Madonna admitted she ‘didn’t think she’d make it’ during her near-death hospital dash as she kicked off her very raunchy Celebration Tour in London on Saturday evening.
The Queen of Pop, 65, is performing an ambitious 45-song setlist highlighting her record-breaking 40-year career at the O2 Arena in Greenwich.
She had been forced to reschedule her shows after she was rushed to the ICU and intubated when she was found slumped on the floor of her New York City apartment in June.
Her family, who rushed to her bedside, were said to have been ‘preparing for the worst’ and ‘feared we may lose her’.
Madonna broke her silence on the life-threatening ordeal in between singing her greatest hits on Saturday, shocking her fans as she admitted she ‘forgot five days’ of her life.
Performance: Madonna kicked off her highly anticipated Celebration Tour 20 minutes late on Saturday, and the Queen of Pop didn’t disappoint with one of her raunchiest shows yet
She’s back: The Queen of Pop is performing at the O2 Arena in Greenwich with a setlist highlighting her music from her 40-year career
Oh dear! Although the show was due to start at 8.30pm, the show kicked off around 20 minutes late while a drag queen entertained the crowd
Solidarity: At one point, the Papa Don’t Preach hitmaker was draped in the Ukraine flag
Creative: Madonna paired an iconic bridal veil with a striking blue corset
Luminous: Her metallic catsuit reflected the stage lighting for a futuristic appearance
Standing on stage alone while holding her guitar, she said: ‘I didn’t think I would make it, and neither did my doctors.
‘That’s why I woke up with all of my children sitting around me.’
She continued her emotional confession: ‘I forgot five days of my life, or my death, I don’t really know where I was. But the angels were protecting me. And my children were there. And my children always save me, every time.
‘If you want to know how I pulled through and how I survived, I thought, I have got to be there for my children. I have to survive for them.’
Although the show was due to start at 8.30pm, the show kicked off around 20 minutes late while a drag queen entertained the crowd.
And no stranger to putting on a raunchy show, Madonna didn’t disappoint with her one of her raciest concerts yet, donning a sexy red corset while being surrounded by topless dancers.
The star, who also donned a dramatic jewelled headdress, was then hit by technical issues and the show was paused shortly after it began.
‘This is exactly what you don’t want to happen on your opening night!’ she joked.
She’s back! The singer spoke to her fans between songs, thanking them for their support after she was treated for acute septic shock
Painful! After her recent health issues, Madonna enlisted the help of a knee support during her energetic shows
Sexy! No stranger to putting on a raunchy show, Madonna didn’t disappoint with her one of her raciest concerts yet, donning a sexy red corset while being surrounded by topless dancers
Sensational! She has so far performed hits such as Like A Prayer, Live To Tell, Holiday and Nothing Really Matters – and revealed her children were in the audience
Eye-catching: Madonna wore a skin-tight catsuit with hundreds of shiny mirror-like embellishments
Still got it: The 65-year-old took on a number of poses on stage, showing off her flexibility
Strutting her stuff: Donning a giant bridal veil, Madonna flicked the accessory to the side and over her face
Theatrical: Madonna was as lively on stage as ever, pulling a number of expressive looks
Fans at the concert were blown away by her performance, with one concertgoer taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to write: ‘Madonna and her team have done an incredible job – the show is INCREDIBLE ♥️’
Another added: ‘THIS IS THE BEST PERFORMANCE OH GOSH!!! THE ONE AND ONLY QUEEN OF POP.’
A third said: ‘Madonna proving she’s in another league of her own once again.’
The singer spoke to her fans between songs, thanking them for their support after she was treated for acute septic shock: ‘Oh my god it’s so good to be back London. I am pretty damn surprised I made it this far.
‘I mean this on so many levels. How did I make it this far. Because of you. But I will take a bit of credit too.
‘It’s so nice to see you again and be back. I will tell you my story of life but through music.’
She performed hits such as Like A Prayer, Live To Tell, Holiday and Nothing Really Matters – and revealed her children were in the audience for the landmark opening night show.
As is typical of her style, Madonna’s show was filled with dramatic scenes and bold expressions.
During Like A Prayer, bright crucifixes were projected onto the screen while her performance of Hung Up saw her passionately smooch a female dancer.
The Papa Don’t Preach hitmaker gave a startlingly intimate confession to fans in the midst of her performance, speaking about a time when she was ‘broke and homeless’.
Blown away: The reviews were in as concertgoers couldn’t contain their excitement
Putting on a show: Madonna was surrounded by topless dancers as she thrilled the audience
Comeback: Madonna put on a racy show despite her health scare just months ago
United: The singer strutted around the stage wearing the Ukraine flag as a cape
Style: The La Isla Bonita songstress donned cowboy boots and a hat for another revealing outfit
Classy: At one point she channelled Marilyn Monroe with her platinum blonde ringlets
She said: ‘I was broke and homeless and hungry but I was not about to go back cos I’m not a quitter. So I decided to become a musician
‘I had no money to take a bath or a shower so I would actually date men who had showers and bathrooms.’
Also in the show, Madonna paid tribute to stars who have died from AIDS, including Freddie Mercury.
Alongside a message reading ‘In loving memory of the bright lights we lost to AIDS,’ photos of Mercury and Arthur Ashe were shown.
It comes after it was reported Madonna is reportedly set to take her upcoming Celebration Tour ‘at a slower pace’ following a serious health scare in June.
The singer was forced to postponed her shows as she was treated for acute septic shock, but officially restarted rehearsals in August.
An insider told The Mirror she is taking things ‘at slower pace’ and has ‘taken up boxing lessons’ – thanks to her new boyfriend Josh Popper, 29 – as well as yoga and weekly vitamin injections to aid recovery.
Outfit change: As the singer took to the stage she donned a teal corset
Troupe: As well as performing her greatest hits, Madonna’s show made for a magnificent spectacle
Support: The show was still somewhat stripped back as Madonna needed a leg brace
Details: The 65-year-old wore a multi-textured ensemble including lace on the arms and netted tights
Knockout show: As part of the setlist, dancers wore boxing gloves
Variety: Madonna was surrounded by her many dancers – but would sometimes take to the stage alone
Baring it all: Madonna was surrounded by topless dancers – men and women alike
Up close and personal: Between songs, Madonna spoke about her health scare and also life before pop fame
Hands on: Madonna was not hesitant to put space between herself and her dancers
Amazing: They all gathered together at the end of the show
Getting ready: Fans arrive at North Greenwich Station close to the O2 Arena in Greenwich
Fun: Madonna seemed happy and relaxed as she arrived back home after the show
With Madonna unable to make the decision herself, they had to choose to put off the much-anticipated tour.
She was given an injection of the drug Narcan – commonly used to reverse suspected drug overdoses – to combat acute septic shock before she was rushed on to hospital, reported Radar Online.
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused when the body releases chemicals to fight an infection. These chemicals damage the body’s own tissues and organs and can lead to shock, organ failure and death.
Bacteria can enter through cuts, wounds and the digestive system, among other areas. Sepsis is triggered when the bacteria gets into the bloodstream.
Doctors told DailyMail.com that Madonna looked worn down, thin and exhausted in the days before she nearly died from the serious infection.
After reviewing photos taken in the days before her illness, doctors said she looked ‘exhausted’ and appeared ‘thin’.
Her skin also appears pale, which may be a sign of exhaustion said Dr Stuart Fischer, who has more than 40 years of medical experience.
In a photo, posted to Instagram four days before her hospitalisation with the caption ‘the calm before the storm’, she was shown lying on the floor while wearing a black jumpsuit and fishnet tights.
Dr Fischer, who is also a former emergency care doctor in New York City, told DailyMail.com after viewing the photos that she was clearly ‘exhausted’.
‘She looks exhausted,’ he said.
‘Intense rehearsing and the stress associated with large-scale performances are undoubtedly risks for immunosuppression and unwanted health issues.
‘It’s the responsibility of the physician to point this out. Just because someone is an international celebrity doesn’t mean they’re invulnerable.’
Recovery: The singer was forced to postponed her shows as she was treated for acute septic shock, but officially restarted rehearsals in August (pictured in 2022)
An insider told The Mirror she is taking things ‘at slower pace’ and has ‘taken up boxing lessons’ – thanks to her new boyfriend Josh Popper, 29 – as well as yoga and weekly vitamin injections to aid recovery
Doctors told DailyMail.com that Madonna looked worn down, thin and exhausted in the days before she nearly died from the serious infection
In a photo, posted to Instagram four days before her hospitalisation she was shown lying on the floor as Doctors told DailyMail.com that Madonna looked worn down, thin and exhausted
Following her hospitalisation Madonna took over the Nassau Coliseum in New York City in August to prepare for the global tour.
She then secretly hired out a UK arena as she rehearsed for her upcoming Celebration Tour, according to a report.
The legendary singer splashed out on Manchester’s AO venue for some ‘intense, last-minute rehearsals’ to make sure every thing goes to plan.
Joined by her army of backing dancers, Madonna and her team prepared for her first night at London’s O2 Arena.
She had less than 48 hours until show time after gaining access to the O2 due to Blink 182’s tour, whereas she would usually practice at the whole week before.
A source told The Sun: ‘Madonna‘s tour will be epic. She is now locked in full rehearsal days, some of which are 12 hours long.
‘The stage is the most elaborate that she has ever taken on the road.
‘The tour is a celebration of her record-breaking career, so every- thing has to be perfect.’
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