Pop icon Madonna kicked off her Celebration Tour at London’s The O2 Arena on October 14 following recovery from a severe bacterial infection that led to her hospitalisation in June.
“Thank you LONDON! Opening Night! An Evening I will never forget. ♥️ #madonnacelebrationtour,” the American singer-songwriter wrote on Instagram alongside a snippet of her performance from the opening night.
In the video, Madonna is seen belting out the song Nothing Really Matters from her 1998 album Ray of Light. The 65-year-old singer sported a black gown with a sweeping train and cape sleeves. She also wore a gem-lined tiara and opted for smokey eyes on the opening night.
Madonna sang the fan-favourite 1989 song Like a Prayer with a twist at The 02 Arena. She also performed parts of Sam Smith and Kim Petras’s Grammy-winning song Unholy along with an electrifying medley of Prince’s guitar solo.
The highlight of the opening night came when Madonna paid tribute to HIV/AIDS victims through the song Live to Tell. As a homage to late artists and friends, the screens behind the singer lit up with pictures of people who lost their lives due to AIDS, including Keith Haring and Freddie Mercury.
The Celebration Tour, marking the 40th anniversary of Madonna’s breakthrough single Holiday, was originally slated to take place in Canada earlier this year. However, it was postponed in June after the singer got hospitalised due to a serious bacterial infection.
