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Madonna news - Jan. 2023
← Dec. 2022 | Feb. 2023 →
Additional tour dates for London, Brooklyn and LA in December/January
Source: Madonna.com - 26 January 2023< p>Madonna adds a fifth London date to her colossal The Celebration Tour, returning to the U.K. on Tuesday 5th December at The O2. Tickets go on sale Friday 27th January at 9am at madonna.com/tour.Madonna adds fifth and sixth shows in New York and LA to her colossal The Celebration Tour, returning to New York on Wednesday, December 13th, 2023 and Thursday, December 14th, 2023, this time in Brooklyn, NY at Barclays Center. She will then perform two more shows in LA, taking place Sunday, January 7th 2024 and Monday, January 8th, 2024 at Kia Forum. Tickets go on sale Monday, January 30th 2023 at 10am local time at madonna.com/tour.
Biopic bootcamp was gruelling, intense and, it turns out, completely pointless
Source: The Guardian - 26 January 2023It's a sad day to be Julia Garner. For years, Garner has been slowly carving out a niche for herself as one of Hollywood's most promising leading actors. She was the best thing about Ozark, the best thing about The Assistant, the best thing about Dirty John, and she was also in Inventing Anna. And this unstoppable rise was meant to be capped with a showy turn as one of the biggest icons the world has ever seen: Madonna.
Of course, that's all in the bin now. The long-gestating Madonna biopic – about Madonna, co-written by Madonna and directed by Madonna – has been canned. News of the film's cancellation came after Madonna announced a huge world tour, although it's understood that the decision was made before that. According to the Hollywood Reporter, every script that Madonna turned in was at least three hours long, and so full of incident that producers were unsure whether to turn it into a television show or split it into parts like a Harry Potter film.
Whatever the reason, though, the film is done. This is bad news for Universal, which had spent lots of money developing the project. It's bad news for Madonna, since the success of Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocket Man showed that a biopic is the best way to cement a musical legacy. But, really, the person who comes out of this worst is Julia Garner. Because this means she put herself through Madonna Bootcamp for nothing.
The Madonna film had one of the most berserk audition processes in motion picture history. Once Madonna had drawn up a shortlist of all the actors who could feasibly play her – as well as Garner, they reportedly included Florence Pugh, Odessa Young and pop star Sky Ferreira – she put them through the musical performance equivalent of the first half an hour of Full Metal Jacket.
The young stars were drilled hard, participating in gruelling 11-hour choreography sessions with Madonna's own choreographer, several readings with Madonna and a number of further auditions where they had to sing Madonna songs at Madonna for the approval of Madonna. The whole thing sounds so absolutely brutal that you can't even be truly sure that Julia Garner was really the best person for the job. Maybe she was the last one standing. Maybe she was the only actor not to end each day with a sock full of loose fingernails. Maybe she was the only one who didn't end the process by curling up into the foetal position and involuntarily urinating whenever she heard the opening bars of Like a Prayer.
Either way, it doesn’t matter any more. The whole Madonna Bootcamp process was for nothing. Julia Garner might have won, but she still only came out of the experience with the same status as Pugh and Young. Despite everything, they are all at best just theoretical Madonnas.
But although the disappointment might sting now, every Madonna Bootcamp participant can hold their head high. The Madonna movie might be dead, but the skills learned along the way will prove to be invaluable in the long term. If the project ever returns as a TV show, they will be automatic frontrunners. If there’s another role that requires dancing, they will know that they had the best training in the business. If there’s ever a strange upsurge in the popularity of weird erotic thrillers that transparently rip off Basic Instinct, they can find reassurance in the knowledge that they once spent several days in the presence of a woman who starred in one of the most egregious.
Most importantly, though, when a chilly European arthouse director inevitably decides to take all the Madonna Bootcamp stories and use them as inspiration for a gruesome psychological horror in the mould of Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria remake, they will all get cast and mine all their real-life trauma for critical acclaim. It might not be a lot, but it’s the best they can expect right now.
Biopic scrapped as Madonna concentrates on world tour
Source: Variety - 24 January 2023The anticipated biopic of music legend Madonna is taking an indefinite holiday. The project, which the icon was going to direct herself, is no longer in development at Universal Pictures, multiple sources told Variety.
Speculation over the fate of the movie began instantly after Madonna announced a career-spanning world tour last week — one that sold out shows in New York, London, Paris and other cities in minutes. Insiders familiar with Madonna said her sole focus Is the tour, but she remains committed to making a film about her life one day.
Representatives for Madonna, Garner and Universal Pictures declined to comment on the matter.
While announced in 2020, development on the film lingered on through the end of 2022. Madonna worked on two script drafts encompassing large periods of her creative and personal life. An earlier version was written with Oscar winner Diablo Cody (their writing sessions were disseminated wide on social media). Erin Cressida Wilson ("Secretary," "The Girl on the Train") took a second pass. Last June, Variety broke the news that Emmy and Golden Globe winner Julia Garner had won the role of the pop icon. It followed a grueling weekslong bake-off among a group of young actors (including Florence Pugh, "Euphoria" star Alexa Demie, Odessa Young and Bebe Rexha) who attended singing and dancing bootcamp.
Universal Filmed Entertainment Group Chairman Donna Langley brought the project to the studio with producer Amy Pascal, whose eponymous production company is set up on the Uni lot. Sara Zambreno and longtime Madonna manager Guy Oseary were set to executive produce. The project would have marked a reunion for Madonna and Pascal, who worked together on the 1982 baseball classic "A League of Their Own."
Madonna has two feature films to her name as a director: "Filth and Wisdom," a 2008 dramedy set in the U.K., and 2011's "W.E.", a historical romance about King Edward VIII's abdication of the British throne to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
Madonna releases film feature The Enlightenment
Source: Youtube - 24 January 2023Madonna has released 'The Enlightenment' on her Youtube channel. The film feature was created by Madonna and photographers Luigi & Iango during the making of the photoshoot published in the February 2023 issue of Vanity Fair.
Madonna thanks her fans, feels luckiest girl in the world
Source: Instagram - 23 January 2023Madonna has posted a video on Instagram and TikTok, thanking her fans for the support over the past few days. She says she feels like the luckiest girl in the world, that she doesn't take the support for granted, and that she looks forward to putting the show together.
Many other celebrities reacted in the comments. On TiKTok, Lady Gaga replied "We love u M". On Instagram, Diplo joked "U better book me for after party". Honey Dijon added: "Congratulations Love! There is only one Madonna and thank you for your art and contribution to music and culture"
Second show added in Copenhagen, Lisbon, Cologne, Berlin
Source: Madonna.com - 23 January 2023Copenhagen: a second show at the Royal Arena has been added on 26 October.
Tickets will go on sale next Friday, 27 January 10am at madonna.com/tour.
ICON Legacy members will have a pre-sale on starting Tuesday, 24 January at 9am local time through Tuesday, 24 January at 6pm local time.
Lisbon: a second show at the Lisbon Arena has been added on 7 November.
Tickets will go on sale next Friday, 27 January 10am at madonna.com/tour.
ICON Legacy members will have a pre-sale on starting Tuesday, 24 January at 9am local time through Tuesday, 24 January at 6pm local time.
Cologne: a second show at the Lanxess Arena has been added on 16 November.
Tickets will go on sale next Wednesday, 25 January 10am at madonna.com/tour.
ICON Legacy members will have a pre-sale on starting Tuesday, 24 January at 9am local time through Tuesday, 24 January at 6pm local time.
Berlin: a second show at the Mercedes-Benz Arena has been added on 29 November.
Tickets will go on sale next Wednesday, 25 January 10am at madonna.com/tour.
ICON Legacy members will have a pre-sale on starting Tuesday, 24 January at 9am local time through Tuesday, 24 January at 6pm local time.
How much money could Madonna's Celebration Tour make?
Source: Billboard - 21 January 2023The all-hits tour by the Queen of Pop is certain to be one of the year's biggest concert runs.
When Madonna hits the road later this year for her career-spanning Celebration Tour, she'll be taking a global victory lap, further cementing her legacy as the Queen of Pop. She'll also be taking home big money — upwards of $100 million, by Billboard's estimate.
The parade of concerts will feature Madonna's greatest hits from across her 40-year career, a rare straightforward ambition for one of the world's most enigmatic artists. With 38 top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and 23 top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, the tour stands to continue her streak as the highest-grossing solo female artist in Billboard Boxscore history (provided she can fend off Taylor Swift's upcoming Eras tour). How high will it go?
Madonna's touring career began in earnest with 1985's The Virgin Tour, averaging more than 10,000 tickets and $100,000 per night, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. (The average ticket price on that tour was $14.74, a distant whiff of what her — and all artists' — arena concert tickets cost in the 2020s. In today's dollars, adjusted for inflation, that skimpy price would translate to $29.56.)
Already a sell-out force, Madonna's next trek, 1987's Who's That Girl World Tour, tripled her draw and nearly quintupled her selling power in just two years, pacing 35,000 tickets and $756,000 per show in a mix of arenas and stadiums that year.
Both of those figures were just the beginning. They were followed by 1990's Blond Ambition Tour, 1993's The Girlie Show and seven tours in the 21st century that have grossed at least $50 million each.
Madonna's highest-grossing tour thus far is the 85-date Sticky & Sweet Tour in 2008-09, playing stadiums around the world to the tune of $407.7 million and 3.5 million tickets. Fifteen years later, it remains the highest-grossing tour by a woman ever. (Her next trek, 2012's MDNA Tour – her lengthiest tour by number of shows at 88 – played a mix of stadiums and arenas, and became her second-highest grossing run, with $305.2 million.)
The Celebration Tour was announced on Tuesday (Jan. 17) with 26 shows in North America and 12 in Europe. Throughout this week, that routing expanded to 41 and 20, respectively. Madonna begins the trek on July 15 in Vancouver and is scheduled to wrap Dec. 2 in Amsterdam. Thus far, no dates outside the U.S., Canada and western Europe have been announced.
To gauge the tour's financial prospects, it would be unfair to simply reflect on Madonna's most recent tour. That was the 2019-20 Madame X Tour, an experiment that placed the Queen of Pop in intimate theater-based mini-residencies in major markets on both sides of the Atlantic. The 75-show run sold itself out at 179,000 tickets and $51.5 million, but it's an outlier in a career comprised of (much) larger venues.
A more apt comparison would be the Rebel Heart Tour of 2015-16, a string of 82 arena shows after the stadium madness of her previous two treks. That tour grossed $169.8 million and sold 1.05 million tickets worldwide, including quick stints in Asia and Oceania. On the Rebel Heart Tour, more relevant to the Celebration routing, Madonna averaged $1.8 million and 12,500 tickets in the U.S. and Canada, and $1.7 million and 14,600 tickets in Europe. Given her current 61-show routing for The Celebration Tour, maintaining those averages would put the entire run on track to gross $106.9 million and sell 802,000 tickets.
But ticket prices have risen since Madonna was charging $15-and-under in the '80s, including a significant spike in the last five years. Platinum ticketing and dynamic pricing have blown out arena and stadium grosses in the post-pandemic era, with Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, The Rolling Stones and more approaching $200 averages on tour last year.
For example, on Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, his average arena ticket in North America jumped from $139 in 2018 to $181 in 2022. That's a 30% increase, which would bolster Madonna's projected gross to $140.6 million. But the surge in prices hasn't been as great in Europe, which could soften our prediction back toward the $130 million mark.
Further, Madonna has long been a global icon. So far, The Celebration Tour spans two continents, while she has frequently hit South America, Asia and Oceania throughout her career. An expansion of the tour — which seems like a natural idea based on the marketability of an all-hits show — would drastically change what is realistic for the 2023 trek. And as noted above, Madonna already increased the number of North American shows for the tour by more than 50% before The Celebration Tour's general on-sale began on Jan. 20. Demand could dictate further additions.
Today's on-sale generated over 600,000 tickets sold, with 35 sold-out shows and more to become available next week.
Over nearly 40 years, Madonna has grossed a reported $1.376 billion and sold 11.7 million tickets across 575 shows. That makes her the most successful female act in Boxscore history. The Celebration Tour will nudge her closer to the $1.5 billion mark. Among all acts, only four have grossed more in Boxscore history.
Queue to see Queen of Pop play in London reaches 171,000 despite venue capacity of 20,000
Source: MyLondon - 21 January 2023Madonna fans were left horrified by a massive digital queue to buy tickets nearly 10 times larger than the O2 Arena's actual capacity. The iconic singer and performer announced a 2023 greatest hits Celebration tour earlier this week, with just one date at the O2 in London.
General sale of the tickets kicked off at 10am (Friday, January 20) on Ticketmaster. However, fans are facing hot competition to nab tickets of their own.
Several users took to Twitter just minutes after the tickets went live to share where they were in the digital queue. One Tweet from user @AdamSGibson said: "@LiveNationUK how on earth can I be 170,033 in the queue for #MadonnaCelebrationTour tickets!!"
The O2 has a 20,000 seat capacity and there are nearly 80,000 people ahead of me in the queue for Madonna tickets in London. It’s not looking promising!!! pic.twitter.com/2EmbdbEmlc
— Lilah Rokka (@hal9341) January 20, 2023
A second person Tweeted a screenshot of their queue position, showing 171,664 people ahead of them. "171K people," they added alongside it followed by a skull emoji. A third Twitter user wrote: "People currently ahead of you, 126422."
They also shared a photo showing their place in the digital queue, along with a screaming GIF. Others were left scratching their heads as how there could be that many people in line for tickets when the Greenwich music venue only has a capacity of 20,000.
User @hal9341 said: "The O2 has a 20,000 seat capacity and there are nearly 80,000 people ahead of me in the queue for Madonna tickets in London. It's not looking promising!!!"
Madonna sells out 36 shows on first day of general sales
Source: Madonna.com - 21 January 2023Today, Madonna, the best-selling female solo touring artist of all time, announced that The Celebration Tour has sold-out 36 shows and counting across Toronto, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and more, with over 600,000 tickets sold.
Due to overwhelming demand, 23 new dates were added this week across North America and Europe. The global run now includes second shows in Miami, Las Vegas, Milan, Barcelona and more as well as three nights in Paris and four nights in New York, Los Angeles and London, with multiple added dates already sold-out.
NORTH AMERICA
Vancouver: SOLD OUT Seattle: 1st date SOLD OUT
Chicago: 1st date SOLD OUT Toronto: 2 dates SOLD OUT
Montreal: 2 dates SOLD OUT NYC: 3 out of 4 dates SOLD OUT
Boston: 1st date SOLD OUT Tampa: SOLD OUT
Miami: 1st date SOLD OUT Houston: 1st date SOLD OUT
Dallas: 1st date SOLD OUT Austin: 1st date SOLD OUT
LA: 3 out of 4 dates SOLD OUT San Francisco: 2 dates SOLD OUT
Las Vegas: 1st date SOLD OUT
EUROPE
London: 3 out of 4 dates SOLD OUT
Antwerp: 1st date SOLD OUT Copenhagen: SOLD OUT Barcelona: 1st date SOLD OUT
Lisbon: SOLD OUT Paris: 2 dates SOLD OUT, 3rd added
Cologne: SOLD OUT Milan: 2 dates SOLD OUT
Berlin: SOLD OUT Amsterdam: 1st date SOLD OUT
You can find the updated tour schedule here.
If you haven't already, book your tickets at madonna.com/tour.
Additional shows added in Europe after successful general sales
Source: Madonna.com - 20 January 2023The general sales for the Celebration Tour went very fast this morning. Early on, a second date was added for Amsterdam. Antwerp and Barcelona followed soon after. By noon, there were also 2 additional dates for London and a second date for Milan. A third date for Paris will go on pre-sale on January 26 at 10am, with a general sale on January 27 at 10am.
You can find the updated tour schedule here.
If you haven't already, book your tickets at madonna.com/tour.
Madonna adds 13 dates in North America
Source: Madonna.com - 19 January 2023Due to overwhelming demand, Madonna today announced the addition of 13 new dates in North America across The Celebration Tour. Produced by Live Nation, the 35-city global tour now includes 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. Tickets for the newly added performances go on sale tomorrow – FRIDAY, JANUARY 20TH at 10am Local Time alongside the shows already announced in each respective city.
TICKETS: Tickets for newly added dates will go on sale tomorrow, Friday, January 20th at 10am local time. Visit madonna.com/tour for complete tour and ticket listing.
ADDITIONAL SHOWS: As previously announced, tickets for performances in Phoenix, Denver, St. Paul, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Washington, and Atlanta will go on sale Friday, January 27th at 10am local time. Citi is the official card of Madonna The Celebration Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets starting Tuesday, January 24 at 10am local time through Thursday, January 26 at 6pm local time. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com. Legacy members of Madonna's Official Fan Club will have a pre-sale opportunity starting Monday, January 23 at 10am local time through Wednesday, January 25th at 5pm 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 announces second London date
Source: Madonna.com - 19 January 2023Due to overwhelming pre-sale demand, Madonna today announced a second show at London's the O2 Arena. Adding to the originally announced performance on Saturday, 14-October, The Celebration Tour adds Sunday 15-October to the performance line-up.
TICKETS: Tickets for both London performances – 14 & 15 October will go on sale starting Friday, January 20th at 10am local time at madonna.com/tour.
AMEX INCLUSION FOR U.K.:
American Express Cardmembers can get access to tickets from 10am Friday 20 January. Head to ticketmaster.co.uk/americanexpress and don't miss your chance to see Madonna live on stage! Terms and Conditions apply.
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 channels Jesus in Vanity Fair's 'Icon Issue'
Source: Billboard - 19 January 2023In a first, the legendary singer will appear on the covers of the Italian, French and Spanish editions.
Madonna is used to making history, but in a first, the singer adorns the cover of three different editions of Vanity Fair in Italy, Spain and France this month in the kick-off to the new annual "Icon Issue"project celebrating legends who "contribute[s] to shape the modern culture."
The massive project includes a sprawling portfolio of pictures created by photographers Luigi & Iango that expresses the "values Madonna has defended throughout her artistic path and iconography," beginning with a provocative cover image of the singer as a weeping Virgin Mary, complete with a sword-pierced heart on the outside of her chest and another in which she plays a Jesus at an all-female Last Supper.
In a preview, the magazine said the two-day shoot for the piece involved more than 80 collaborators, noting that it will also spin off a future exhibition, a short movie and an urban art performance. In keeping with her haute history, Madonna was dressed for the shoot in designs by John Galliano for Maison Margiela, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier and others under the direction of her regular collaborator, Swedish stylist B. Åkerlund.
In an exclusive interview for the piece, Madonna talks about feminism, sexuality, religion and diversity, with a focus on her career-long battle against the patriarchy and the price she's had to pay for sticking to her guns over the past four decades in the public eye.
The day after announcing the dates for her upcoming 40th anniversary "Celebration Tour,"the singer discusses her return to the stage and the plans for her long in-the-works biopic. "I'm about to create another show, and I've been working for several years on the screenplay about my life," the singer told the magazine. "This is a good time for me — I'm gathering ideas, getting inspired, hanging out with creative people, watching films, seeing art, listening to music."
The 35-city Live Nation-produced tour will kick off in North America on July 15 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC and hit Detroit, Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas and San Francisco before wrapping up in Las Vegas on Oct. 7. The outing will then move on to Europe, starting with a date in London at the O2 Arena on Oct. 14 and winding down in Amsterdam on Dec. 1 at the Ziggo Dome. No release date or title has been announced so far for the biopic.
"Madonna's career has a biblical dimension, a universal scope," Galliano told the magazine. "The first time I saw her, she was already inspired, fearless, with integrity and artistic pride." VF's European editorial director Simone Marchetti, who conducted the interview, added, "Madonna accepted not only to be part of a fashion shoot but on an artistic project that is the representation of the values that she embodied in the last 40 years. Each image is like a reflection on Madonna's extraordinary contribution to the culture of the last decades. Those pages are the milestones of a discussion, a progress and a commitment that does not stop here. A commitment that we strive to tell, explain and illustrate in every issue of Vanity Fair."
Images from the shoot will be part of a Sept. exhibition by Luigi & Iango at the Palazzo Reale Museum in Milan; the Italian edition of VF hits newsstands today, followed by the Spain and France editions on Jan. 25.
Check out more images from the shoot below.
The Dream Setlist for Madonna's 2023 Celebration Tour
Source: Billboard - 19 January 2023Here's what we're dying to hear on her 40th anniversary trek.
In 1910's The Vagabond, the French writer Colette claimed, "The only real things are the dance, the light, freedom, music." If that's the case, then there are few pop catalogs more in touch with reality than Madonna's.
The Queen of Pop kicked 2023 off right by announcing the Celebration Tour, a global trek honoring her four decades of culture-changing hits.
Needless to say, she has a lot of material to choose from — with 12 No. 1s, 38 top 10 hits and 57 titles on the Billboard Hot 100, Madonna is an all-time pop GOAT. And considering her most recent tour (the excellent, intimate Madame X Tour from 2019-2020) was primarily focused on the album of the same name she was supporting, there's quite a number of beloved classics that Madge hasn't performed live in several years.
That seems set to change with the Celebration Tour, which promises to be a career-retrospective run of songs from the pop icon, whose self-titled debut introduced the world to a new game-changing superstar back in 1983. And since we're looking at 40 years of Madonna, we decided to round up 40 songs we would love to hear the Material Goddess perform live.
Now, we're not saying we want every one of these songs performed in full at every tour stop — a 40-song setlist is less a concert and more of a marathon. Some we'd like to hear in part, perhaps as a segue or in a medley; others we could imagine M performing as a surprise treat on select tour dates. But this is our wish list.
1. Everybody
Why not start where it all began? Ms. Ciccone's debut single missed the Hot 100 but hit No. 3 on the Dance Club Songs chart in 1983 — i.e., 40 years ago. And given that this is a career-spanning 40th anniversary tour, it would be a fitting opener. Plus, the message still lands: "Dance and sing/ Get up and do your thing."
2. Borderline
For as beloved as this sparkling gem from her self-titled debut is, it hasn't been trotted out all too often in concert (although she did memorably sing it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2016). Just try to understand (underSTAND) how delightful it would be to hear this slice of cotton-candy pop at a stadium near you.
3. Angel
While Madonna slipped into "Dress You Up" for her Rebel Heart Tour, she hasn't put a touring halo on "Angel" since 1985 – which is before at least half the people in her Truth or Dare-style teaser clip were even born. This sweet, slinky slice of '80s pop could use some wings.
4. Material Girl
It might've seemed presumptuous for Madonna to compare herself to the 20th century's most enduring sex symbol back on her second album, but history has more than proven she can comfortably place herself in the same pop culture pantheon as Marilyn Monroe. The smash still slaps, and it's proven surprisingly durable, allowing for various stylistic reimaginings.
5. Material Gworrllllllll
Sure, it's an anniversary tour, but it can't all be backward gazing – and what better song to catapult this setlist into the 21st century than Madonna's delirious, wild collab with Saucy Santana? Of course, the rising rapper can't reasonably be present for every date, but given that they've already performed it together in NYC once, he could make one of the MSG dates, right?
6. Frozen
The highest-charting hit from 1998's Ray of Light (No. 2 on Hot 100), a crowd-pleaser during her intimate 2019 residency at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and a recently viral TikTok favorite, it's a no-brainer that hearts will be open (and phones will be recording) if and when she busts this one out. Whether it's the O.G. ballad version or the amped-up Sickick remix is Madame X's decision to make.
7. Bedtime Story
Given that Madonna has performed it just once live, this Björk co-write about the fallibility of language is overdue for a reappreciation. We're not saying we want the full-length version, but with the right arranger, it could serve as a surprising, satisfying segue into a certain No. 1 smash from the same album…
8. Take A Bow
Spending seven weeks at No. 1, Take a Bow is Madonna's longest-running Hot 100 topper — yet she's rarely performed it live. All the world is a stage, which means there's basically no place a performance of this achingly gorgeously ballad doesn't belong.
9. Open Your Heart
Second album Like a Virgin propelled her to superstardom, but 1986's True Blue proved she was there to stay, and Open Your Heart is a huge piece of that equation. Coy yet fierce, airy but unstoppable, Heart is every bit as irresistible as when it reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in early '87.
10. Gambler
Save her part in a no-budget student film (A Certain Sacrifice) shot in 1979, Madonna's first film role was in the 1985 romance Vision Quest. She contributed two songs to the soundtrack: the Hot 100-topping ballad Crazy for You and Gambler, the latter of which didn't even reach streaming services until 2022. Is it a lost masterpiece? Not exactly, but it's a rollicking high-energy number that we can imagine Madonna busting out the electric guitar during.
11. Don't Cry For Me Argentina (Miami Mix)
Sure, it's more of a classic in the oeuvres of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Patti LuPone, but when it comes to Evita, Madonna does have something those theater greats don't: A top 10 Hot 100 hit, thanks to this remix accompanying the film's 1996 release. We're not asking for a start-to-finish dramatic performance, but a verse or two would be a delightful lead in to….
12. La Isla Bonita
Given that Amy Schumer led an eclectic celebrity-sing-along to this one in an Instagram video teasing the tour, it seems like a given that it will be on the setlist. And why the hell not? It's a fan fave everyone knows the words to, which means that when Madge incites a stadium-wide sing-along to the chorus, she can slip off stage and change costume before anyone realizes she's gone.
13. Deeper And Deeper
An underrated pop-house classic from Erotica, Deeper and Deeper sounds better and better with each passing year – and for a tour that follows a year where not one but two next-gen superstars released house-imbued LPs, this deserves some shine. Plus, it directly references…
14. Vogue
It's no guarantee that Madame X will let her body groove to this music during her 40th anniversary tour, but given the fact that Queen Bey paid official homage to the Queen of Pop just last year with her appropriately titled The Queens Remix of the Hot 100-topping "Break My Soul," it's a likely bet. Vogue is of its time, sure, but increasingly, it's clear that it's one of the GOAT dance classics.
15. Drowned World/Substitute For Love
Face the facts: You can't follow-up a high-energy bulldozer like Vogue with another banger, slapper or even a bop. Take it down a notch. Ray of Light's ethereal, introspective opening track is enough of a vibe to keep the energy up while allowing people a moment to catch their breath.
16. Hollywood
On this American Life single, Madonna tackled her love-hate relationship with Hollywood, one that's produced its fair share of hits (Evita, Desperately Seeking Susan) and flops (Swept Away, Shanghai Surprise). Her Tinseltown fixation continues even now with her wildly anticipated upcoming biopic, directed by Ms. Ciccone herself. Our suggestion? She should thread exclusive biopic teasers into live performances of Hollywood on the anniversary tour. People (including but not limited to us) will eat it up.
17. Who's That Girl
Speaking of a hit and a flop, it's time to bring Who's That Girl back into regular rotation on a Madonna tour. Yes, the movie underperformed, but that's water under the 36-year-old bridge. The title track topped the Hot 100 in the summer of 1987, and it would be exciting to hear how M would reimagine it for 2023.
18. Causing A Commotion
While we're on the topic, Causing a Commotion was a No. 2 Hot 100 hit hailing from the same soundtrack. This might not be a sturdy classic in the vein of hit songs that warranted inclusion on The Immaculate Collection, but we'd like to hear some rarities on this trek, and why not a "deep cut" that was also a massive hit?
19. Back That Up to the Beat (Demo)
Originally released on a deluxe edition of Madame X in 2019, the demo version of this song (dating back to 2015) went viral on TikTok in 2022, prompting Madonna to officially release this likable, Danceteria-styled jam. It's probably not a selection for every night, but it would be a fun surprise here and there.
20. I Don't Search I Find
Her landmark 50th hit on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart, this Madame X highlight pulls off the slick trick of keeping its feet in the club while reaching its fingers into the nebulous ether. It also gave her recent hits comp Finally Enough Love its name, so it would be surprising not to hear it at least a couple times on this tour.
21. Girl Gone Wild
A decade after its release, fan reactions to MDNA remain mixed – hell, Madonna herself has questioned it. But this thumping, dark EDM foray hits the hedonistic sweet spot, and a portion of it could provide a solid lead-in to…
22. Music
Her 12th (and to date most recent) song to top the Hot 100, Music seems like a shoo-in for an anniversary tour setlist. It's one of her most played hits, and for good reason: Be they bourgeoise or rebel, it makes the people come together.
23. Like A Virgin
Despite being one of her live staples, she hasn't busted out Like a Virgin since 2016 – and for an anniversary tour, it's kinda-sorta a must, as her first No. 1 on the Hot 100. We're not demanding a full rendition – it's far from the very first time she's played it – but it still makes us feel shiny and new.
24. Give It 2 Me
A throbbing highlight from 2008's Hard Candy, Give It 2 Me was one of just 16 remixes to appear on the abridged vinyl version of Finally Enough Love. It was justified: this Neptunes co-production about her unstoppable drive and insatiability still leaves us breathless.
25. Sorry
Speaking of breathless (and not Mahoney), this Confessions on a Dance Floor delight is a relentless monster of propulsive rhythm, and it's an underrated fan fave she hasn't busted out on stage in well over a decade.
26. I'll Remember
Despite it being a No. 2 hit on the Hot 100, Madonna has still yet to perform this song (which hailed from the With Honors soundtrack and was later included on her ballads comp Something to Remember) on stage. It might be too on the nose for Madonna, but given that this is an anniversary tour, I'll Remember could be an opportunity for a visual montage of the far-too-many friends and collaborators she's lost over the years.
27. What It Feels Like For A Girl
Whether she goes the thumping techno route from the video or the more acoustic album version, this Music single would give Madonna a chance to visually highlight any number of global concerns, from the protests in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody (after she was arrested and beaten for wearing her hijab in a fashion authorities objected to) to the trans women targeted by dog whistle-loving conservatives.
28. I Rise
A crowd sing-along to I Rise – which was a stirring, sobering encore on the Madame X Tour that clearly meant a lot to Madonna herself – could nicely cap off this more serious portion of the setlist.
29. Hanky Panky
Madonna contains multitudes — which means after an especially somber segment, it wouldn't be hard for her to turn on a dime and brighten things up. Given the star roster of drag queens she brought to New York during 2022 Pride Month, she shouldn't have any trouble deploying a coterie of drag stars to join her on stage as she gradually brings the energy level back up with this I'm Breathless single.
30. Keep It Together
A highlight of her Blond Ambition World Tour that hasn't seen a stage in decades, the funky family anthem Keep It Together (a top 10 Hot 100 hit) is overdue for a chance to groove audiences once again.
31. Express Yourself
The higher-charting (No. 2) stylistic sister to Together, Express Yourself hails from the same album (Like a Prayer) and has been a highlight of any Madonna tour it's graced. It's a must.
32. Erotica
Public response might've been puritanical to this one back in 1992, but it paved the way for dark-alley musical detours from Rihanna, Christina Aguilera and others. This sinuous S&M groover deserves another moment in the light – or in this case, in the glow of a basement-dungeon fluorescent bulb dangling from a chain.
33. Hung Up
Who knew ABBA could sound so urgent before Madonna sampled their 1979 hit "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" for Hung Up — a throbbing piece of disco revival that remains as irresistible (and in the gay bars, inescapable) as when Madonna dropped it in 2005?
34. Rescue Me
While it popped up as an interlude during the Madame X Tour (following a backstage request from Billboard at the 2019 BBMAs), Rescue Me is one of Madonna's few top 10 hits that she's never performed live. It's a rousing anthem of resilience, and we'd love to hear it on at least one of these Celebration Tour dates.
35. Living For Love
The Rebel Heart single that deserved better (it topped Dance Club Songs but missed the Hot 100), Living for Love is a rousing diva-house anthem with an uplifting message. The gospel choir elements could provide a fitting segue to…
36. Like A Prayer
This will probably take up prime real estate during the Celebration Tour, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Whether she's singing it on stage in front of tens of thousands or on the streets of Harlem well past midnight, it never fails to take us there. And in terms of pre-encore show closers, it's hard to beat.
37. Celebration
For the encore opener, we're thinking the single that gave her 2009 hits comp and this tour its name. Plus, when she dropped it at Terminal 5 during Pride Month 2022, it served as perfect intro to…
38. Holiday
A simple song about persevering throughout dark times that has become an anthem for the LGBTQ community, Holiday is a masterclass in not overthinking the assignment. Need a sweet, joyful dance-pop rallying cry? This is it.
39. Into The Groove
You wanna dance? For inspiration? C'mon! It doesn't get better than this. Our pick for the best Madonna song of all time, there's something ineffably liberating about this ode to forgetting your fears on the dancefloor.
40. Bitch I'm Madonna
Fan reactions to this song are admittedly divided, but it's an appropriately IDGAF pin to put on 40 years of iconoclastic pop: a smirk, a wink and a middle finger all in one.
Seat plans for European Celebration Tour dates
18 January 2023Today, the pre-sales for ICON Legacy members and American Express customers have started via madonna.com/tour.
Below you can find seat plans for most European shows, so you can prepare your ticket sales beforehand.
Madonna unveils dates for 'Celebration' World Tour, featuring 'Four decades of Mega Hits'
Source: Variety - 17 January 2023As expected, Madonna has announced dates for "Madonna: The Celebration Tour," in a viral video with a wink to her 1990 film "Truth or Dare." The video features Judd Apatow, Jack Black, Lil Wayne, Diplo, Bob the Drag Queen, Kate Berlant, Larry Owens, Meg Stalter, Eric Andre and culminates with Amy Schumer daring Madonna to go on tour and perform her four decades of mega hits.
The singer will rise to the challenge beginning on July 15, with a tour that will "be highlighting her unmatched catalog of music from the past 40-plus years," according to the announcement. It will also "pay respect to the city of New York, where her career in music began."
Produced by Live Nation, the 35-city global tour will kick off in North America on July 15 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC with stops in Detroit, Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and more before making its way to Europe, where she will hit 11 cities throughout the fall, including London, Barcelona, Paris, and Stockholm, among others. The tour will wrap in Amsterdam on December 1 — full dates appear below.
"I am excited to explore as many songs as possible in hopes to give my fans the show they have been waiting for," Madonna says in the announcement.
Bob the Drag Queen (a.k.a. Caldwell Tidicue) will be the special guest on all dates of the tour.
Tickets go on sale starting Friday, January 20th at 10am local time at madonna.com/tour. Citi is the official card of the tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning today (January 17) at 2 p.m. local time through January 19 at 6 p.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program.
Legacy members of Madonna's Official Fan Club will have a pre-sale opportunity beginning on January 17 at 12 p.m. ET through January 18 at 5 p.m. ET for all North America based shows and from 9 a.m. GMT/ 10 a.m. CET to 5 p.m. GMT/ 6 p.m. CET on January 18 for U.K. and European shows.
THE CELEBRATION TOUR - NORTH AMERICAN DATES:
Sat Jul 15 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Tue Jul 18 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Sat Jul 22 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
Tue Jul 25 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Thu Jul 27 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
Sun Jul 30 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
Wed Aug 02 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
Sat Aug 05 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Mon. Aug 07 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Wed Aug 09 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Sun Aug 13 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Sat Aug 19 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell
Wed Aug 23 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Thu Aug 24 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Wed Aug 30 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Sat Sep 02 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Tue Sep 05 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Thu Sep 07 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Sat Sep 09 – Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena
Wed Sep 13 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Mon Sep 18 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Thu Sep 21 – Austin, TX – Moody Center ATX
Wed Sep 27 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Wed Oct 04 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Sat Oct 07 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
THE CELEBRATION TOUR - EUROPE DATES:
Sat Oct 14 – London, UK – The O2
Sat Oct 21 – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis
Wed. Oct. 25 – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena
Sat Oct 28 – Stockholm, SE – Tele2
Wed Nov 01 – Barcelona, ES – Palau Sant Jordi
Mon Nov 06 – Lisbon, PT – Altice Arena
Sun Nov 12 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena
Mon Nov 13 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena
Wed Nov 15 – Cologne, DE – Lanxess Arena
Thu Nov 23 – Milan, IT – Mediolanum Forum
Tue Nov 28 – Berlin, DE – Mercedes-Benz Arena
Fri Dec 1 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome
What we know so far about The Celebration Tour
Source: Social media - 17 January 2023The online fan community has gone in overdrive, ahead of today's tour announcement.
What do we know so far?
The tour will be titled The Celebration Tour, and it will be Madonna's first retrospective tour, focusing on her hits of the past 40 years, without the release of any new material.
Expect both stadium and arena shows across North America (summer of 2023), Europe (autumn) and South America (winter).
Some dates that are circulating online:
July 15: Vancouver, Canada
Aug. 10: Chiacgo, IL
Aug. 13-14: Toronto, Canada
Aug. ??: Montreal, Canada
Oct. 14-15-17-18: O2 Arena, London, UK
Nov. 12-13: Accor Arena, Paris, France
Nov. 15: Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany
Nov. 23: Milan, Italy
Nov. 28: Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin, Germany
ICON Legacy members have already received a presale code. There will be several pre-sales, starting tomorrow, January 18, with general sales expected as from January 20.
The tour details with the specific tour dates and sales dates will be announced this afternoon at 15.00 CET.
Lastly, a first stage plan has surfaced, which shows an incredible stage and catwalk design. Jamie King is again involved in the production of the tour.
Madonna clears Instagram account ahead of tour announcement
Source: Instagram - 16 January 2023Since this morning, Madonna's official Instagram account contains zero posts. While the reels and highlights are still available, the posts were cleared ahead of the tour announcement, which is expected tomorrow.
Rumour has it that the announcement will be made on Tuesday January 17th at 3pm CET. A first presale will follow as soon as Wednesday, with other presales and general sales following later this week.
It is said to be Madonna's biggest tour as yet. Which territories she will be visiting later this year will be announced tomorrow, but several sources have already revealed that several shows at the O2 in London are included.
Madame X (International Deluxe Edition) hits streaming platforms
Source: RetroPop Magazine - 15 January 2023The International Deluxe Edition of Madonna's 2019 album Madame X has been made available digitally.
The 18-song collection boasts the original LP – featuring the singles Medellin, Crave, I Rise and I Don't Search I Find – along with an additional five songs.
Two of the bonus tracks – Extreme Occident and Looking For Mercy – feature on the Deluxe Edition of Madame X, while an additional three songs were featured on Disc Two of the International Deluxe release.
They are Funana, Back That Up to the Beat and Ciao Bella.
The second of the three tracks dates back to 2015 and Madonna recently released the original demo, along with a new sped-up TikTok version, after it went viral on the social media platform.
It comes after she got in on the action by sharing a clip of herself posing and dancing to the track while sporting a black leather and lace ensemble.
Last year, Madonna celebrated her 50 US Dance Club Songs Chart No. 1 hits with the Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones remix collection.
The 50-track collection includes her favourite remixes of her dance hits, spanning her entire four-decade career.
Madonna secretly planning 40th anniversary Greatest Hits tour including London shows
Source: The Sun - 5 January 2023MADONNA is secretly planning a special 40th anniversary Greatest Hits tour, The Sun can reveal.
The 64-year-old Material Girl is expected to announce new dates in the next few weeks — and has booked out London's O2 Arena for multiple events.
Starting at the end of this year, it will be the pop superstar's first ever compilation tour, featuring all her best-known numbers.
She hinted in an interview with Variety magazine last year that she was keen to get on the road again.
Now she has held a series of meetings with American director Jamie King, 51, who has masterminded her productions since 2001.
Last night a source said: "Madonna is trying something completely new — and really giving fans, young and old, what they want."
"She wants to capitalise on tracks like Frozen and Material Girl popping off on TikTok, and introduce her back catalogue to an entirely new generation.""
"Previously she has always wanted to be forward-facing and focus on whatever new album she's plugging. But now, in her mid-sixties, she is going back to basics and once again reinventing herself."
"That being said, it is sure to be no holds barred and suitably risqué."
"Her last Madame X tour was in small theatres, but this one will be in stadiums, with the O2 already confirmed. It's massively exciting."
The US superstar has been planning the shows for several months.
She last performed at the O2 in 2015 on her Rebel Heart tour — and famously took a tumble on stage there that year at the Brit Awards.
Last July, Madonna told how she was eager to perform again, saying: "I want to go on tour again. I'm a creature of the stage. That is my happy place."
Her Madame X tour in 2019 and 2020 saw her play 75 intimate shows at theatres around the world.
But she was forced to cancel several dates due to recurring hip and knee injuries.
This year marks 40 years since Madonna first entered the US Billboard Hot 100 with Holiday in 1983.
The following year she got her first US No1 with Like a Virgin.
Her first No1 in the UK came in 1985 with Into the Groove.
Madonna is famed for reinventing herself — and for shocking audiences. She famously angered the Catholic Church in 1990 after simulating masturbation on stage during a song, with the Pope calling for a boycott of her Blond Ambition tour.
And in 2006 she was criticised by the Church of England for staging a mock crucifixion during her Confessions tour.
She defended herself saying: "Jesus wouldn't have minded."
