In September 2009, Madonna played the final show on her recording-demolishing 85-date Sticky & Sweet Tour at Israel’s Yehoshua Gardens. On May 29, she’ll launch a new world tour — her ninth — in Tel Aviv, beginning a nearly 90-date international jaunt that stretches into early 2013. Live Nation confirmed 51 of the shows in an announcement today, which means there are close to 39 more on the way — the current itinerary does not include South America and Australia, and Madonna will be making her way to both continents. (She’ll be performing her first shows Down Under in 20 years, Live Nation’s CEO Arthur Fogel tells Billboard, noting 25 to 30 percent of the dates will be in markets Madonna has never played.) This means the 53-year-old superstar will be following her biggest-ever gig (an audience of approximately 114 million caught her Super Bowl halftime spectacular) with the biggest tour of her nearly 30-year career.
Twenty-six of her shows are scheduled for the U.S. so far, starting with an August 28 gig in Philadelphia. As of now, the Queen of Pop’s sole New York date is a September 6 show at Yankee Stadium, which has once again become a destination for major musical extravaganzas following Jay-Z and Eminem’s megashow there in 2010.
There will unsurprisingly be a host of VIP packages on sale for Madonna’s tour supporting her March 26 album M.D.N.A.. Full details are available at VIP Nation as well as Madonna’s website. Because M.D.N.A. is coming out on Live Nation Entertainment/Interscope Records, the tie between the singer’s album release and tour will be especially close. Billboard notes any U.S. resident who purchases a ticket to the show online will get either a digital or physical copy of M.D.N.A., which they’ll likely want, because these tix will not be cheap.
The Sticky & Sweet Tour grossed $408 million over its 85-date run, earning Madonna records for highest ever grossing trek for a solo artist and a spot in the Top 5 grossing tours of all time (she came in third).
May 29 – Tel Aviv, IR @ Ramat Gam Stadium
June 3 – Abu Dabi @ Yas Arena
June 7 – Istanbul, TR @ Turk Telecom Arena
June 11 – Zagreb, CR @ Maksimir Stadium
June 14 – Milan, IT @ Stadio San Siro
June 16 – Florence, IT @ Stadio Franchi
June 20 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
June 24 – Coimbra, PT @ Estadio Cidade de Coimbra
June 28 – Berlin, DE @ O2 Arena
July 2 – Copenhagen, DK @ Parken Stadium
July 4 – Gothenburg, SE @ Ullevi Stadium
July 7 – Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
July 12 – Brussels, BE @ Stade Roi-Baudouin
July 14 – Paris, FR @ Stade De France
July 17 – London, UK @ Hyde Park
July 21 – Edinburgh, UK @ Murrayfield Stadium
July 24 – Dublin, IE @ Aviva Stadium
July 29 – Vienna, AT @ Ernst-Happel Stadion
August 1 – Warsaw, PL @ National Stadium
August 7 – Moscow, RU @ Olimpiski Arena
August 8 – St. Petersburg, RU @ SKK Arena
August 12 – Helsinki, FI @ Olympic Stadium
August 15 – Oslo, NO @ Telenor Arena
August 18 – Zurich, CH @ Stadion Letzigrund
August 21 – Nice, FR @ Stade Charles-Erhmann
August 28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
August 30 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
September 1 – Quebec City, QC @ Plains of Abraham Site
September 4 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
September 6 – New York, NY @ Yankee Stadium
September 10 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
September 12 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
September 15 – Atlanta City, NJ @ Boardwalk Hall
September 19 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
September 23 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
September 29 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
October 2 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
October 6 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
October 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
October 13 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand
October 16 – Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
October 20 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
October 24 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
October 27 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
October 30 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
November 1 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
November 3 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
November 10 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
November 15 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena
November 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
TBA – Miami, FL @ TBA
