon gladly accepts.

A release posted to Madonna's website said the tour would follow her "artistic journey" and pay special homage to New York City, the place where her career began.

“I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for,” she said.

Want to know more about the tour? Here's everything we know so far.

What are the dates of the tour?

The tour will kick off its North American leg on July 15 in Vancouver then make its way to Seattle, Denver, Chicago, New York and other major cities.

• July 15 — Vancouver, B.C.
• July 18 — Seattle, Wash.
• July 22 — Phoenix, Ariz.
• July 25 — Denver, Colo.
• July 27 — Tulsa, Okla.
• July 30 — St. Paul, Minn.
• Aug. 2 — Cleveland, Ohio
• Aug. 5 — Detroit, Mich.
• Aug. 7 — Pittsburgh, Penn.
• Aug. 9 — Chicago, Ill.
• Aug. 13 — Toronto, Ont.
• Aug. 19 — Montreal, Q.C.
• Aug. 23 — New York, N.Y.
• Aug. 24 — New York, N.Y.
• Aug. 30 — Boston, Mass.
• Sept. 2 — Washington, D.C.
• Sept. 5 — Atlanta, Ga.
• Sept. 7 — Tampa, Fla.
• Sept. 9 — Miami, Fla.
• Sept. 13 — Houston, Texas
• Sept, 18 — Dallas, Texas
• Sept. 21 — Austin, Texas
• Sept. 27 — Los Angeles, Calif.
• Oct. 4 — San Francisco, Calif.
• Oct. 7 — Las Vegas, Nev.

The European leg of the tour will commence on Oct. 14 in London and will include stops in Barcelona, Paris, Milan, Berlin and other famous European cities.

• Oct. 14 — London, England
• Oct. 21 — Antwerp, Belgium
• Oct. 25 — Copenhagen, Denmark
• Oct. 28 — Stockholm, Sweden
• Nov. 01 — Barcelona, Spain
• Nov. 06 — Lisbon, Portugal
• Nov. 12 — Paris, France
• Nov. 13 — Paris, France
• Nov. 15 — Cologne, Germany
• Nov. 23 — Milan, Italy
• Nov. 28 — Berlin, Germany
• Dec. 1 — Amsterdam, the Netherlands

When do tickets go on sale?

Fans will have a few chances to get their hands on the coveted tickets:

General public sales: Tickets will go on sale Friday, Jan. 20 and Friday, Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. local time, and will be available to purchase on Madonna's website .

Fan club presales: If you’re a legacy member of Madonna’s official fan club, you can participate in the following presales.

• The first presale applies to North American shows that go on sale to the general public on Jan. 20. The presale takes place from Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 12 p.m. ET through Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. ET.
• The second presale applies to European and UK shows and will span from Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 9 a.m. GMT to 5 p.m. GMT.
• The third presale is for the North American shows that go on sale to the general public on Jan. 27. This final presale will run from Monday, Jan. 23 at 9 a.m. ET through Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. ET.

Citi presale: Citi cardholders can take part in two presales. Tickets can be purchased through the Citi Entertainment program.

• The first presale is for tickets going on sale to the general public on Jan. 20. The presale will run from Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. local time through Thursday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. local time.
• The second is for tickets going on sale to the general public on Jan. 27. The presale will run from Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. local time. 

Canada American Express presale: American Express cardholders can participate in a presale for concerts in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Tickets will be available to purchase on Ticketmaster .

• The presale will span from Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 10 a.m. local time and run through Thursday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. local time.

European American Express presale:  American Express cardholders can participate in a presale for concerts in Sweden, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Belgium. Tickets will be available to purchase on Ticketmaster .

• The presale will span from Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 9 a.m. local time through Thursday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. local time.

Who is the opening act?

Caldwell Tidicue, whose stage name is Bob the Drag Queen, will appear at all dates of the tour.

Chrissy Callahan covers a range of topics for TODAY.com, including fashion, beauty, pop culture and food. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, watching bad reality TV and consuming copious amounts of cookie dough.

Find anything you save across the site in your account

Madonna Announces 2023 Tour of North America and Europe

By Jazz Monroe

Madonna has set the dates for her Celebration Tour, a huge stint across North America and Europe starting this July. Below, check out the dates, along with a Nuno Xico –directed announcement video, which plays on the 1991 Madonna documentary Truth or Dare . In the clip, Lil Wayne, Eric André, Jack Black, Judd Apatow, Diplo, Kate Berlant, Larry Owens, Meg Stalter, and more join her for a dinner party, where Amy Schumer dares her to plot a tour of career-spanning shows.

Bob the Drag Queen, who also stars in the video, will support Madonna across the daters. In a press release, 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.”

Read Pitchfork’s page-by-page guide to the best Madonna books and revisit the retrospective reviews of her debut , Like a Prayer , Bedtime Stories , and Ray of Light .

All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

07-15 Vancouver, British Columbia - Rogers Arena 07-18 Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena 07-19 Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena 07-22 Phoenix, AZ - Footprint Center 07-25 Denver, CO - Ball Arena 07-27 Tulsa, OK - BOK Center 07-30 Saint Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center 08-02 Cleveland, OH - Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse 08-05 Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena 08-07 Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena 08-09 Chicago, IL - United Center 08-10 Chicago, IL - United Center 08-13 Toronto, Ontario - Scotiabank Arena 08-14 Toronto, Ontario - Scotiabank Arena 08-19 Montreal, Quebec - Centre Bell 08-20 Montreal, Quebec - Centre Bell 08-23 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden 08-24 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden 08-26 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden 08-30 Boston, MA - TD Garden 08-31 Boston, MA - TD Garden 09-02 Washington, D.C. - Capital One Arena 09-05 Atlanta, GA - State Farm Arena 09-07 Tampa, FL - Amalie Arena 09-09 Miami, FL - Miami-Dade Arena 09-10 Miami, FL - Miami-Dade Arena 09-13 Houston, TX - Toyota Center 09-14 Houston, TX - Toyota Center 09-18 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center 09-19 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center 09-21 Austin, TX - Moody Center ATX 09-22 Austin, TX - Moody Center ATX 09-27 Los Angeles, CA - Crypto.com Arena 09-28 Los Angeles, CA - Crypto.com Arena 10-04 San Francisco, CA - Chase Center 10-05 San Francisco, CA - Chase Center 10-07 Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena 10-08 Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena 10-14 London, England - The O2 10-15 London, England - The O2 10-21 Antwerp, Belgium - Sportpaleis 10-25 Copenhagen, Denmark - Royal Arena 10-28 Stockholm, Sweden - Tele2 11-01 Barcelona, Spain - Palau Sant Jordi 11-06 Lisbon, Portugal - Altice Arena 11-12 Paris, France - Accor Arena 11-13 Paris, France - Accor Arena 11-15 Cologne, Germany - Lanxess Arena 11-23 Milan, Italy - Mediolanum Forum 11-28 Berlin, Germany - Mercedes-Benz Arena 12-01 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Ziggo Dome 12-13 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center 12-14 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center 01-07 Inglewood, CA - Kia Forum 01-08 Inglewood, CA - Kia Forum

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions ), our Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement and to receive marketing and account-related emails from Pitchfork. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

By Matthew Strauss

By Nina Corcoran

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

• What Is Cinema?
• Newsletters

After ICU Stay, Madonna Promises Rescheduled Tour Dates

By Eve Batey

Often characterized as one of the hardest-working people in show business, Madonna worried fans in June when a serious bacterial infection sent the 64-year-old icon to the hospital just weeks before her Celebration World Tour was set to begin. The seven-month, 45-city tour was put on hold as the star recovered, but now it appears she's ready to return to the road, as Madonna promised Friday that new dates for the concert series would be announced in coming days.

According to longtime friend and collaborator Guy Oseary , Madonna was rushed to a New York hospital on June 24 with “a serious bacterial infection which led to a several-day stay in the ICU."

"We need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour,” Oseary announced on Instagram on June 28. “We will share more details with you as soon as we have them, including a new start date for the tour and for rescheduled shows.”

The next day, Madonna was discharged from the hospital and returned home, CNN reported at the time. It wasn't until July 10 that fans heard from the singer, when she said via Instagram that though “I did not want to disappoint anyone who bought tickets for my tour,” she needed to focus on “my health and getting stronger.” 

“The current plan is to reschedule the North American leg of the tour and to begin in October in Europe,” she said then, news that was reiterated by promoter Live Nation in a press release the same day, with rescheduled dates to “be announced as soon as possible.”

It appears that announcement is almost at hand, as via Instagram stories and X (formerly Twitter), Madonna announced Friday that “the re-routed tour schedule will be coming in the next few days.”

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

According to People , the new dates “will be available soon in a post on her Instagram Story." It's expected that under the new schedule, the first performance of the show, a live 40-year retrospective, will be on October 14 at London's O2 Arena, with dates throughout Europe scheduled until mid-December. As of publication time, Madonna's already-scheduled North American tour dates begin on December 13 at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, with shows still planned in the U.S. and Mexico through the end of January. 

Given that, it's likely that the new dates will fall later in 2024, but current ticketholders need not worry. According to Live Nation, “fans are encouraged to hold onto their tickets as they will be valid for the new dates once announced,” or, as Madonna put it, she will “see you soon for a well-deserved Celebration!!"

More Great Stories From Vanity Fair

Cover Star Chris Hemsworth on Fear, Love, and Escaping Hollywood

Everything to Know About the Worm That Allegedly Crawled Inside RFK Jr.’s Brain and Died

See Every Look From the 2024 Met Gala Red Carpet

Meet the Mastermind Behind New York’s Celebrity Playground of Choice

The Vatican’s Secret Role in the Science of IVF

Griffin Dunne on the Tragic Death That Reshaped His Family

Visit the VF Shop and Get Our Brand-New Tote (and Much More)

By Kase Wickman

By Bess Levin

Royal Watch

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Things you buy through our links may earn  Vox Media  a commission.

Madonna Details New Celebration Tour Dates After Hospitalization

Update, August 15: More than a month after delaying her Celebration tour because of a bacterial infection, Madonna has set new North American dates . The run will now follow the European leg of the tour, beginning on December 13 in Brooklyn and ending on April 24, 2024, in Mexico City. As part of the rescheduling, Madonna had to cancel dates in Tulsa, Nashville, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. “Madonna regrets the inconvenience to fans and hopes to make it up to those markets in the future,” promoter Live Nation said in an announcement.

Update, July 10: Madonna is “on the road to recovery,” according to her first statement since news of her hospitalization for a bacterial infection. The singer also detailed tentative plans to reschedule the North American leg of her Celebration tour and kick off the shows in Europe in October. “My first thought when I woke up in the hospital was my children,” Madonna wrote on social media. “My second thought was that I did not want to disappoint anyone who bought tickets for my tour. I also didn’t want to let down the people who worked tirelessly with me over the last few months to create my show. I hate to disappoint anyone.” Live Nation confirmed the North American leg, which was set to kick off July 15 in Vancouver, would be postponed with new dates yet to be announced. The tour now begins October 14 in London. Madonna went on to thank her fans for their well wishes, saying, “My focus right now is my health and getting stronger and I assure you, I’ll be back with you as soon as I can!”

As of July 3, according to Rosie O’Donnell’s Instagram , Madonna is out of the ICU and recovering at home. “She is recovering at home — she is very strong in general,” O’Donnell replied to a concerned fan. O’Donnell posted a pic of her and Madonna in A League of Their Own , which prompted the pair’s mutual fans to share their concern for the pop star. And although Madonna is expected to make a full recovery, the timeline of that recovery remains TBD.

Original story follows.

Madonna won’t be celebrating as soon as she thought. The pop icon is delaying her upcoming Celebration tour after being hospitalized for a bacterial infection, per her manager, Guy Oseary. He wrote on Instagram that Madonna got the infection on June 24, then spent “several” days in the ICU. The tour had been set to begin less than a month later, on July 15, in Vancouver. “Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected,” Oseary wrote. “At this time we will need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour.” The Celebration tour was set to be Madonna’s first fully retrospective outing to honor the 40th anniversary of her career. The performer currently has more than 80 dates scheduled on the world tour including six nights each in New York, Los Angeles, and London. Oseary did not reveal how long the tour would be postponed or when it would start again but promised to share new and rescheduled dates “soon as we have them.”

• celebration tour
• health updates

Most Viewed Stories

• Cinematrix No. 56: May 13, 2024
• Netherlands’s Joost Klein Disqualified From Eurovision Finals
• Nava Mau Brought the ‘Teri Fire’ to Baby Reindeer
• Duke Students Walk Out of Jerry Seinfeld’s Commencement Speech
• The 10 Best Movies and TV Shows to Watch This Weekend
• Everything The Iron Claw Leaves Out About the Von Erich ‘Curse’
• Saturday Night Live Recap: Mother of the House of Rockefeller

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

• Lower case letters (a-z)
• Upper case letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

What To Expect From Madonna’s The Celebration Tour In 2023

The singer announced new North American dates after postponing the start of her tour due to her June hospitalization.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour isn’t the only greatest hits tour you’ll have to spend money on this year. On Jan. 17, Madonna announced she would be hitting the road for The Celebration Tour, her first greatest hits outing, to celebrate her 40th anniversary as the Queen of Pop . The tour will mark Madge’s first major trek since 2015 and her first tour overall since her Madame X Tour in 2019 (during which she performed only in small theaters).

However, her tour won’t be kicking off right on time. According to a statement shared on Instagram by her manager Guy Oseary, the singer experienced some health issues that resulted in hospitalization. “On Saturday, June 24, Madonna developed a serious bacterial infection which lead to a several day stay in the ICU,” he wrote on June 28. “Her health is improving, however, she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected.” On June 29, CNN reported that Madonna had left the hospital and was “in the clear.”

The seven-time Grammy winner issued a statement on July 10 , confirming that she is “on the road to recovery” and the tour will “begin in October” in Europe. “I did not want to disappoint anyone who bought tickets,” she wrote on Instagram. “The current plan is to reschedule the North American leg of the tour ... I couldn’t be more grateful for your care and support.” Rescheduled dates were announced on Aug. 15. The Celebration Tour will now kick off on Oct. 14 in London and hit Europe as scheduled through December, before the North American leg begins on Dec. 13 in Brooklyn and runs through April 2024.

View on Instagram

On The Celebration Tour, Madonna promises to perform hits from her four decades as an artist, from the ’80s cheer of “Holiday” to more recent hits like “Medellín.” “I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for,” Madonna said in a statement. The singer will have a tough time condensing 40 years of hits into one setlist, but if the new tour teaser video is any indication, then classics like “Like A Virgin,” “Open Your Heart,” and “La Isla Bonita” are sure to be included. Read on for everything you need to know about The Celebration Tour.

Madonna’s 2023 Celebration Tour Dates

Tickets for previously scheduled shows will be honored for the new dates, except for a few shows with venue changes. Fans with tickets to the Aug. 27 date at New York’s Madison Square Garden will receive a code to purchase new tickets to her Dec. 16 show at Barclays Center, while ticketholders for her September shows at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena will get a code for tickets to her rescheduled dates at Kia Forum in March 2024. Additionally, previously planned shows on July 27 in Tulsa, Dec. 22 in Nashville, Jan. 15 in San Francisco, Jan. 18 in Las Vegas, and Jan. 20 in Phoenix had to be canceled due to “scheduling conflicts.” Read the full updated itinerary below.

• Oct. 14 – London, UK @ The O2
• Oct. 15 – London, UK @ The O2
• Oct. 17 – London, UK @ The O2
• Oct. 18 – London, UK @ The O2
• Oct. 21 – Antwerp, BE @ Sportpaleis
• Oct. 22 – Antwerp, BE @ Sportpaleis
• Oct. 25 – Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena
• Oct. 26 – Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena
• Oct. 28 – Stockholm, SE @ Tele2
• Nov. 01 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
• Nov. 02 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
• Nov. 06 – Lisbon, PT @ Altice Arena
• Nov. 07 – Lisbon, PT @ Altice Arena
• Nov. 12 – Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
• Nov. 13 – Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
• Nov. 15 – Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena
• Nov. 16 – Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena
• Nov. 19 – Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
• Nov. 20 – Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
• Nov. 23 – Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
• Nov. 25 – Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
• Nov. 28 – Berlin, DE @ Mercedes-Benz Arena
• Nov. 29 – Berlin, DE @ Mercedes-Benz Arena
• Dec. 1 – Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
• Dec. 2 – Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
• Dec. 5 – London, UK @ The O2
• Dec. 6 – London, UK @ The O2
• Dec. 13 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
• Dec. 14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
• Dec. 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
• Dec. 18 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
• Dec. 19 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
• Jan. 8 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
• Jan. 9 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
• Jan. 11 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
• Jan. 12 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
• Jan. 15 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
• Jan. 18 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
• Jan. 20 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
• Jan. 22 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
• Jan. 23 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
• Jan. 25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
• Jan. 29 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
• Feb. 1 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
• Feb. 2 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
• Feb. 5 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
• Feb. 8 – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
• Feb. 13 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
• Feb. 17 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
• Feb. 18 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
• Feb. 21 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
• Feb. 24 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
• Feb. 27 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
• Feb. 28 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
• March 1 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
• March 2 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
• March 4 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
• March 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
• March 7 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
• March 9 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
• March 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
• March 13 – Palm Desert, CA @ Acrisure Arena
• March 16 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
• March 19 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
• March 24 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
• March 25 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
• March 28 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
• March 29 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
• April 1 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
• April 4 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
• April 6 – Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
• April 7 – Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
• April 14 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center
• April 15 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center
• April 20 – Mexico City, MX @ Palacio De Los Deportes
• April 21 – Mexico City, MX @ Palacio De Los Deportes
• April 23 – Mexico City, MX @ Palacio De Los Deportes
• April 24 – Mexico City, MX @ Palacio De Los Deportes

Madonna’s 2023 Celebration Tour Teaser

To announce the tour, Madonna enlisted A-list stars and friends — including Amy Schumer, Judd Apatow, Jack Black, Lil Wayne, Diplo, Kate Berlant, Larry Owens, Meg Stalter, Eric Andre, and tour opener Bob the Drag Queen — for a very rowdy dinner party. The singer played a game of Truth or Dare, in honor of her 1992 documentary, during which she made out with Black and had Diplo stick his privates in a margarita, among other typical Monday night antics.

The video ends with Schumer, who opened for Madonna’s 2015 Rebel Heart Tour shows in New York, daring her to “do a world tour and play your greatest motherf*cking hits.” Naturally, after her guests promised to attend, Madge responded with a “F*ck yeah.”

Madonna’s 2023 Celebration Tour Tickets

Tickets for Madonna’s Celebration Tour will go on sale on Jan. 20 and Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. local time, depending on the city. For all U.S. shows, Citi cardholders will have access to a special presale that begins on either Jan. 17, for shows that go on sale Jan. 20, or Jan. 24, for shows that go on sale on Jan. 27. Fans who have a legacy membership to Madonna’s former Icon fan club, meaning those who were members all the way back in 2006, also have their own dedicated presale that will begin even before the Citi presales. VIP packages will also be available, which include top-tier seats, a Madonna-themed pre-party, and a backstage tour of the entire production.

This article was originally published on Jan. 17, 2023

Madonna cancels US tour dates, including Phoenix. What to know about refunds

Madonna has postponed the fall North American dates of her Celebration Tour, which was supposed to bring the Queen of Pop to Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix on July 22, 2023, as she continues to recover from a health scare that landed her in a New York City hospital's intensive care unit.

The July 22 concert is canceled and a rescheduled date will be announced. A second Footprint Center concert date on Jan. 20, 2024, is not affected by the rescheduling.

Madonna shared the news on Instagram, thanking fans for their positive energy, prayers and words of healing and encouragement.

"I have felt your love," she wrote. "I'm on the road to recovery and incredibly grateful for all my blessings in life."

Update: Madonna pauses Celebration Tour concerts after 'health scare.' Here's what we know so far

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Why did Madonna postpone her tour?

Madonna's Celebration Tour was set to launch in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday, July 15, a week before the July 22 date in Phoenix.

The current plan is to reschedule the fall North American leg of the tour and begin in October in Europe.

"My focus now is my health and getting stronger and I assure you, I'll be back with you as soon as I can," Madonna wrote. "I couldn't be more grateful for your care and support."

Madonna refunds? Live Nation advises fans to hold onto their tickets

Live Nation has confirmed that the first leg of the Celebration Tour in North America has been postponed. This affects all shows currently scheduled between July 15 and Oct. 8, 2023.

Rescheduled dates will be announced as soon as possible. Fans are encouraged to hold onto their tickets as they will be valid for the new dates. 

The standard Ticketmaster refund policy is in effect. Once a new date is announced, or if new dates aren't announced within 60 days, fans will be able to request refunds.

Why was Madonna in the hospital?

Guy Oseary, the singer’s talent manager and producer, shared the news on social media last month that Madonna had developed "a serious bacterial infection" on Saturday, June 24, which led to "a several-day stay in the ICU."

A Page Six article reported that the singer "was found unresponsive and rushed to a New York City hospital Saturday," where she "was intubated for at least one night before having the tube removed — and she is now alert and recovering."

In her IG post, Madonna wrote, "My first thought when I woke up in the hospital was my children. My second thought was that I did not want to disappoint anyone who bought tickets for my tour."

Taylor Swift Eras Tour: 5 magic moments at State Farm Stadium that Arizonans saw first

Phoenix dates for Madonna's Celebration Tour

The show originally scheduled for July 22 at Footprint Center is one of two Phoenix concerts on the Celebration Tour. Due to popular demand, a second show was added at Footprint Center on Jan. 20, 2024.

Madonna announced the 35-date tour in a star-studded video paying tribute to her “Truth or Dare” film, with cameos by Diplo, Judd Apatow, Jack Black, Lil Wayne, Bob the Drag Queen, Kate Berlant, Larry Owens, Meg Stalter and Eric Andre.

The video culminates with Amy Schumer daring Madonna to go on tour and perform her four decades of hits.

Madonna rises to the challenge, announcing Madonna: The Celebration, which takes fans on a journey through her greatest hits while paying homage to the city where her career began: New York.

In a press release, 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.”

Weekend plans? Best things happening in Phoenix this weekend: Christmas in July, iconic RuPaul queens

Reach the reporter at  [email protected]  or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter  @ EdMasley.

Support local journalism.   Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Madonna Brings Massive Free Concert to Rio, Capping Celebration Tour

The pop superstar performed a final date on her global trek marking four decades of hits: a set on Copacabana Beach before the largest live crowd of her career.

By Flávia Milhorance and Julia Jacobs

Reporting from Rio de Janeiro and New York

When Madonna stepped out onto the mammoth stage constructed on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach on Saturday night in a gleaming halo headpiece and black kimono, she was greeted by the largest live crowd of her four-decade career.

The free show, announced in late March, was a grand finale to the pop superstar’s latest world tour, which has delivered 80 performances since last October . Without ticket data, concert crowd sizes can be difficult to gauge; Riotur, the municipality’s tourism department, estimated that 1.6 million people flooded onto the 2.4-mile stretch of sand on Saturday that had been turned into a roughly $12 million playground surrounding the 8,700-square-foot stage.

It was the culmination of days of Madonna-mania in the city, where talk of the singer, 65, was inescapable. Her songs spilled out of stores and car stereos. Fans assembled outside her hotel and shouted her name. Updates about the concert, which was broadcast on the network Globo TV, dominated local media reports.

The spectacle in Rio was a milestone in Madonna’s career: the victory lap for her first stage retrospective, called the Celebration Tour , in which she chronicled her rise to stardom, performing hits like “Into the Groove,” “Like a Prayer” and “Ray of Light” with a cadre of dancers, four of her six children, and a wardrobe of elaborate costuming that recalled some of her most memorable looks.

“Here we are, the most beautiful place in the world,” Madonna announced early in the concert, indicating the ocean and the mountains around her. “This is magic.” Later, she expounded on her gratitude for her Brazilian fans. “You have always been there for me,” she said. “That flag: that green-and-yellow flag, I see it everywhere. I feel it in my heart.”

The two-plus-hour Rio show hewed closely to the Celebration show, with a few exceptions: Madonna added her 2000 track “Music” to the set list, rearranged as a samba with live drummers and a special guest, the Brazilian drag star Pabllo Vittar. “Live to Tell,” staged as a tribute to victims of AIDS , included photographs of the Brazilian musicians Cazuza and Renato Russo, and the actress Sandra Bréa. For “Vogue,” Madonna appeared in a sparkly dress in the colors of the Brazilian flag and was joined by the pop sensation Anitta , who helped “judge” the competitors strutting down the runway.

The show had lifelong Madonna fans — many of whom came dressed in homage to their heroine in cone bras and lace gloves — screaming and dancing along. Ernesto Magalhães, 42, adorned in the style of Madonna’s “Material Girl” era in a gown and boa while balancing on stilts, epitomized the exuberant spirit of the occasion: “I’ve been a Madonna fan since I was 8; I couldn’t miss this.” Surya Rossi, a 31-year-old illustrator, decided on a last-minute trip from Rio Claro, São Paulo, after coordinating with her cousin, and stayed with friends. “Madonna has been a tremendous influence on me, both as a feminist and an artist,” she said. “Her empowering history and approach inspire me.”

It was also something of a landmark moment for live concerts globally. At a time of astronomical ticket prices and rising production costs for major shows, a free concert attracting a crowd of this scale is exceedingly rare, especially in the United States. California’s Coachella festival, where a three-day general admission pass starts at about $500, draws up to 125,000 attendees a day. Musikfest, a mostly free music festival in Pennsylvania, welcomed about 1.3 million visitors over 11 days last year.

“To have a free show like that in recent years is relatively unheard-of,” Katelyn Yount, the director of festivals at AEG Presents, said of Madonna’s closing show. Hangout, an upcoming music festival on Alabama’s Gulf Coast that is among the annual events AEG produces, is capped each day at about 40,000 attendees, who pay more than $300 for a three-day pass.

If a performance of this magnitude was going to be held anywhere in 2024, it would probably be in Rio, where officials have experience with enormous crowds. In 2006, about 1.5 million people attended a free Rolling Stones concert at Copacabana Beach, Brazilian police and other authorities said at the time. An even larger crowd was said to have gathered for a Rod Stewart show there on New Year’s Eve in 1994.

The idea for the sprawling event was first planted two years ago, when Luiz Oscar Niemeyer, an executive with Bonus Track, a live entertainment company based in Rio de Janeiro, approached Madonna’s managers after hearing about plans for the tour. The Rolling Stones concert in 2006 helped convince him that something like this was possible, he said.

Negotiations stalled until last year, when a Madonna show in Mexico City was announced — ticketed dates for the Celebration Tour ended up wrapping with five nights there at the Palacio de los Deportes — and Niemeyer resumed his efforts to convince the pop star’s representatives and secure funding.

“It was an ambitious project for everyone, aiming to attract the largest audience of her career, and I thought this would help me persuade her,” Niemeyer said in an interview last week.

The concert’s corporate backers include the Brazilian bank Itaú and Heineken, and the government has made a significant investment as well.

Preparation for Madonna-palooza had consumed a segment of the city in recent days. A week ago, cargo planes carried about 270 tons of concert material to the city, including costumes and gym equipment. Eighteen sound and video towers were built across the beach, and last Wednesday, 4,000 workers prepared the stage in scorching heat.

Because this was the only Celebration concert in South America — Madonna last toured there in 2012 — fans congregated from all over the continent. In the days leading up to the event, a Madonna impersonator, Izelene Cristina, danced to “La Isla Bonita” at a bus station as she welcomed travelers. She would not be attending the concert because excitement over the superstar’s performance had led to a flood of bookings.

“Such is the life of an artist,” she said. “You work to move and entertain people.”

On Monday, Madonna and her touring team of about 200 arrived in Rio, heading directly to the French Riviera-inspired Copacabana Palace, the luxury hotel near where the stage was built. Later in the week, crowds gathered as close to the stage as possible, as the pop star crossed a specially built footbridge from the hotel to the stage to rehearse with some of her dancers.

Social media was flooded with clips of Madonna running through songs including the opener, “Nothing Really Matters.” “Are you happy? Are you ready?” she asked the assembled crowd at one point . The response: wild cheering. “OK, just checking,” she replied.

At a press briefing ahead of the concert, officials discussed the safety concerns that can accompany an audience of that size and unpredictable weather on the shore. Last year, the Brazilian D.J. Alok scheduled what had been billed as the “concert of the century” on Copacabana Beach, but a storm led part of the crowd to scatter, and concertgoers were faced with rampant pickpocketing , a problem at least some faced on Saturday night as well.

Marco Andrade, a spokesman for the Rio police, told reporters that the department planned to deploy 3,200 officers at the Madonna concert, compared with about 900 for Alok’s event. He said that facial recognition technology would be used at inspection areas, in addition to drones to monitor the crowd. In the end, the audience stretched into the ocean as well — a collection of boats anchored in the waters near the venue.

The atmosphere on the ground Saturday night was like a World Cup event, street carnival and New Year’s Eve celebration combined. Street vendors offered shirts, hats, cups and fans adorned with Madonna’s face and rainbow colors, and a plethora of barbecue, grilled cheese, empanadas and the Brazilian cocktail caipirinhas were available. To fight the heat, a firefighter atop a fire truck sprayed a jet of water on the crowd.

As the show ended with a remix of her 2009 track “Celebration,” Madonna addressed the audience for a final time: “Thank you, Rio,” adding “obrigada,” the equivalent in Portuguese. She smiled and let go of a Brazilian flag, flipped a white veil over her head and descended beneath the stage.

An earlier version of this article misstated the name of the Bonus Track executive who approached Madonna’s team about the Brazil show. He is Luiz Oscar Niemeyer, not Luiz Guilherme Niemeyer.

How we handle corrections

Julia Jacobs is an arts and culture reporter who often covers legal issues for The Times. More about Julia Jacobs

Find the Right Soundtrack for You

Trying to expand your musical horizons take a listen to something new..

Cass Elliot ’s death spawned a horrible myth. She deserves better.

Listen to the power and beauty of African guitar greats .

What happens next  for Kendrick Lamar and Drake?

He sang “What a Fool Believes.” But Michael McDonald  is in on the joke.

Hear 9 of the week’s most notable new songs on the Playlist .

Madonna in Rio Livestream: How to Watch the Singer’s ‘Celebration Tour’ Concert in Brazil for Free

The Queen of Pop is giving away free tickets to fans in Brazil, but for everyone else, there are a few ways to livestream Madonna's Copacabana Beach show online free.

By Tim Chan

• PSG vs. Toulouse Livestream: How to Watch Kylian Mbappe’s Final Paris Saint-Germain Match Online for Free 23 hours ago
• Urban Stems Unveils Mother’s Day Bouquet Inspired by Anne Hathaway’s Character In ‘Idea of You’ 3 days ago
• Amazon ‘Pet Day’ Is Here: What to Know About the Prime Day-Style Shopping Event 6 days ago

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.

Madonna is closing out her “ Celebration Tour ” with a historic free concert tonight in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil streaming live on Globoplay .

The aptly-named “Madonna in Rio” concert takes place live from Copacabana Beach tonight, Saturday, May 4 at 9:45 p.m. local time (8:45 p.m. ET). This is the final stop on Madonna’s world tour and The Queen of Pop is giving away free tickets to fans in Brazil, on a first-come, first-served basis. As for everyone else, there are a few ways to livestream Madonna’s Brazil show online free.

How to Watch Madonna Brazil Concert Online Free

Popular on variety.

Even better: you can get a three-day free trial to Sling right now, that will give you access to Globo and Globoplay (the TV channel’s official streaming arm). Use the free trial to livestream Madonna’s Rio concert online free without cable.

How to Watch Madonna Brazil Concert From the U.S.

Another way to get a live feed of Madonna’s final show? Use a virtual private network (VPN) and set your location to Brazil, to watch the free livestream on Globoplay. We like ExpressVPN ( from $6.67 a month ) or NordVPN ( from $3.99 a month ), which both let you watch Madonna’s Brazil concert from the U.S. and anywhere in the world.

Madonna’s Copacabana Beach concert marks the last stop on her acclaimed “Celebration Tour,” and also marks the singer’s first show in Brazil since 2012. Crews have set up a stage in front of the Belmond Copacabana Palace Hotel, and local officials have said the show could bring out as many as two million fans.

While previous stops on the tour have brought out special guests like FKA Twigs, Ricky Martin and Salma Hayek, it’s not clear who — if anyone — will appear on stage with Madonna tonight. Still, expect an appearance from Bob the Drag Queen (a.k.a. Caldwell Tidicue), who has opened for Madonna on all dates of the global tour.

More From Our Brands

David gilmour sets first u.s. tour dates in eight years, this chicago home had a cameo in ‘the bear.’ now it can be yours for $2.2 million, new book reveals one man’s hard truths about women’s sports, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, chyler leigh pitches the way home role for supergirl sis melissa benoist, verify it's you, please log in.

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Madonna will perform at Rio's Copacabana beach to close out her tour

Julia Carneiro

Over a million fans are expected to turn up on Rio's famous Copacabana beach Saturday for Madonna's end-of-tour mega concert.

Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Breaking News

Madonna’s Celebration Tour pulls record 1.6M fans into the groove at Rio’s Copacabana

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

More than a million music fans gathered at Brazil’s iconic Copacabana beach to prove their love to Madonna over the weekend.

The “Get into the Groove” and “Vogue” pop diva concluded her career-spanning Celebration Tour with a bang over the weekend, treating fans in Rio de Janeiro to a free beach concert on Saturday. “This really happened,” the singer reminisced in an Instagram video shared Sunday.

The Instagram clip shows an aerial view of attendees assembling on the sandy Brazilian strip, which stretches more than 2 miles along the coast. While some fans danced on the beach, others hosted house parties in nearby beachfront apartments and hotels, the Associated Press reported.

Madonna’s Celebration tour is a messy victory lap that needs more razzle-dazzle

Madonna brought her career-spanning Celebration tour to the Kia Forum for a night of hits, memories and grievances.

March 5, 2024

“This place is magic,” the 65-year-old singing icon said during her show, which also featured appearances from Brazilian artists Anitta and Pabllo Vittar.

An estimated 1.6 million people gathered for Madonna’s Celebration Tour finale, Brazilian outlet G1 reported, citing Rio City Hall’s tourism agency. The event was also broadcast on Brazilian network TV Globo. Even before a million-plus fans descended on Copacabana over the weekend, Madonna announced in late March that her send-off would be her “biggest gig yet.”

“The show will be free of charge as a thank you to her fans for celebrating more than four decades of her music over the course of the epic global run of the tour,” her website said.

Saturday’s concert broke Madge’s personal attendance record — 130,000 fans at Paris’ Parc des Sceaux in 1987 — by more than tenfold. Madonna also bested the record previously held by the Rolling Stones’ 2006 Copacabana concert , which drew 1.5 million people.

‘No Madonna fan’ should expect a Madonna show to start on time. So says Team Madonna

Madonna’s legal team submits a dismissal request in a class-action case about her concert tardiness, contending that a two-hour delay didn’t injure ticketholders.

April 5, 2024

” @Madonna makes history in Rio tonight marking the largest ever standalone concert for any artist, with over 1.6 million fans attending as she closes The Celebration Tour,” Live Nation announced on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.

Madonna’s Celebration Tour launched in October, months after she was hospitalized for a bacterial infection last June. The Grammy winner brought her headline-generating tour to Inglewood’s Kia Forum for several nights in March.

Times critic Mikael Wood wrote that the singer’s Celebration Tour “ was curiously short on joy. ”

“A pop concert is a theater of personality and craft, not one of plot or character development,” he added. “But a narrative this messy needed more razzle-dazzle.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More to Read

Ricky Martin to headline LA Pride in the Park festival

April 26, 2024

Free love at Coachella? Organizers not happy with billboard for STD testing

April 3, 2024

Inside the iconic Conga Room’s very last night

March 28, 2024

The biggest entertainment stories

Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Alexandra Del Rosario is an entertainment reporter on the Los Angeles Times Fast Break Desk. Before The Times, she was a television reporter at Deadline Hollywood, where she first served as an associate editor. She has written about a wide range of topics including TV ratings, casting and development, video games and AAPI representation. Del Rosario is a UCLA graduate and also worked at the Hollywood Reporter and TheWrap.

More From the Los Angeles Times

From hitmaker to historian: Why Ernest is reviving the sound of classic country music

May 13, 2024

World & Nation

Switzerland’s Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest after event roiled by protests over Gaza war

May 11, 2024

Shaquille O’Neal-Shannon Sharpe beef reaches diss track level. Here’s how we got here

May 10, 2024

After shooting, Drake’s mansion gets second trespasser in two days, police confirm

• FINALLY ENOUGH LOVE
• RAY OF LIGHT
• RAISING MALAWI
• Sign up Log in

CELEBRATION TOUR TO VISIT NASHVILLE + NEW U.S. DATES ADDED

With anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passing in Tennessee and other states, longtime social activist Madonna announced an additional stop on her The Celebration Tour in Nashville on December 22nd .  A portion of proceeds from the show will go to trans rights organizations. In regard to the over 100 anti-LGBTQ+ bills currently before state legislatures, Madonna says “the oppression of the LGBTQ+ is not only unacceptable and inhumane; it’s creating an unsafe environment; it makes America a dangerous place for our most vulnerable citizens, especially trans women of color.  Also, these so-called laws to protect our children are unfounded and pathetic. Anyone with half a brain knows not to fuck with a drag queen. Bob and I will see you from the stage in Nashville where we will celebrate the beauty that is the queer community.” Due to overwhelming demand, in addition to Nashville, Madonna has added seven new dates to her massive global The Celebration Tour, adding shows in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Palm Springs, and Sacramento, along with a second show in Phoenix and a third show in San Francisco and Las Vegas.  All new dates will take place between December 2023 and January 2024, and mark the final additional shows in North America where Madonna will perform some of her greatest hits from her unparalleled music catalogue. TICKETS: Tickets for the new dates will go on sale starting with Citi and Official Fan Club presales on Tuesday, March 28th, with the general on sale starting March 31st at 10am local time on madonna.com (Noon local time for the Dec 20 Philadelphia show). PRESALE: Citi is the official card of Madonna The Celebration Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets starting Tuesday, March 28 at 12 pm local time through Thursday, March 30 at 6pm local time . For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com . Legacy members of Madonna’s Official Fan Club will have a presale opportunity starting from Tuesday, March 28 at 10am local time through Wednesday, March 29 at 6pm local time .  VIP: Fans can also purchase VIP Packages, which may include premium tickets, exclusive access to a behind the scenes tour, group photo on-stage, pre-show reception, limited edition lithograph & more. For more information, visit vipnation.com . Madonna, the best-selling female solo touring artist of all time, announced that The Celebration Tour has sold-out over 40 shows and counting across Toronto, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and more. The Celebration Tour will kick off on Saturday, July 15th at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC with stops in Phoenix, Seattle, Denver, and more before making its way to Europe where she will perform in 11 cities throughout the fall, including Antwerp, Copenhagen, and Stockholm, among others. She will then return to the U.S. for the additional dates across New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and more. The Celebration Tour will offer a one-of-a-kind experience with special guest Bob the Drag Queen a.k.a. Caldwell Tidicue across all dates on the global tour. NEWLY ADDED SHOWS: Mon Dec 18 2023 / Washington, DC / Capital One Arena Wed Dec 20 2023 / Philadelphia, PA / Wells Fargo Center Fri Dec 22 2023 / Nashville, TN / Bridgestone Arena Thu Jan 11 2024 / Palm Springs, CA / Acrisure Arena Sat Jan 13 2024 / Sacramento, CA / Golden 1 Center Mon Jan 15 2024 / San Francisco, CA / Chase Center Thu Jan 18, 2024 / Las Vegas, NV / MGM Grand Garden Arena Sat Jan 20, 2024 / Phoenix, AZ / Footprint Center

Latest Stories

News archives.

• February(1)
• December(1)
• September(2)
• February(2)
• September(1)
• September(12)
• October(14)
• November(5)
• November(1)
• February(3)
• September(3)
• November(2)
• December(7)
• September(18)
• October(11)
• November(3)
• January(11)
• February(24)
• September(6)
• November(6)
• December(4)
• February(6)
• December(9)
• January(10)
• November(4)
• February(12)
• February(9)
• September(4)
• February(4)
• December(2)
• January(17)
• February(20)
• November(7)
• December(3)
• January(13)
• February(8)
• October(23)
• November(14)
• December(15)
• November(28)
• December(11)
• February(18)

• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Concert Tickets

Watch CBS News

Taylor Swift's European Eras Tour leg kicked off in Paris with a new setlist. See which songs are in and out.

May 9, 2024 / 8:24 PM EDT / CBS/AFP

Taylor Swift fever struck Paris on Thursday as the highest-grossing tour in history finally arrived in Europe, with fans treated to the first-ever performance of songs from her latest album.

The Eras Tour began its European leg with four dates at the La Defense Arena in Paris.

"I wish I could have toured Europe more. This is a dream crowd," the 34-year-old megastar told the ecstatic audience.

There were deafening shrieks as images of typewriter sheets indicated that songs off the new album "The Tortured Poets Department" were starting late in the show.

Emerging in a lyrics-covered dress, she ran through several of the darker new tracks starting with "But Daddy I Love Him" and "Fortnight", a particularly furious rendition of "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" and an elaborate "I Can Do it with a Broken Heart," with a golden-era Hollywood dance routine.

Other "The Tortured Poets Department" songs performed included "So High School," "Down Bad" and "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived," according to ETonline .

"You were the first crowd to see songs from 'The Tortured Poets Department'," she said, before adding: "Or, as I like to call it, 'Female Rage: the Musical.'"

That was a dream come true for many in the audience.

"I've been so excited for so long, I can't believe it's actually happening," said 11-year-old Emma, who had flown in with her mother from New York.

Adding songs from "The Tortured Poets Department" wasn't the only change to the show and its 45-song setlist.

Perhaps the biggest change, according to ETonline, is the "Folklore" and "Evermore" setlists were combined, cutting four songs across the two albums: "'Tis the Damn Season," "Tolerate It," "The 1" and "The Last Great American Dynasty."

"On the Eras Tour, we have now reunited the sisters, combined them into one chapter," Swift said, according to video posted to social media. "You can call it "Folklore, Evermore" or you can call it the Sister Albums! You can call it whatever you want as long as you promise to sing 'Champagne Problems' with me."  

"The Archer" was removed from the "Lovers" portion of the show and "Long Live" was cut from the "Speak Now" era setlist, according to ETonline.

One of the secret songs was, fittingly, the "Midnights" bonus track "Paris."  

Parts of the show were also rearranged to make room for the newest era. The "Red" era was moved from the fifth to the third slot, according to ETonline, and the newest album was introduced following the "1989" set.

The venue said a fifth of the crowd were from the United States — many attracted by Europe's rules against charging huge mark-ups on resale tickets that can save Americans thousands of dollars compared with shows at home.

Georg'Ann Daly decided to celebrate her 23rd birthday with the Paris show. It meant flying from Nashville to Chicago to London and catching the Eurostar to Paris.

"I've always been obsessed with Taylor Swift," she told AFP.

A handful of superfans camped out from Tuesday in Paris to ensure they got a prime spot.

"I didn't plan to, but I came to check it out and I saw the first tents and I panicked a little," said Chris, 30.

Noah, 20, is seeing all four Paris concerts — he used 22 email addresses to get through the lottery system and secure the tickets.

After wrapping up her run in Paris, Swift will head for dates in Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Poland and Austria.

The Eras Tour has worked its way across North and South America and Asia since starting in March 2023.

By the end of the year, it had already become the first to sell more than $1 billion in tickets and is on track to more than double that by the time it concludes in Vancouver this December.

Swift's popularity shows no sign of dimming — the new album sold 1.4 million copies on its first day and broke every streaming record , reaching a billion streams on Spotify within five days.

Swift's tell-all dissections of her love stories have been the fuel powering her global domination, and fans have been poring over "The Tortured Poets Department" for cryptic clues about ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn, her short-but-dramatic fling with Matty Healy (lead singer of The 1975), and her current partner, American football star Travis Kelce.

"Taylor talks about toxic relationships, impossible love, politics, mental health, and so much more," said Chris as she waited by her tent for the big moment. "I think we can all find a song that resonates with our experiences." 

• Taylor Swift
• European Union

More from CBS News

Sean "Diddy" Combs asks judge to dismiss sexual assault lawsuit

Cannes set to unfurl against backdrop of war, protests and films

What is Eurovision? Everything to know about the European song contest

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees test of new multiple rocket launcher