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Sticky & Sweet Tour
The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer Madonna, launched in support of her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy (2008). It marked her first major undertaking under a new 360 deal with Live Nation. Following a series of promotional appearances, the tour was announced in May 2008 with shows across Europe and North America, and also marked her return to Latin America after fifteen years. Though initially planned, the tour did not visit Australia. The first leg began on August 23, 2008, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, and concluded on December 21 at Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo. In early 2009, a summer extension was confirmed, focusing primarily on European markets; this second leg ran from July 4 at the O2 Arena in London to September 2 at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv.
The show was divided into four thematic segments —Pimp, Old School, Gypsy, and Rave— and described as a "rock-driven, dancetastic journey". Critical reception was generally positive, with praise for the tour’s production values, choreography, and Madonna's stage presence. Commercially, the tour was a major success: after earning $282 million ($421.69 million in 2025 dollars) it became the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo artist at the time. An additional $129 million ($192.9 million in 2025 dollars) was generated from the 2009 extension, bringing the final gross to $411 million ($614.59 million in 2025 dollars), making it the second highest-grossing tour of all time, behind only the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour (2005―07). It remained the highest-grossing tour by a female artist for fifteen years.
The tour generated some backlash. A video interlude titled "Get Stupid" drew criticism for placing images of then-US Republican presidential candidate John McCain alongside those of Adolf Hitler and Robert Mugabe. During a 2009 concert in Bucharest, Madonna addressed discrimination against the Romani community in Eastern Europe, which was met with audible boos from the audience. The shows at Buenos Aires' River Plate Stadium were filmed and later broadcast as Madonna: Sticky & Sweet —first airing on Sky1, and subsequently on EPIX. The broadcast was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and CD in 2010 under the title Sticky & Sweet Tour.
In October 2007, Madonna officially announced her departure from Warner Bros. Records, the label she had been signed to since the beginning of her career. She entered into a landmark $120 million, ten-year 360 deal with Live Nation, covering future music ventures including touring, merchandising, and sponsorships. In March 2008, The Sunday Telegraph reported that Madonna was planning to visit Australia, with promoter Michael Chugg saying a world tour "will happen" and was actively being discussed. Around the same time, the singer herself hinted at plans during an interview with Z100-FM, saying: "I might tour in the fall —it's still a possibility". One month later, the Daily Mirror revealed the tour would likely begin that September at London's Wembley Stadium, with negotiations underway.
Hard Candy, Madonna's final studio album under Warner Bros, was released on April 29, 2008. She promoted it with exclusive concerts at New York City's Roseland Ballroom, Paris' Olympia hall, and headlined the BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. During a May 1 interview on On Air with Ryan Seacrest, she officially confirmed the tour. A week later, Live Nation and Arthur Fogel announced the Sticky & Sweet Tour —the first major undertaking under the new partnership. Kicking off in August, the tour spanned Europe, North America, and South America —marking her return to Mexico and Latin America for the first time since the Girlie Show of 1993. Although Australian dates were planned for January 2009, they were canceled for financial reasons. Instead, Madonna extended the tour through summer 2009 with a second European leg, kicking off July 4 at the O2 Arena in London, and concluding September 2 in Tel Aviv.
According to author Daryl Easlea in Madonna: Blond Ambition (2012), the singer envisioned the Sticky & Sweet Tour as "bringing the dance floor to the stadium", and delivering a nonstop party, in contrast to the political and message-heavy Confessions Tour of 2006. The show was described as a "rock-driven, dancetastic journey" divided into four thematic acts: Pimp, a blend of 1920s deco and modern gangsta glam; Old School, referencing early 1980s New York dance culture and Keith Haring's art; Gypsy, inspired by Romani folk music and dance; and Rave, an energetic finale with Middle Eastern influences. Jamie King returned as creative director, with Kevin Antunes as musical director. The production involved 250 crew members, 69 guitars, 12 trampolines, and 100 pairs of kneepads, as reported by NME. The troupe was made up of Monte Pittman on guitar, backing vocalists Kiley Dean and Nicki Richards, 12 dancers including Sofia Boutella, and artists like Hamutsun Serve and the Kolpakov brothers Sasha and Vladim.
The stage, more compact than its predecessor's, was T-shaped with a conveyor belt runway leading to a B-stage, and a Swarovski-studded "M" on each side. Seventeen high-definition video screens —three measuring 20 ft × 20 ft (6.1 m × 6.1 m) — created a 60 ft (18 m) seamless backdrop, controlled via XLNT's InMotion3D software. These screens played a key role in the show's visual storytelling: during "4 Minutes" and "Beat Goes On", the panels shifted to create a dynamic, immersive environment for virtual duets with Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams. For "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" and "Beat Goes On", a pair of concentric cylindrical stealth screens descended from above; though constructed from flat LED panels, they were customized into a rounded form using cable ties and small uprights, according to video engineer Jason Harvey.
The show's visuals were coordinated using Mac Pros, with footage arriving from London, New York, and Los Angeles. Highlights included brightly colored, childlike animations in the style of Keith Haring for "Into the Groove" (1985), and a video of Britney Spears trapped in an elevator during "Human Nature" (1995); Madonna described it as a metaphor for Spears' public struggles. For the 2009 extension, Marilyn Minter's Green Pink Caviar —featuring a giant tongue licking neon icing— accompanied opener "Candy Shop". Props used throughout the concert included a crystal-studded M-shaped throne, a 1935 Auburn Speedster, and a boxing ring.
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Sticky & Sweet Tour
The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth concert tour by American singer Madonna, launched in support of her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy (2008). It marked her first major undertaking under a new 360 deal with Live Nation. Following a series of promotional appearances, the tour was announced in May 2008 with shows across Europe and North America, and also marked her return to Latin America after fifteen years. Though initially planned, the tour did not visit Australia. The first leg began on August 23, 2008, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, and concluded on December 21 at Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo. In early 2009, a summer extension was confirmed, focusing primarily on European markets; this second leg ran from July 4 at the O2 Arena in London to September 2 at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv.
The show was divided into four thematic segments —Pimp, Old School, Gypsy, and Rave— and described as a "rock-driven, dancetastic journey". Critical reception was generally positive, with praise for the tour’s production values, choreography, and Madonna's stage presence. Commercially, the tour was a major success: after earning $282 million ($421.69 million in 2025 dollars) it became the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo artist at the time. An additional $129 million ($192.9 million in 2025 dollars) was generated from the 2009 extension, bringing the final gross to $411 million ($614.59 million in 2025 dollars), making it the second highest-grossing tour of all time, behind only the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour (2005―07). It remained the highest-grossing tour by a female artist for fifteen years.
The tour generated some backlash. A video interlude titled "Get Stupid" drew criticism for placing images of then-US Republican presidential candidate John McCain alongside those of Adolf Hitler and Robert Mugabe. During a 2009 concert in Bucharest, Madonna addressed discrimination against the Romani community in Eastern Europe, which was met with audible boos from the audience. The shows at Buenos Aires' River Plate Stadium were filmed and later broadcast as Madonna: Sticky & Sweet —first airing on Sky1, and subsequently on EPIX. The broadcast was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and CD in 2010 under the title Sticky & Sweet Tour.
In October 2007, Madonna officially announced her departure from Warner Bros. Records, the label she had been signed to since the beginning of her career. She entered into a landmark $120 million, ten-year 360 deal with Live Nation, covering future music ventures including touring, merchandising, and sponsorships. In March 2008, The Sunday Telegraph reported that Madonna was planning to visit Australia, with promoter Michael Chugg saying a world tour "will happen" and was actively being discussed. Around the same time, the singer herself hinted at plans during an interview with Z100-FM, saying: "I might tour in the fall —it's still a possibility". One month later, the Daily Mirror revealed the tour would likely begin that September at London's Wembley Stadium, with negotiations underway.
Hard Candy, Madonna's final studio album under Warner Bros, was released on April 29, 2008. She promoted it with exclusive concerts at New York City's Roseland Ballroom, Paris' Olympia hall, and headlined the BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend. During a May 1 interview on On Air with Ryan Seacrest, she officially confirmed the tour. A week later, Live Nation and Arthur Fogel announced the Sticky & Sweet Tour —the first major undertaking under the new partnership. Kicking off in August, the tour spanned Europe, North America, and South America —marking her return to Mexico and Latin America for the first time since the Girlie Show of 1993. Although Australian dates were planned for January 2009, they were canceled for financial reasons. Instead, Madonna extended the tour through summer 2009 with a second European leg, kicking off July 4 at the O2 Arena in London, and concluding September 2 in Tel Aviv.
According to author Daryl Easlea in Madonna: Blond Ambition (2012), the singer envisioned the Sticky & Sweet Tour as "bringing the dance floor to the stadium", and delivering a nonstop party, in contrast to the political and message-heavy Confessions Tour of 2006. The show was described as a "rock-driven, dancetastic journey" divided into four thematic acts: Pimp, a blend of 1920s deco and modern gangsta glam; Old School, referencing early 1980s New York dance culture and Keith Haring's art; Gypsy, inspired by Romani folk music and dance; and Rave, an energetic finale with Middle Eastern influences. Jamie King returned as creative director, with Kevin Antunes as musical director. The production involved 250 crew members, 69 guitars, 12 trampolines, and 100 pairs of kneepads, as reported by NME. The troupe was made up of Monte Pittman on guitar, backing vocalists Kiley Dean and Nicki Richards, 12 dancers including Sofia Boutella, and artists like Hamutsun Serve and the Kolpakov brothers Sasha and Vladim.
The stage, more compact than its predecessor's, was T-shaped with a conveyor belt runway leading to a B-stage, and a Swarovski-studded "M" on each side. Seventeen high-definition video screens —three measuring 20 ft × 20 ft (6.1 m × 6.1 m) — created a 60 ft (18 m) seamless backdrop, controlled via XLNT's InMotion3D software. These screens played a key role in the show's visual storytelling: during "4 Minutes" and "Beat Goes On", the panels shifted to create a dynamic, immersive environment for virtual duets with Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams. For "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" and "Beat Goes On", a pair of concentric cylindrical stealth screens descended from above; though constructed from flat LED panels, they were customized into a rounded form using cable ties and small uprights, according to video engineer Jason Harvey.
The show's visuals were coordinated using Mac Pros, with footage arriving from London, New York, and Los Angeles. Highlights included brightly colored, childlike animations in the style of Keith Haring for "Into the Groove" (1985), and a video of Britney Spears trapped in an elevator during "Human Nature" (1995); Madonna described it as a metaphor for Spears' public struggles. For the 2009 extension, Marilyn Minter's Green Pink Caviar —featuring a giant tongue licking neon icing— accompanied opener "Candy Shop". Props used throughout the concert included a crystal-studded M-shaped throne, a 1935 Auburn Speedster, and a boxing ring.