Madonna Slays in Celebration Tour Opener — Talks Near-Death Experience

Madonna, who battled a bacterial infection this summer that delayed her touring plans, triumphantly took the stage at London's O2 Arena late Saturday for the kickoff of her long-awaited Celebration greatest-hits tour — and along with serving looks and fan-favorite tunes, she didn't hold back in talking about her brush with death.

The Queen of Pop, 65, does not skimp on hits this go-round, serving up such classics as "Into the Groove," "Holiday," "Vogue," "Ray of Light," "Like a Prayer," and "Like a Virgin," while saving time for songs that advance the show's narrative about her career, like opener "Nothing Really Matters."

During a break in the frenetic show, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who looked radiant, revealed she "forgot five days of my life" during her stay in an ICU.

"My children always save me — every time," she revealed, noting that it was her eldest. "And if you wanna know my secret, and if you wanna know how I pulled through and how I survived, I thought, 'I've got to be there for my children. I have to survive for them.'"

She even sang an unplugged, ballad version of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," which led to Gaynor posting, "Madonna congratulations on the launch of #TheCelebrationTour at the @theo2london 🎶💜🎤 So happy that you are in good health and ready to have a holiday with fans around the world! By the way, you have excellent taste in music! 😉🎼🎸🕊️🫶🏾"

As if to underscore her point about the importance of her fam, several of her kids joined her onstage, including Lola Leon, who turned 27 Saturday. Mama Madonna serenaded her with the "Ray of Light" track "Little Star," written about her firstborn.

Her 17-year-old daughter Mercy James played piano as Madonna crooned the mournful ballad "Bad Girl."

Though she also made time for a speech about the Israel-Palestine war, the show was far more devoted to Madonna's endless catalogue and to a smorgasbord of dizzying visuals.

The only hiccup arrived early, when a sound issue forced the vamp to vamp for several minutes.

The TikTok-friendly Celebration, whose 4,400-square-foot stage mimicked the grid of Manhattan, included a tribute to famous faces lost to AIDS as she sang "Live to Tell," including Freddie Mercury, Keith Haring and her late best friend Martin Burgoyne; reverential hat tips to Prince and Michael Jackson; and tireless support from "RuPaul's Drag Race" star Bob the Drag Queen, who donned a replica of Madonna's famous MTV Video Music Awards "Vogue" gown.

In a video package that flashed former lovers, longtime friend Ingrid Casares made the cut, perhaps the first public acknowledgment from Madonna that they had once been more than friends.

Another segment, devoted to negative press the controversy-seeking missile has endured included an old interview with Cher observing, "She's... mean."

The all-encompassing show ended with a saucy rendition of her 2015 hit "Bitch I'm Madonna," during which the popstar was flanked by a stageful of dancers in many of her most famous costumes, as well as a mash-up of "Celebration" and her no. 1 hit 'Music."

Many are anxiously awaiting their chance to see Madonna on tour — including Adele!  Adele told fans on Saturday, "I love Madonna and I'm very, very excited... I'm very jealous I wasn't at the London show, but I'll see her whenever she stops by in L.A. Very, very excited. She really is the queen!"

The Celebration tour is currently scheduled to run through April 24, 2024.

Full Set List (Not Including Some Snippets):

(1) "Nothing Really Matters"

(2) "Everybody"

(3) "Into the Hollywood Groove"

(4) "Burning Up"

(5) "Open Your Heart"

(6) "Holiday"

(7) "In This Life"/"Live to Tell"

(8) "Like a Prayer"

(9) "Erotica"

(11) "Justify My Love"

(13) "Hung Up on Tokischa"/"Hung Up"

(14) "Bad Girl"

(15) "Break My Soul" (Beyoncé)/"Vogue"

(16) "Human Nature"

(17) "Crazy for You"

(18) "The Beast Within"

(19) "Die Another Day"

(20) "Don't Tell Me"

(21) "Mother and Father"

(22) "Little Star" (a cappella)

(23) "I Will Survive" (Gloria Gaynor)

(24) "La Isla Bonita"

(25) "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"

(26) "Bedtime Story"

(27) "Ray of Light"

(28) "Rain"

(29) "Billie Jean" (Michael Jackson)/"Like a Virgin"

(30) "Give Me All Your Luvin'"/"Bitch I'm Madonna"

(31) "Celebration"/"Music"