The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna to support her eleventh studio album Hard Candy. It was Madonna's first major venture from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. Announcements for the tour happened as early as February 2008 with dates for the UK and the American venues being announced. However, though initially planned, the tour failed to visit Australia like her past three tours, due to financial problems and the recession. Costume designer Arianne Phillips designed the costumes, supported by a number of renowned famous designers and brands. The stage for the main show was planned almost the same way as Madonna's 2006 Confessions Tour. After the tour was over in 2008, Madonna announced plans of resuming the tour in 2009, to play in previously unventured territories. The second leg, however, did not go to the United States.

The tour was described as a "rock driven dancetastic journey". It was divided into four acts: Pimp, where bondage dressed performances were the main theme, Old School where some of the classic songs of Madonna were performed with work of deceased artist Keith Haring, Gypsy was a fusion of Romanian folk music and dance with the performances ranging from melancholy to joyous. Finally the Rave segment performances consisted of eastern influences; Madonna performed in a robotic dress in this segment, which lead to the end of the show amidst a sing-a-long of the final song with the audience. Some changes were made to the set list during the second leg of the tour in 2009, which included a dance tribute to the recently deceased singer Michael Jackson. The tour generated positive reviews from contemporary critics.

The Sticky & Sweet Tour broke many records in terms of its ticket sales, commercial gross and audience attendance. After the first leg, it became the highest grossing tour by a solo artist by earning $282 million, breaking the previous record by Madonna herself with the Confessions Tour. The second leg of the tour was equally successful. Overall Madonna performed to over 3.5 million fans in 32 countries, grossing a total of US$408 million, making it also the second highest grossing tour of all time and the highest grossing tour by a solo artist. At the 2009 Billboard Touring Awards, the Sticky & Sweet Tour won the Top Tour and Top Draw prizes, which acknowledge the highest-grossing and highest-attended tours of the year, respectively. Madonna's manager Guy Oseary won the Top Manager award.

While on tour, a number of statements by Madonna against Republican Vice Presidential candidate for 2008 Sarah Palin, and videos showing US Republican presidential candidate John McCain in a negative position, faced strong opposition from the Republicans. While performing in Romania in 2009, Madonna's statement about gypsy discrimination in East-European countries was received negatively by the Romanians. During the second leg, two workers constructing her stage at Stade Vélodrome in Marseille were killed when the roof of the stage collapsed. The Sticky & Sweet Tour has been broadcasted on a number of private channels.

Background

The world tour was officially confirmed by Guy Oseary, Madonna's manager and Arthur Fogel, Live Nation's CEO Global Touring and Chairman Global Music on May 8, 2008. Billboard confirmed that the world tour was supposed to begin on August 23 in Cardiff, Wales with dates through the end of the year. It was named as the Sticky & Sweet Tour and would span three continents and 50–60 dates. The tour was produced globally by Live Nation and promoted her eleventh studio album Hard Candy. Billboard also confirmed performances in the United Kingdom and Europe until the end of September, arenas and stadiums in sixteen markets in North America in October and November, and then stadiums in Mexico and South America late November-December. The tour was described as a "rock driven dancetastic journey". The show features four acts: Pimp, a homage to 1920's deco and modern day gangsta pimp – Old School, portraying early 80's downtown New York City dance roots with works of deceased artist Keith Haring and the dance culture vibe of the time including the birth of rap – Gypsy, consisting of Romanian folk music and dance, and lastly Rave, consisting of eastern influences.

On January 30, 2009, it was announced that Madonna had decided to resume the tour in the summer of 2009 with around twenty-five more shows in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. The final leg of the tour was decided to start from London at The O₂ on July 4. Rest of the dates on the tour were stadiums in European markets Madonna had either never played or hasnot played in several years, according to Fogel. He said that "It absolutely has not happened in the four tours I've been involved with, [...] There has been talk [of extending] during each one, but it has never come to be. But with this one, she loves the show, she's had a great time and she's excited about playing new markets. [...] We went to quite a few markets she has never played or hasn't been to in 15-plus years. This [extension] is really a continuation of that in the sense of playing new and different markets."

Originally, Live Nation reported that the tour would make stops in the Americas and Europe. Music promoter and manager Michael Chugg stated that an Australian leg "will happen" and that local promoters are working hard to make it happen. Madonna had apologized to her Australian fans during Confessions Tour, saying that she tried to work Australia into her schedule but ultimately could not. Her last tour in Australia was The Girlie Show World Tour in 1993.. In October 2008, the Australian TV show Sunrise reported that Madonna will tour Australia in January 2009. Reporter, Molly Meldrum stated that Madonna's divorce from Guy Ritchie prompted her to include more dates on her tour. Madonna agreed for performances in Sydney and Melbourne but they were later cancelled. Local promoter Michael Coppel stated,

"Madonna was coming to Australia, the dates were resolved, then economics got in the way [...] It's unknown territory at the moment. A lot of tours went on sale before the dollar crashed. We are only starting to see the affect of the economy on the tour industry. [...] Everyone is feeling their way, the risk level has gone up substantially."

With the announcement of the 2009 extension, the Herald Sun reported that Madonna had plans to tour Australia in September 2009, with one show in Melbourne to be held at the Telstra Dome. It was later reported that the rumored date was false. Fogel stated, "[...] there is no validity to the reports."

Development

Costume designer Arianne Phillips designed the main costumes for the tour. According to her, Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci contributed two outfits, Tom Ford made bespoke suit for the band, Miu Miu created the shoes, Stella McCartney provided the thigh-high boots and Moschino made the sunglasses. Other desginers involved in creating the clothes includes Yves Saint Laurent, Roberto Cavalli, and Jeremy Scott. Givenchy's creations were selected for the first and the third section of the tour, while Scott's designs were selected for the second section. Philips commented on the different sections saying,

"It’s a theme that runs throughout her career. [...] She’s not afraid of being hard. [First section] "He [Keith Harring] and Madonna were friends. If he were alive, it would be his 50th birthday as well. So I thought, ‘What if we revisited that?’" [Second section] "Riccardo’s a new young talent. If you look at Madonna’s history with fashion, that makes him an obvious choice. [Madonna] always wants to push the envelope. There are no vanity considerations based on her age."

NME reported that the tour would comprise of 250 travelling workers, with 69 guitars, 12 trampolines and 100 pairs of kneepads. The stage was similar to the layout of the Confessions Tour stage with some differences. It had two giant textile panels that defined the proscenium arch which supported two giant "M" structures, enlightened from within. The lighting beams and structures hanged from the ceiling. There were four different units of sound speakers in the back of the stage, providing sound to the rear tiers. The main stage was accompanied by a catwalk, shorter than the Confessions Tour one, and a satellite stage at the end of the runway. There were a set of screens at the main stage - which moved and changed shape and layout, changing from the shape of a cube at the beginning of the show. Also present were a double layer of semi-transparent cylinder-shaped screens above the satellite stage. Also present were a number of smaller platforms, ramps, and even conveyor belts, which disappeared completely in the layout but popped out during some performances. The catwalks were shaped as a ramp at the very beginning but was transformed into a flat runway.

Concert synopsis

The show began with "The Sweet Machine", a 3D animation video, displaying a piece of candy being manufactured and used as a Pin-ball. As the video ended, "Candy Shop" began with Madonna appearing on a 'M' throne in the Givenchy designed dress, sitting with her legs spread apart and holding a staff in her hands. She was accompanied by her dancers in bondage themed costumes. "Beat Goes On" featured Madonna and her dancers dancing with a 1935 Auburn Speedster while Pharrell Williams and Kanye West appeared on the video screens behind. Madonna then played the electric guitar for "Human Nature" which featured a video of Britney Spears, trapped in an elevator, who sang along to some of the verses in the song. A modernized "Vogue", featuring the hook of "4 Minutes", was the final song for this section which lead to a video interlude for "Die Another Day", featuring Madonna as a boxer on screen, while her dancers performed a faux boxing match. The next section, inspired by the style and culture of early 80's New York, began with Madonna skipping on stage for "Into the Groove". This performance was a mashup with "Toop Toop" by Cassius and featured the artwork of friend Keith Haring. She then performed a double dutch dance interlude which lead to "Heartbeat". During that song, Madonna's dance movements were controlled by her back-up dancers as if they were puppeteers. Madonna then re-invents "Borderline" as a rock version on electric guitar. "She's Not Me" followed and showed Madonna making fun of her various incarnations and styles from the music videos of "Open Your Heart", "Material Girl", "Vogue" and "Like a Virgin". The section ended with "Music" which contained elements of "Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit" and excerpts from "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life". A short video was played featuring a tagged subway train. The "doors" of the train then closed to take in Madonna and her dancers. The "Rain" video interlude was played on the video screens; it featured an animated pixie finding shade under a petal during a rainstorm. This version contained musical elements from "Here Comes the Rain Again" by Eurythmics.

In the next section, "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" featured Madonna atop a piano, cloaked in a black shroud behind a circular video screen which showed imagery of waves splashing and rainfall. Madonna then performed "Spanish Lesson" featuring a flamenco-influenced dance solo by Alexander Kolpakov. She played the guitar once again for "Miles Away". "La Isla Bonita" featured the Ukrainian-gypsy group, Kolpakov Trio, incorporating the gypsy wedding song, "Lela Pala Tute". Madonna marches ahead a band of violin players to the front of the stage and then came back. She and her dancers then sat aside for a solo performance from Kolpakov Trio, who performed the traditional song "Doli Doli". Madonna returned to the stage for "You Must Love Me", the Academy Award winning song from, Evita. The act ends with "Get Stupid", a video interlude about global warming, famine and other global issues, while juxtaposing John McCain with Hitler and Barrack Obama with Gandhi. For the final act, Madonna appeared on stage for a virtual duet with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland for "4 Minutes". The next song was a remix of "Like a Prayer" featuring elements from "Feels Like Home" and video screens depicting messages from the Bible, Qur'an, Torah and Talmud. The electric guitar is played again for the performance of "Ray of Light". Madonna then seeked audience participation, asking for requests for "an oldie but goodie". She sang the first verse and chorus before moving onto a rock version of "Hung Up". A brief video featuring a modern take on classic arcade games was played, Madonna returned on stage for the finale performance, "Give It 2 Me", ending the song with a sing-a-long of the chorus. The show ends as the words "Game Over" appear on the video screens.

After the 2009 extension of the tour was announced, some changes were made to the setlist. "Candy Shop" featured a new video backdrop by artist Marilyn Minter featuring imagery of a giant tongue licking and spitting out neon-colored icing. Madonna also wore new opening outfit designed by Riccardo Tisci. "Heartbeat" was replaced by "Holiday". This version of the song took elements of her then latest single "Celebration" and her first single "Everybody"; also included a medley of three Michael Jackson's songs as an homage to the recently deceased singer. It featured Madonna's dancer Kento, who danced with similar clothing and dancing style as Jackson. Madonna's 1985 hit "Dress You Up" replaced the rock version of "Borderline". It features elements of rock songs like "My Sharona" by The Knack and "God Save The Queen" by Sex Pistols. "Hung Up" was removed and replaced by an up-beat version of "Frozen", which was set between "Like a Prayer" and "Ray of Light". It contained lyrical excerpts from her 80's classic "Open Your Heart" along with musical elements of the Calvin Harris song "I'm Not Alone". The video backdrop for "Frozen" uses video outtakes from the original video by Chris Cunningham from 1998. "Ray of Light" was also slightly edited with the lyrics from Michael Jackson's song "Man in the Mirror, "If you wanna make the world a better place... Take a look at yourself, and then make a change" appearing on the screens before the beginning of the song.

Critical response

The tour generated positive reviews. Jon Pareles from The New York Times compared the concert with aerobics and said that the concert was more of a workout than being erotic. Isabel Albiston from The Daily Telegraph compared the tour with the 2006 Confessions Tour and said that "two years later, Madonna’s biceps are no smaller and, with the news that 100 pairs of fishnet pantyhose have been procured from eBay for the artist, her costumes no less raunchy. [...] Madonna seemed to have a point to prove." Another review byu Helen Brown from the same publication said that "Sticky Sweet's highlights include a fresh, crunchy and gipsied-up 'La Isla Bonita' (complete with fiddles, flamenco and a spliced-in Romanian folk tune) and a raved-up 'Like a Prayer'." Sarah Liss from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation commented that "something about witnessing the 50-year-old crow's feet and wrinkles on Madonna's face, projected a hundred times larger than life, as she works her ass off (to paraphrase part of her stage banter) for a crowd of almost 20,000 feels more awe-inspiring than any of her old-school shock tactics." Jim Farber from New York Daily News wrote that "[Madonna] may have just sailed past the half-century mark, but that didn't stop [her] from dancing hard and fast in skimpy clothes for two hours nonstop at the opening show of her Sticky and Sweet tour. [..] No slack in the star's sexuality or energy was apparent at the icon's show." Joey Guerra from Houston Chronicle commented that "most surprising about Madonna’s impeccably choreographed, frequently fantastic show was her willingness to show fans the flip side. She was still larger-than-life — and astonishingly fit for 50 — but Hard Candy s toot-toot disco beats have softened her edges." Greg Kot from Chicago Tribune commented that "Smiles don’t come easy for Madonna. Instead, there are usually smirks, sneers, pouts, leers and thin-lipped, tough-as-nails displays of contempt for anyone who would dare mess with her. Madonna, she’s one tough dominatrix, and she’s got better developed biceps than just about any of the fans who filled the United Center on Sunday for the first of two concerts." Adrian Thrills from Daily Mail commented "Nobody does a big stadium show quite like Madonna. She might be pop's greatest female icon, but she does not rest on her laurels and this was a theatrical, two-hour blockbuster, featuring 16 dancers and a 12-piece band." Nekesa Mumbi Moody from USA Today wrote: "Even the superstar's most cynical critics couldn't walk away from her two-hour extravaganza at the Izod Center on Saturday night without being thoroughly wowed. It was not only the spectacle of the concert, but the performer herself, as she reasserted her musical relevance and dominance in her 25th year in the spotlight. [...] Madonna is not the world's most gifted singer or dancer or even musician, but she may be its greatest performer." Caryn Ganz from Rolling Stone noted that "Madonna may have toyed with dominance and submission on [2008's] Hard Candy, but there was no question who was carrying the cane at the first New York City date on her Sticky & Sweet Tour last night (the trek’s second stop in the States). Emerging on a throne to the thumpy sound of "Candy Shop", the 50-year-old singer kicked off a tightly choreographed two-hour set designed to accentuate her physical and musical strength and flexibility." Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine wrote: "Like a sex instructor, Madonna rules over her audience and tells them when they're allowed to get off (at one point mock-masturbating over someone's head). And when the words 'Game Over' flash on the screen at the end of the show, you're just happy to have played along."

Commercial reception

The Sticky & Sweet Tour broke many records in terms of its ticket sales, commercial gross and audience attendance. On September 11, 2008, Madonna performed to a sell-out crowd of over 74,000 fans and a gross of over $12 million USD and surpassed all previous grosses at both the old and the new Wembley Stadiums. Since that date U2 and their 360º Tour has broken the attendance record at Wembley Stadium with a crowd of 88,000 people. This performance followed the Zurich performance, which was in front of 72,000 people, the largest audience ever for a concert in Switzerland. The September 20th, 2008 concert at the Stade de France sold 80,000 tickets in less than ten days, prompting Live Nation to announce a second and final show at the venue. 50,000 tickets for Madonna's Vancouver concert were sold in 29 minutes. Due to instant sellouts in Toronto at Air Canada Centre on October 18 and Montreal at the Bell Centre on October 22, second shows in both markets were added at October 19 in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre and October 23 at Montreal's Bell Centre. The two shows in Mexico City sold out in less than three hours. Madonna's show in Montenegro was performed to almost 70,000, the biggest-ever event held in the small Adriatic republic. In New York City, Madonna's four sell-outs at Madison Square Garden shows added up to a record breaking 23 sold out performances since 2001 at that venue - a record for most appearances for a single artist in this decade. Madonna's performances at Stade de France, Wembley Stadium, Madison Square Garden and Military Airfield ranked at numbers 3, 13, 15 and 20 on Billboard's Top 25 Boxscores of 2008, respectively. The tour ranked in third in Billboard's "Top 25 Tours" , with a gross of over US$162 million (by mid-November 2008). Pollstar ranked the tour the leading North American grosser for 2008 at $105.3 million. On December 2008, Live Nation announced that the U.S. leg of the tour sold 550,000 tickets and grossed $91.5 million. Together with the European and Mexican dates, the tour grossed a total of $282 million, thus making it the highest grossing tour of 2008. It also became the biggest selling tour by a solo artist, breaking the record previously held by her own Confessions Tour in 2006.

With the 2009 extension of the tour, ticket sales were immediate sell-outs the moments transaction started. In London and Manchester, where tickets sold out in minutes, second shows were confirmed for July 5 in London and July 8 in Manchester, marking Madonna’s final UK dates in 2009. The Helsinki, Oslo (July 30), Gothenburg (August 9), Werchter and Tallinn concerts all sold out on the same day tickets went on sale. In Helsinki, the August 6 performance was the biggest show by one artist ever organized in Finland. In Oslo, all 40,000 tickets available for the July 30 concert were sold in 34 minutes, prompting Live Nation to announce an extra concert on July 29. In Tallinn, all 70,300 tickets available for Madonna's concert at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds were purchased in just over 24 hours, a record for Estonia. The record previously belonged to Metallica, who sold all of the tickets available for their concert at the same venue in three days. For the Israel shows at Tel Aviv, all 50,000 tickets available for the first date were sold out in a few days, causing Live Nation to add a second and final date to wrap up the tour. As expected, after the final show, Sticky & Sweet became the highest grossing tour by a solo artist, earning $408 million from 85 shows in 32 countries with attendance of 3.5 million. It is the second highest grossing tour of all time, behind The Rolling Stones' 2005–2007 A Bigger Bang Tour which earned $558 million. At the 2009 Billboard Touring Awards, the Sticky & Sweet Tour won the Top Tour and Top Draw prizes, which acknowledge the highest-grossing and highest-attended tours of the year, respectively. Madonna's manager Guy Oseary won the Top Manager award.

Madonna's statements

During the tour, a number of statements made by Madonna faced strong opposition from socio-political leaders. The "Get Stupid" video interlude featured images of disaster throughout the ages along with images of Hitler and Mugabe. US Republican presidential candidate John McCain was featured in the segment as well along Hitler and Mugabe. Images of John Lennon, Gandhi and Al Gore are featured towards the end of the video along with US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. The video caused an uproar in the political world, especially in McCain's camp. Tucker Bounds, McCain's spokesperson stated:

"The comparisons are outrageous, unacceptable and crudely divisive all at the same time [...] It clearly shows that when it comes to supporting Barack Obama, his fellow worldwide celebrities refuse to consider any smear or attack off limits."

At the conclusion of the presidential election, the image of McCain was removed from the video. During her performance at Petco Park, Madonna congratulated Barack Obama, on his historic win for presidency of the United States. Madonna stated, "This is a historical evening. This is a motherfucking important evening and we are lucky to be sharing it with the World [...] This is the beginning of a whole new world. Are you ready?! Are you fucking ready?!" The video screens displayed images of Obama along with the message, "We Won".

During her show at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Madonna dedicated her song "Like a Virgin" to Pope Benedict XVI. She stated, "I'm gonna dedicate this song to the Pope, because, I know he loves me. I am a child of God! And you know what else?...[begins to sing first verse of Like a Virgin]." Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera called the dedication a surprising provocation. Madonna also publicly voiced her opposition for Republican Vice Presidential candidate for 2008, Sarah Palin. While performing on the tour, Madonna shouted "Sarah Palin can't come to my party. Sarah Palin can't come to my show. It's nothing personal. [...] Here's the sound of Sarah Palin's husband's snowmobile when it won't start. (followed by a loud screeching noise)." While performing "I Love New York" during the request section, the line "Get off my street" was replaced by Madonna screaming "You know who can get off of my street? Sarah Palin! I'm gonna kick her ass if she don't get off of my street." Then she mocked Palin's accent and told the crowd that she loves her.

During the 2009 leg, at the Bucharest concert in Romania, Madonna began talking about gypsy discrimination in East-European countries. She said that "It has been brought to my attention ... that there is a lot of discrimination against Romanies and Gypsies in general in Eastern Europe. [...] It made me feel very sad." Immediately boos and jeers resounded from the 60,000 crowd. Madonna added that "[w]e don't believe in discrimination [...] we believe in freedom and equal rights for everyone." Although some applauded this statement, many others continued booing when Madonna mentioned discrimination against gay people. Madonna's publicist Liz Rosenberg issued a statement saying that "Madonna has been touring with a phenomenal troupe of Roma musicians who made her aware of the discrimination toward them in several countries so she felt compelled to make a brief statement, [...] She will not be issuing a further statement."

Marseille accident

On July 16, 2009, as workers were assembling Madonna's stage at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille for her July 19 concert, the stage collapsed, injuring eight workers and killing two. Due to the accident, officials of the city of Marseille decided to cancel the concert. Charles Criscenzo, a 53-year-old French worker, was killed outright in the accident, which took place at around 1715 GMT. The other worker Charles Prow, a 23-year-old from Headingley in Leeds, died overnight at a hospital in Marseille. Firefighters said the accident occurred when the roof of the stage became unbalanced as it was being lifted by four cranes, toppling one of them. Marseille city councillor Maurice de Nocera said that the roof started shaking and then collapsed gradually. This allowed the other workers to get out in time.

Following the tragedy, Madonna issued the following statement: "I am devastated to have just received this tragic news. My prayers go out to those who were injured and their families along with my deepest sympathy to all those affected by this heartbreaking news." At her concert in Italy Madonna made an emotional tribute for the deceased technicians by saying,

"I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge and pay tribute to two people who lost their lives today, [...] It's a great tragedy to me, I feel so devastated to be in any way associated with anyone's suffering. [...] Let's all just take a moment to say a prayer for Charles Criscenzo and Charlie Prow. Our hearts go out to their family and loved ones."

Madonna visited some of the other workers injured in the accident and went to pay her respects at the family of the deceased ones as well.

Broadcast and recordings

According to the Argentine newspaper, La Nación, the tour DVD was filmed during the performances at River Plate Stadium. In the interview with production director Chris Lamb, he stated that Madonna chose the Argentine audience because of the strong emotional bond that they shared. No release date of the filming has been announced, although a trailer showing highlights of the Argentina show was shown on Madonna's official website. In May 2009, BlackBerry were given exclusive rights to show ten preview performances from the DVD release, to the users of the BlackBerry Bold smartphone for a limited time only. These performances include: "Candy Shop", "Beat Goes On", "Vogue", "Die Another Day", "Music", "Spanish Lesson", "Miles Away", "La Isla Bonita", "Get Stupid", and "4 Minutes."

On June 15, 2009, British newspaper The Sun reported that Sky1 had acquired the rights to broadcast the Sticky & Sweet Tour. The "Sweet Machine" Intro was drastically shortened, and the request song in Argentina (which was "Like A Virgin") was not aired. Latin american channel Cityvibe broadcasted the show exclusively for Argentina, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela on September 19, 2009. Unlike Sky1, the channel aired "Madonna: Sticky & Sweet" without any commercial block; additionally, both "The Sweet Machine" and the requested song were uncut. On October 30, 2009, the show was made available to watch on the Epix television channel, video-on-demand and online website for those that have a subscription.

Opening acts

• Robyn (Europe, select venues)
• Benny Benassi (Rome)
• Paul Oakenfold (Europe, Israel, North America & South America, select venues)
• Bob Sinclar (Paris)

Setlist

Source:

Tour dates

Date	City	Country	Venue
Europe
August 23, 2008	Cardiff	Wales	Millennium Stadium
August 26, 2008	Nice	France	Stade Charles Ehrmann
August 28, 2008	Berlin	Germany	Olympic Stadium
August 30, 2008	Zürich	Switzerland	Military Airfield
September 2, 2008	Amsterdam	Netherlands	Amsterdam Arena
September 4, 2008	Dusseldorf	Germany	LTU Arena
September 6, 2008	Rome	Italy	Olympic Stadium
September 9, 2008	Frankfurt	Germany	Commerzbank-Arena
September 11, 2008	London	England	Wembley Stadium
September 14, 2008	Lisbon	Portugal	Parque da Bela Vista
September 16, 2008	Seville	Spain	Olympic Stadium
September 18, 2008	Valencia		Circuito Ricardo Tormo Cheste
September 20, 2008	Paris	France	Stade de France
September 21, 2008
September 23, 2008	Vienna	Austria	Danube Island
September 25, 2008	Budva	Montenegro	Jaz Beach
September 27, 2008	Athens	Greece	Olympic Stadium
North America
October 4, 2008	East Rutherford	United States	Izod Center
October 6, 2008	New York City		Madison Square Garden
October 7, 2008
October 11, 2008[A]
October 12, 2008
October 15, 2008	Boston		TD Banknorth Garden
October 16, 2008
October 18, 2008	Toronto	Canada	Air Canada Centre
October 19, 2008
October 22, 2008	Montreal		Bell Centre
October 23, 2008
October 26, 2008	Chicago	United States	United Center
October 27, 2008
October 30, 2008	Vancouver	Canada	BC Place Stadium
November 1, 2008	Oakland	United States	Oracle Arena
November 2, 2008
November 4, 2008	San Diego		Petco Park
November 6, 2008[B]	Los Angeles		Dodger Stadium
November 8, 2008	Las Vegas		MGM Grand Garden Arena
November 9, 2008
November 11, 2008	Denver		Pepsi Center
November 12, 2008
November 16, 2008	Houston		Minute Maid Park
November 18, 2008	Detroit		Ford Field
November 20, 2008	Philadelphia		Wachovia Center
November 22, 2008	Atlantic City		Boardwalk Hall
November 24, 2008	Atlanta		Philips Arena
November 26, 2008[C]	Miami		Dolphin Stadium
November 29, 2008	Mexico City	Mexico	Foro Sol
November 30, 2008
South America
December 4, 2008	Buenos Aires	Argentina	River Plate Stadium
December 5, 2008
December 7, 2008
December 8, 2008
December 10, 2008	Santiago	Chile	Chile National Stadium
December 11, 2008
December 14, 2008	Rio de Janeiro	Brazil	Maracanã Stadium
December 15, 2008
December 18, 2008	São Paulo		Morumbi Stadium
December 20, 2008
December 21, 2008
Europe
July 4, 2009	London	England	The O2
July 5, 2009
July 7, 2009	Manchester		Manchester Evening News Arena
July 9, 2009	Paris	France	Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
July 11, 2009	Werchter	Belgium	Werchter Festival Park
July 14, 2009	Milan	Italy	San Siro
July 16, 2009	Udine		Stadio Friuli
July 21, 2009	Barcelona	Spain	Olympic Stadium
July 23, 2009	Madrid		Vicente Calderón Stadium
July 25, 2009	Zaragoza		Recinto de la Feria de Zaragoza
July 28, 2009	Oslo	Norway	Valle Hovin
July 30, 2009
August 2, 2009	St. Petersburg	Russia	Palace Square
August 4, 2009	Tallinn	Estonia	Tallinn Song Festival Grounds
August 6, 2009	Helsinki	Finland	West Harbour
August 8, 2009	Gothenburg	Sweden	Ullevi Stadium
August 9, 2009
August 11, 2009[D]	Copenhagen	Denmark	Parken Stadium
August 13, 2009	Prague	Czech Republic	Chodov Natural Amphitheater
August 15, 2009	Warsaw	Poland	Bemowo Airport
August 18, 2009	Munich	Germany	Olympic Stadium
August 22, 2009	Budapest	Hungary	Kincsem Park
August 24, 2009	Belgrade	Serbia	Ušće Park
August 26, 2009	Bucharest	Romania	Parc Izvor
August 29, 2009	Sofia	Bulgaria	Vasil Levski National Stadium
Asia
September 1, 2009[E]	Tel Aviv	Israel	Hayarkon Park
September 2, 2009[E]

Additional notes

• A^ At the October 11, 2008 performance at Madison Square Garden, Madonna dedicated "You Must Love Me" to her daughter, Lourdes as it was her twelfth birthday. She commented, "My beautiful Lola is 12 today but when I first sang this song she was growing inside me." At the same show, Pharrell Williams joined Madonna onstage for both "Beat Goes On" and "Give It 2 Me".
• B^ At the November 6, 2008 Los Angeles show, Madonna was joined onstage by Britney Spears during the performance of "Human Nature". Later that night, Justin Timberlake joined Madonna onstage to perform "4 Minutes".
• C^ At the November 26, 2008 performance in Miami at the Dolphin Stadium, Madonna was joined onstage by Timbaland during the performance of "4 Minutes" and by Pharrell Williams for "Give It 2 Me".
• D^ Before singing "You Must Love Me" on the August 11, 2009 Denmark show, Madonna and over 48,000 of her fans sang "Happy Birthday" to her son Rocco, who turned 9 that day and who was also attending the show.
• E^ Madonna's daughter Lourdes joined her mom on stage on both the September 1 and September 2, 2009 Tel Aviv dates during "Give it 2 Me". Her son Rocco joined her on the DJ station during the song "Music".

Box office score data

Venue	City	Tickets Sold / Available	Gross Revenue
Millennium Stadium	Cardiff	31,460 / 33,460 (99%)	$5,279,107
Stade Charles Ehrmann	Nice	41,483 / 41,483 (100%)	$4,381,242
Olympic Stadium	Berlin	47,368 / 47,368 (100%)	$6,048,086
Military Airfield	Zurich	70,314 / 70,314 (100%)	$11,093,631
Amsterdam Arena	Amsterdam	50,588 / 50,588 (100%)	$6,717,734
LTU Arena	Dusseldorf	35,014 / 35,014 (100%)	$4,650,327
Olympic Stadium	Rome	57,690 / 57,690 (100%)	$5,713,196
Commerzbank Arena	Frankfurt	39,543 / 39,543 (100%)	$6,020,706
Wembley Stadium	London	73,349 / 73,349 (100%)	$11,796,540
Parque da Bela Vista	Lisbon	75,000 / 75,000 (100%)	$6,295,068
Olympic Stadium	Sevilla	47,712 / 59,258 (82%)	$4,874,380
Circuito Ricardo Tormo Cheste	Valencia	50,143 / 50,143 (100%)	$4,941,980
Stade de France	Paris	138,163 / 138,163 (100%)	$17,583,211
Danube Island	Vienna	57,002 / 57,002 (100%)	$8,140,858
Jaz Beach	Budva	47,524 / 47,524 (100%)	$3,463,063
Olympic Stadium	Athens	75,637 / 75,637 (100%)	$9,030,440
Izod Center	East Rutherford	16,896 / 16,896 (100%)	$2,812,250
Madison Square Garden	New York City	61,586 / 61,586 (100%)	$11,527,375
TD Banknorth Garden	Boston	26,611 / 26,611 (100%)	$3,658,850
Air Canada Centre	Toronto	34,324 / 34,324 (100%)	$6,356,171
Bell Centre	Montreal	34,301 / 34,301 (100%)	$5,391,881
United Center	Chicago	30,968 / 30,968 (100%)	$5,777,490
BC Place Stadium	Vancouver	52,712 / 52,712 (100%)	$5,389,762
Oracle Arena	Oakland	28,198 / 28,198 (100%)	$4,964,765
Petco Park	San Diego	35,743 / 35,743 (100%)	$5,097,515
Dodger Stadium	Los Angeles	43,919 / 43,919 (100%)	$5,858,730
MGM Grand Garden Arena	Las Vegas	29,157 / 29,157 (100%)	$8,397,640
Pepsi Center	Denver	23,501 / 23,501 (100%)	$4,434,020
Minute Maid Park	Houston	41,498 / 41,498 (100%)	$5,170,100
Ford Field	Detroit	30,119 / 30,119 (100%)	$2,395,900
Wachovia Center	Philadelphia	13,790 / 13,790 (100%)	$2,318,530
Boardwalk Hall	Atlantic City	13,293 / 13,293 (100%)	$3,321,000
Philips Arena	Atlanta	14,843 / 14,843 (100%)	$2,632,952
Dolphin Stadium	Miami	47,998 / 47,998 (100%)	$6,137,030
Foro Sol Stadium	Mexico City	104,270 / 104,270 (100%)	$10,428,743
River Plate Stadium	Buenos Aires	263,693 / 263,693 (100%)	$18,274,292
Chile National Stadium	Santiago	146,242 / 146,242 (100%)	$11,385,499
Maracanã Stadium	Rio de Janeiro	107,000 / 107,000 (100%)	$7,322,269
Morumbi Stadium	São Paulo	196,656 / 196,656 (100%)	$15,462,185
The O2	London	27,464 / 27,464 (100%)	$5,873,149
Manchester Evening News Arena	Manchester	13,457 / 13,457 (100%)	$2,827,517
Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy	Paris	15,806 / 15,806 (100%)	$2,306,551
Werchter Festival Park	Werchter	68,434 / 68,434 (100%)	$7,190,295
San Siro	Milan	55,338 / 55,338 (100%)	$6,507,798
Stadio Friuli	Udine	28,362 / 28,362 (100%)	$3,236,277
Olympic Stadium	Barcelona	44,811 / 44,811 (100%)	$5,010,557
Vicente Calderón Stadium	Madrid	31,941 / 31,941 (100%)	$4,109,791
Recinto de la Feria de Zaragoza	Zaragoza	30,940 / 30,940 (100%)	$2,015,381
Valle Hovin	Oslo	79,409 / 79,409 (100%)	$10,481,500
Palace Square	St. Petersburg	27,103 / 27,103 (100%)	$4,431,805
Tallinn Song Festival Grounds	Tallinn	72,067 / 72,067 (100%)	$5,924,839
West Harbour	Helsinki	85,354 / 85,354 (100%)	$12,148,455
Ullevi Stadium	Göteborg	119,709 / 119,709 (100%)	$14,595,910
Parken Stadium	Copenhagen	48,064 / 48,064 (100%)	$6,709,250
Chodov Natural Amphitheatre	Prague	42,682 / 42,682 (100%)	$3,835,776
Bemowo Airport	Warsaw	79,343 / 79,343 (100%)	$6,526,867
Olympic Stadium	Munich	35,127 / 35,127 (100%)	$3,655,403
Kincsem Park	Budapest	41,045 / 41,045 (100%)	$3,920,651
Ušće Park	Belgrade	39,713 / 39,713 (100%)	$1,738,139
Parc Izvor	Bucharest	69,088 / 69,088 (100%)	$4,659,836
Vasil Levski National Stadium	Sofia	53,660 / 53,660 (100%)	$4,896,938
Hayarkon Park	Tel Aviv	99,674 / 99,674 (100%)	$14,656,063
	TOTAL	3,545,899 / 3,557,445 (99%)	$407,713,266

Personnel

• Show Director – Jamie King
• Music Director – Kevin Antunes
• Lighting Director – Mac Moiser
• Video Director – Christian Lamb, Frank the Plumber, Eugene Riecansky, Steven Klein, James Lima, Nathan Rissman and Tom Munro
• Supervising Choreographer – Stefanie Ross
• Choreographer – Richmond Talauega, Anthony Talauega, Dondracio Johnson, Alison Faulk, Aljamaal Jones and Jason Young
• Assistant Choreographer – Jamal Sims, RJ Durell and Aakomon Jones
• Sound Design – Sean Spuehler
• Light Design – LeRoy A. Bennett
• Video Design – Veneno, Inc.
• Production Design – LeRoy A. Bennett
• Costume Design – Arianne Phillips, Riccardo Tisci (for Givenchy), Tom Ford, Dolce & Gabbana, Miu Miu, Stella McCartney, Moschino, Stefano Pilati (for Yves Saint Laurent), Kiki de Montparnasse, Michael Schmidt, Roberto Cavalli and Jeremy Scott
• Manager – Guy Oseary
• Publicity – Liz Rosenberg
• Legal – Grubman, Indursky & Shire
• Fiances – TMI Productions
• Logistics – Sevvy Enfield
• Promoter – Live Nation Global Touring

Band

• Guitar – Madonna, Alexander Kolpakov, Vadim Kolpakov and Monte Pittman
• Keyboards – Kevin Antunes and Ric'key Pageot
• Programming – Kevin Antunes
• Backing Vocals – Kiley Dean, Arkady Gips, Alexander Kolpakov, Vadim Kolpakov, Monte Pittman and Nicki Richards
• Drums – Brain Frasier-Moore
• Violin – Arkady Gips
• Piano – Ric'key Pageot
• Accordion – Ric'key Pageot
• Cow Bell – Monte Pittman
• Tour DJ – Eric Jao
• Dancers – Vadim Kolpakov, Leroy Barnes, Sofia Voutella, Jason Boyd, Emilie Capel, William Charlemoine, Paul Kirkland, Jennifer Kita, Kento Mori, Yaman Okur, Charles Park IV, Valeree Pohl, Anthony Rue Jr., Nilaya Savnis, Jason Young, Riki Onodera and Yuki Yoshida.

Crew

Production

• Assistant Show Director – Tiffany Olson
• Tour Production Director – Chris Lamb
• Party Tour Manager – Frankie Enfield, Vicki Huxel and Jason Milner
• Assistant Party Tour Manager – Ramey Shippen
• Sound Crew Chief – Mark Brnich
• Keyboard Technician – Robert Longo and Steve Borisenko
• Guitar Technician – Steve Borisenko and Tommy Simpson
• Programmer – Ali Staton, Troy Eckermann and Cory Fitzgerald
• Drum Technician – Chris Achzet
• Production Assistant – Dana Szpunar
• Laser Crew Chief – Martin Potoczny
• Laser – David Fonner

Video

• Video Creative Director – Alex Czetwertynski
• Video Producer – Tim Johnson, Chris Stiven, John Myers, Caroline Gibnet, Michael DiGirolamo, Nicola Doring and David Nord
• Animation – Rockstar and Ring of Fire
• Editor – Danny Tull, David Nord and A. Johan Soderberg
• Video Crew Chief – Oman Montes
• Video – Carson Austin
• Video Engineer – Jason Harvey
• Video Technician – Eric Geiger, Gavin Thompson, Rusty Reed and Mark Woody
• Projectionist – Brett Thierbach

Costumes

• Assistant to Costume Design – Annie Psaltiras, Terry Anderson and Sarah Laux
• Second Assistant to Costume Design – Laura Morgan & Haley Lieberman
• Shoppers – Deirdre Wegner and Jeriana San Juan

• Costume Coordinator – Amy Teets
• Costume Crew Chief – Tony Villenueva
• Costume Dept. Producer – Tangi Crawford
• Wardrobe Dresser – Tony Villenueva, Lisa Nishimura, Pam Lewis, Michael Harrell, Susan Hokestra and V. Bradley
• Tour Costume Road Supervisor – Lana Czajka
• Costume Illustrator – Phillip Boutte Jr. and Jane Kennedy
• Costume Construction – John Schneeman Studio Limited, Jennifer Love Costumes, Costume Labs, Martin Keehn, Izquierdo Studios and Bill Hargate Costume
• Specialty Craft Work – Michael Schmidt
• Alterations – Costume Lab
• Hair & Makeup Crew Supervisor – Edward Hunt
• Hair and Makeup – Arianne Phillips, Gina Brooke and Andy LeCompte
• Dressing Room Coordinator – Jamie Laurita
• Dressing Room Assistant – Lisa Bruno
• Dressing Room Designer – Hayley Newstead

Staging

• Production Supervisor – Benny Collins
• Advance Production Manager – John Conk
• Stage Manager – Jerry Vierna
• Theatrical Stage Manager – Mike Morobitto
• FOH Engineer – Tim Colvard
• Site Coordinator – David Reuss
• Advance Site Coordinator – Benny Collins and Thoms Reitz
• Head Rigger – Phil Broad
• Rigger – Andy Laidler and Gana
• Advance Rigger – Billy Daves, James Johnston and Kurt McLauglin
• Cyberhoist Motors – Martin Hoops
• Motor Control – Bill Settle
• Head Hydraulics – Ted Schroeder
• Hydraulics – Bob Hood and Patrick Harbin
• Delay Technician – Bryan Procuk
• RF Technician – Chris Messina
• IT – Cyrus Tavadia
• Monitor Engineer – Matt Napier
• Monitor Technician – Demetrius Moore
• Lighting Crew Chief – Glenn Powers
• Advance Lighting Crew Chief – Rodney Clay
• Lighting Consultant – Matt Mindlin
• Advance Lighting Crew – Alex Johnson, Craig Hancock, Craig McDonald, Jacob Sullivan, David Prior, Olaf Pottcher and Jason Dixon
• Lighting Technician – Gavin Tomkins, Jason Windfree, Ty Brooks, Pter Feher and Russel Lyons
• Head Carpenter – Bruce Haynes
• Carpenter – Ty Bramwell, Bob Madison, Dan Gurchik, Dan McNabb, John Hawkins, icke Merlo, Tay Skairus, Jeff LaRive and Lonnie Adams
• Spot Operators – Jeff LaRive and Lonnie Adams
• PA Technicians – Bill Flugan, Chez Stock, Ronald Sharpless and Daniel Klocker
• Props – Jorge Guadalupe
• Cargo – David Bernstein, Kevin Roach and Mandy Parodi
• Power – Mike Costa
• Backline Crew Chief – Steve Borisenko
• Backline Technician – Willie Benevides
• Road Merchandise Manager – John Spank, Paul Nolan and John Ellis

Other

• Drivers – Abel Meza, Greg Gates, Paul Jennings and Jason Desimone
• Masseuse – Michelle Peck
• Trainer – Tracy Anderson
• Chef – Mayumi Nishimura and Marco Pernini
• Catering – Amanda Cummingham, Andy O'Brien, Gareth Jones, Gemma Daly, Heath Wildy, Ian Reilly, Jean-Claude Monard, Darin Wey, Jodi Weston Brake, Kelvyn MacKenzie, Lucy Clough, Patrick Killalea, Scott Findlay and Marcus Jones
• Tour Security Director – Scott Nichols
• Production Security Coordinator – Liam Wheatley
• Security – Jerry Meltzer, Amir Feingold, Daniel Engleberd, Patrick Golden, Michael Cole and Hugo Rodriguez
• Hotel Advance – Sarah Currie and Courtney Rousso

Source:

References

External links

• Madonna's Official Web Page
• Sticky & Sweet Tour news
• Live Nation's Concert Tickets and Tour Dates
• EpixHD - Madonna: Sticky & Sweet Tour (subscription required)