In September 2019, Madonna plunged into her notable all-theatre Madame X Tour, which commenced on September 17 in New York City and is due to wrap up on March 11, 2020, in Paris, France. The tour is in support of Madonna’s 14th studio album, Madame X, which came out on June 14. This was the first full-length project she’s released since the 2015 release of Rebel Heart. The singer, who’s known for her electrifying blown-out tours, has stepped back into more intimate theatrical presentations for this particular set of shows. She will be performing a total of 83 smaller-scale shows at various theatres exclusively in the United States, Portugal, England, and France.

This tour is particularly different from her other big arena ones, largely in that she maintains that sultry attitude but in a way that requires vigilance. The Girlie Show tour back in 1993 showcased a sense of eroticism through burlesque shows, while her MDNA Tour in 2012 attended mostly to angry themes of sex and religion. Of all her eleven concert tours, the Madame X tour shows a developed persona of Madonna as she puts on emotional and magical performances of her timeless classics in such close proximity.

In reinventing what intimacy means in a concert setting, Madonna has instituted a no-cellphone policy in order to enforce the rule of concentrating on the art itself. The singer has also experienced a string of hip and knee injuries and has had to cancel ten shows throughout the tour. However, she has recuperated enough to perform at most shows and comes back just as strong. She uses these intimate moments as a way to interact directly with the audience through comedic banter. Not having cellphones develops a closeness that hasn’t been seen before at shows.

So far, the tour setlists feature a whole lot of new material combined with a melange of reconstructed oldie hits from Like a Prayer (1989) and True Blue (1986). The shows are commonly divided into four acts, mostly opening with “God Control,” as a way to align with the album’s stage-like soundtrack.

Throughout her shows, Madonna sports an eye patch as a way of marking her invincibility as an artist. “She’s a spy. She’s a secret agent. She travels the world. She changes her identity. She sleeps with one eye open. And she travels through the day with one eye shut,” she said. “She’s actually been wounded. So she’s covering up one of her eyes.” Other songs from the newest album include “Dark Ballet,” followed by “Human Nature” and “Express Yourself” from Like a Prayer.

Madonna also performs a series of covers, including “Fado Pechincha” by Isabel De Oliveria, “Sodade” by Cesaria Evora, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley and “Fever” by Eddie Cooley. Songs from Madame X are not the only ones that thrive in a theater setting. The shows also feature "La Isla Bonita" and "Papa Don't Preach" from the True Blue album.

The shows, which usually last about 21 songs, close with 80s classic “Like a Prayer” and with an encore of “I Rise.”

Visit Madonna’s website for details on where to purchase tickets for her remaining tour dates.

Madonna Madame X tour dates:

02/01-02/16 – London, Great Britain @ The London Palladium

02/20-03/11 – Paris, France @ Le Grand Rex