The MDNA Tour

The MDNA Tour was the ninth concert tour by American singer Madonna, launched in support of her twelfth studio album, MDNA (2012). It was her fifth major collaboration with Live Nation and comprised 88 shows across Eurasia and the Americas. Following early rumors in 2011, the tour was officially announced after Madonna's performance at the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show in February 2012. The tour began on May 31, 2012, at Ramat Gan Stadium in Tel Aviv, and concluded on December 22 at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Córdoba, Argentina. It marked her first performances in Scotland, Ukraine, Colombia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as her first show in Turkey since the Girlie Show (1993). An Australian leg was planned for early 2013 but ultimately cancelled.

The show was divided into four thematic segments —Transgression, Prophecy, Masculine/Feminine, and Redemption— and described by Madonna as "the journey of a soul from darkness to light". Designed with contributions from Arianne Phillips and Jean Paul Gaultier, the production received generally positive reviews, with praise directed at its visual staging and choreography. However, critics noted the relative absence of Madonna's earlier hits in favor of MDNA material. The tour sparked several controversies, including the use of firearms and violent imagery, partial nudity, and political statements. A video interlude comparing French politician Marine Le Pen to Adolf Hitler led to a legal threat, while her support for Pussy Riot and LGBTQ+ rights during shows in Russia drew criticism from conservative groups. Additionally, an intimate concert at Paris's Olympia was widely panned by fans for its short length.

Commercially, MDNA was a major success. It grossed $305.2 million ($418.01 in 2024 dollars) from 88 sold-out shows, becoming the highest-grossing tour of 2012 and, at the time, the tenth highest-grossing tour ever. Madonna received the Top Touring Artist award at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards. The concerts at Miami's American Airlines Arena were filmed and broadcast as Madonna: The MDNA Tour through EPIX. A live album and concert film titled MDNA World Tour was released on September 10, 2013, in multiple formats, including double CD, DVD, and Blu-ray.

In early 2011, MTV News reported that Madonna would tour with the cast of American television series Glee, but her team denied the claim. Later that year, fansite DrownedMadonna published a purported 2012 tour itinerary from Live Nation listing stops in Auckland, Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines, China, South Korea, Japan, Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv; this too was confirmed false by her publicist Liz Rosenberg. However, Madonna did partner with Smirnoff to launch the "Nightlife Exchange Project", a global dance contest judged by her, her choreographers, and manager Guy Oseary. The winner, Charles "Lil Buck" Riley, was selected at the final event in New York and invited to join her next tour.

On February 5, 2012, Madonna performed at the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The following day, she officially announced the 2012 World Tour, later titled the MDNA Tour. Live Nation executive Arthur Fogel described it as her most extensive tour to date, covering 26 European cities before expanding to North and South America, with an anticipated stop in Australia —her first since the Girlie Show in 1993. Venues included stadiums, arenas, and "unique outdoor sites" such as Québec City's Plains of Abraham. Madonna's twelfth studio album, MDNA, was released on March 26, and fans who purchased tickets in the US. received a free digital or physical copy. Up to 250,000 copies of the album were reportedly distributed this way.

In July, the Australian leg was officially cancelled, with a spokesperson stating the tour would end in South America as planned. The announcement prompted backlash from Australian fans, who expressed their disappointment online. In response, Madonna posted an audio message on YouTube apologizing for the cancellation and explaining that her children were her top priority. She promised that when she eventually toured Australia, it would be worth the wait, adding, "I will put on the greatest show on Earth. I haven't forgotten about you".

The MDNA Tour marked Madonna's fifth collaboration with Live Nation and began taking shape in mid-2010, following early discussions between architect Mark Fisher, manager Guy Oseary, and promoter Arthur Fogel. Production veteran Jake Berry, known for his work on U2's 360° Tour (2009–2011), soon joined the team, and the tour's financial and logistical framework was finalized by the end of the year. Fogel described Madonna's tours as "cultural touch points" and "unique animals" in their ability to generate both fan excitement and global media attention. In a Facebook chat with Jimmy Fallon, Madonna revealed that the tour would not replicate her Super Bowl performance and would instead serve as "the journey of a soul from darkness to light", blending cinematic theater, spectacle, and intimate performance art. She confirmed the inclusion of violent imagery and outlined four thematic acts: Transgression, Prophecy, Masculine/Feminine, and Redemption.

Rehearsals began in a converted warehouse in Manhattan, later moving to the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale for full production run-throughs. Madonna described the process as "brutal" and shared images of bruises sustained during rehearsals. Final rehearsals were held at Ramat Gan Stadium in Tel Aviv District, where the tour officially launched on May 31, 2012. The performance ensemble included creative director Jamie King, longtime guitarist Monte Pittman, backing vocalists Kiley Dean and Nicki Richards, and over 15 dancers, including Smirnoff competition winner Lil Buck. Madonna also hired Basque trio Kalakan, whom she discovered in Guéthary, to perform a reworked version of "Open Your Heart" (1986). Slackliner Andy Lewis was invited to join the tour but declined.