Drowned World Tour

The Drowned World Tour (billed as Drowned World Tour 2001) was the fifth concert tour by American singer Madonna, launched in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums, Ray of Light (1998) and Music (2000). It began on June 9, 2001, at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona and concluded on September 15 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It marked the singer's first tour in eight years, following the Girlie Show of 1993. Originally planned for 1999, the tour was postponed due to Madonna's involvement in the film The Next Best Thing, her marriage to British director Guy Ritchie, and the birth of their son Rocco.

With just three months to prepare, Madonna assembled a creative team that included choreographers Jamie King and Christian Vincent, and designer Jean Paul Gaultier, who crafted costumes reflecting different phases of her career. The show was divided into four thematic acts —Rock 'n' Roll Punk Girl, Geisha Girl, Cyber Cowgirl, and Spanish Girl/Ghetto Girl— and featured a set list focused on Ray of Light and Music, with only two pre-1990s hits: "Holiday" (1983) and "La Isla Bonita" (1987). Critics praised the production and staging, though some were dissatisfied with the absence of her earlier hits. Grossing $76.8 million ($ million in dollars) and drawing over 730,000 attendees, it was the highest-grossing solo tour of 2001. A performance filmed in Michigan aired live on HBO and was later released on VHS and DVD as Drowned World Tour 2001.

Background

Following the release of her sixth studio album Bedtime Stories in late 1994, Madonna had initially planned to embark on a concert tour, with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reporting in January 1995 that she would visit Italy as part of a tour, set to take place either in the spring or fall of that year. These plans were abandoned in March, however, after Madonna accepted the role of Eva Perón in Alan Parker's film adaptation of Evita, prompting her and her management to cancel all touring activity.

Tour plans resurfaced after the release of her seventh studio album Ray of Light (1998), but a planned 1999 tour was shelved as Madonna focused on motherhood and film commitments. By 2000, she was in a relationship with English film director Guy Ritchie, gave birth to their son Rocco, and released Music, her eight studio album. That November, she signaled her readiness to tour again, stating that she had "ideas of stuff I'd like to do for a big tour. I feel like it's time". In April 2001 she officially announced a world tour—her first in eight years—which came together in just three months.

The Drowned World Tour launched on June 9, 2001, at Barcelona's Palau Sant Jordi and concluded in September 15 at Los Angeles' Staples Center. It was originally scheduled to begin with two shows in Cologne, but those dates were canceled due to technical issues, resulting in 35,000 refunded tickets. Another show in New Jersey was canceled due to illness, reducing the total number of performances from fifty to forty-seven.

Development

Conception

The tour took its name after J. G. Ballard's 1962 novel and Madonna's 1998 single. Liz Rosenberg stated that it would be her "grandest spectacle to date". It was structured around four distinct thematic acts —Rock 'n' Roll Punk Girl, Geisha Girl, Cyber Cowgirl, and Spanish Girl/Ghetto Girl— each representing a different phase of Madonna's evolving persona. This was a deliberate choice by Madonna, who said she did not want the tour to be a "hit parade", instead describing it as a "celebration of my last three records and what I've been doing since Evita".

Madonna personally oversaw dancer auditions in New York alongside choreographer Jamie King and dancer Christian Vincent. King, who was appointed the tour's creative director and official choreographer, later described the experience as so intense that he became physically ill. Having begun guitar lessons in 2000 with musician Monte Pittman, Madonna performed several songs on both acoustic and electric guitar during the show; Pittman also joined her onstage as part of the band. The troupe included longtime backing vocalists Niki Haris and Donna De Lory, along with electronic music producer Stuart Price on bass and keys. Rehearsals ran five days a week, thirteen hours a day. "I don't see the point of doing a show unless you offer something that is going to mind-boggle the senses," Madonna explained, emphasizing that for her, live performance is "all about theatre and drama and surprises and suspenses".

The tour's poster and logo were created by Chase Design Group, who aimed to reflect the show's ethereal and multi-layered nature. Founder Margo Chase described the concert as a "multilayered musical and spiritual journey through diverse worlds", which inspired the team to design a custom icon and typography that captured its unique atmosphere. At Madonna's request, the final design incorporated Arabic and Hebrew elements as a nod to her interest in Kabbalah. Several posters were proposed, but the singer ultimately chose the one that featured a close-up from her "What It Feels Like for a Girl" video.

Stage and technical setup

Drowned World was described by production manager Mark Spring as the most complex project he had ever worked on, calling it a "machine on the move". The scale was massive —two Boeing 747s transported the show from Europe to the US, and over 300 cargo vehicles carried more than 100 tons of equipment. FOH engineer Dave Kob highlighted the show's technical demands and musical diversity —from heavy metal to flamenco— and praised Madonna for singing live throughout, despite the intense choreography. "She's a hard worker," he noted, "and she expects the same from everyone else".

Fashion

Designer Jean Paul Gaultier was enlisted to create the tour's costumes, blending punk, Scottish, geisha, cowboy, and Spanish influences to match each themed act. The DSquared2 duo, Dean and Dan Caten, contributed "ghetto fabulous" looks reflecting Madonna's then-current aesthetic. For each segment, three identical versions of Madonna's outfits were made, while dancers had two duplicates of each costume. The final Los Angeles shows were adjusted in response to the September 11 attacks. Madonna opened the show wearing an American flag kilt as a tribute, the staged shooting in "Mer Girl" was replaced with a gesture of reconciliation, "The Funny Song" was removed from the set list, and all dancers joined for "Holiday".

Critical response

thumb|left|[[Variety (magazine)|Varietys Phil Gallo considered "Don't Tell Me" to be "the most impressive number of the night". ABC News highlighted Madonna's aerial stunts, and The Independents Simon O'Hagan wrote that her desire to craft a full spectacle "extended the boundaries of what a rock'n'pop concert can achieve", calling it her most daring tour up to the time.

Critics widely celebrated the tour's technical sophistication. Outlets like El País, musicOMH, and The Independent admired the "shapeshifting" stage, striking visuals, and "superb" lighting. MTV emphasized the importance of costume and theatrics in enhancing the concert experience, while Slant Magazine called the show “technically flawless” and a testament to Madonna's perfectionism.

Not all responses were glowing. Argentinean newspaper La Nación criticized the lack of spontaneity and crowd interaction, calling the show too tightly scripted, while The New York Times Jon Pareles praised her stronger vocals but criticized her "arrogance" and detachment, remarking that Madonna seemed to disdain the audience. Spin noted the absence of a coherent narrative, and New York magazine found performances like "Nobody's Perfect" and "I Deserve It" underwhelming. The Guardians Caroline Sullivan criticized the exclusion of earlier hits, writing that, "no right-thinking person would rather hear 'Candy Perfume Girl' than 'Like a Virgin'". David Nielsen from the San Angelo Standard-Times questioned the logic of skipping signature tracks after such a long touring hiatus. However, several critics defended the move. Slant Magazines Sal Cinquemani argued that the deeper cuts translated into "edgier numbers", while Alex Petridis praised the defiance of expectations, calling it a gesture "no other stadium-filler could match—imagine the Rolling Stones only playing songs from their last two albums and try not to shudder".

At the 2001 Pollstar awards, Drowned World received nominations for Major Tour of the Year and Most Creative Stage Production, though both honors ultimately went to U2's Elevation Tour. Years later, in a 2024 ranking of Madonna's twelve tours, Sal Cinquemani placed Drowned World fifth, praising its embrace of multimedia innovation and artistic ambition. He noted that, with few older songs included, the tour showcased Madonna's focus on the present and future of her craft.

Commercial performance, broadcast and recording

The Drowned World Tour was limited to Europe and the United States, notably skipping Canada for the first time in the singer's career, due to scheduling conflicts in Toronto. Sponsored by AOL, the tour offered early ticket access to its subscribers before the general sale. Demand was massive: in London, the initial show at Earls Court Exhibition Centre sold out in just fifteen minutes, prompting five additional dates that also sold out within six hours. With over a million hits on Madonna's official website in the first ten minutes and more than 30 million attempted ticket hotline calls —handled by 265 operators— the London dates became some of the fastest-selling shows in UK history. In the US, all dates sold out quickly, including four Los Angeles shows that were gone in just seventeen minutes.

The August 26 concert at The Palace of Auburn Hills was filmed and broadcast live on HBO as Madonna Live: The Drowned World Tour, marking Madonna's third collaboration with the network after the Blond Ambition and Girlie Show broadcasts. Directed by Hamish Hamilton and produced by Marty Callner, the special drew 5.7 million viewers, becoming HBO's third-highest-rated concert broadcast since 1997. The special was released on VHS and DVD under the title Drowned World Tour 2001 on November 13 —the same day as Madonna's second compilation album GHV2. Featuring cover photography taken by Rosie O'Donnell, the video was praised for its sound but criticized for its visual format. It went on to top Billboards Top Music Videos chart, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of more than 100,000 copies.

Set list

Set list, samples and notes adapted per Madonna's official website, the notes and track listing of Drowned World Tour 2001, and additional sources.

Following the September 11 attacks, "The Funny Song" was removed from the set list.

! scope="col" style="width:12em;"| Date (2001)

! scope="col" style="width:10em;"| City

! scope="col" style="width:10em;"| Country

! scope="col" style="width:16em;"| Venue

! scope="col" style="width:10em;"| Attendance (Tickets sold / available)

! scope="col" style="width:10em;"| Revenue

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |June 9

|rowspan="2"|Barcelona

|rowspan="2"|Spain

|rowspan="2"|Palau Sant Jordi

|rowspan="2"|36,136 / 36,136

|rowspan="2"|$2,039,112

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |June 10

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |June 13

|rowspan="3"|Milan

|rowspan="3"|Italy

|rowspan="3"|FilaForum

|rowspan="3"|36,100 / 36,100

|rowspan="3"| $3,926,815

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |June 14

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |June 15

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |June 19

|rowspan="4"|Berlin

|rowspan="4"|Germany

|rowspan="4"|Max-Schmeling-Halle

|rowspan="4"| 43,455 / 43,455

|rowspan="4"|$2,864,786

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |June 20

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |June 22

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |June 23

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |June 26

|rowspan="4"|Paris

|rowspan="4"|France

|rowspan="4"|Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy

|rowspan="4"| 68,000 / 68,000

|rowspan="4"| $4,443,155

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |June 27

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |June 29

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |June 30

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |July 4

|rowspan="6"|London

|rowspan="6"|England

|rowspan="6"|Earls Court Exhibition Centre

|rowspan="6"| 107,415 / 107,415

|rowspan="6"| $8,734,149

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |July 6

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |July 7

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |July 9

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |July 10

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |July 12

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |July 21

|rowspan="2"| Philadelphia

|rowspan="28"| United States

|rowspan="2"| First Union Center

|rowspan="2"| 31,128 / 31,128

|rowspan="2"| $3,382,485

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |July 22

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |July 25

|rowspan="5"| New York City

|rowspan="5"| Madison Square Garden

|rowspan="5"| 79,401 / 79,401

|rowspan="5"| $9,297,105

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |July 26

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |July 28

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |July 30

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |July 31

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |August 2

|East Rutherford

|Continental Airlines Arena

|16,457 / 16,457

|$1,842,155

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |August 7

|rowspan="2"| Boston

|rowspan="2"| FleetCenter

|rowspan="2"| 29,886 / 29,886

|rowspan="2"| $3,503,520

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |August 8

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |August 10

|rowspan="2"| Washington, D.C.

|rowspan="2"| MCI Center

|rowspan="2"| 32,061 / 32,061

|rowspan="2"| $3,472,148

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |August 11

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |August 14

|rowspan="2"| Sunrise

|rowspan="2"| National Car Rental Center

|rowspan="2"| 31,572 / 31,572

|rowspan="2"| $3,603,573

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |August 15

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |August 19

|rowspan="2"| Atlanta

|rowspan="2"| Philips Arena

|rowspan="2"| 29,617 / 29,617

|rowspan="2"| $3,553,444

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |August 20

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |August 25

|rowspan="2"| Auburn Hills

|rowspan="2"| The Palace of Auburn Hills

|rowspan="2"| 35,407 / 35,407

|rowspan="2"| $4,127,533

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |August 26

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |August 28

|rowspan="2"| Chicago

|rowspan="2"| United Center

|rowspan="2"| 33,725 / 33,725

|rowspan="2"| $3,743,830

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |August 29

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |September 1

|rowspan="2"| Las Vegas

|rowspan="2"| MGM Grand Garden Arena

|rowspan="2"| 29,587 / 29,587

|rowspan="2"| $6,503,950

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |September 2

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |September 5

|rowspan="2"| Oakland

|rowspan="2"| The Arena in Oakland

|rowspan="2"| 31,195 / 31,195

|rowspan="2"| $3,351,320

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |September 6

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |September 9

|rowspan="4"| Los Angeles

|rowspan="4"| Staples Center

|rowspan="4"| 61,464 / 61,464

|rowspan="4"| $8,303,165

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |September 13

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |September 14

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |September 15

!colspan="4"|Total

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |731,606 / 731,606 (100%)

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |$76,792,245

Cancelled dates

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of cancelled concerts

Band

Madonna – creator, vocals, guitar
Niki Haris – vocals
Donna De Lory – vocals
Stuart Price – musical director, keyboards, guitar
Michael McKnight – programmer, keyboards
Marcus Brown – keyboards
Monte Pittman – guitar
Ron Powell – percussions
Steve Sidelnyk – drums

Dancers

Christian Vincent – head dancer
Ruthy Inchaustegui – dancer
Nito Larioza – dancer
Tamara Levinson – dancer
Marlyn Ortiz – dancer
Anthony Jay Rodriguez – dancer
Jamal Story – dancer
Kemba Shannon – dancer
Eko Supriyanto – dancer
Jull Weber – dancer
Addie Yungmee- dancer

Choreographers

Jamie King – choreographer
Alex Magno – choreographer
Kelly Parker – assistant choreographer
Debra Brown – aerial choreographer
Leslie DeWhurst – assistant aerial choreographer
Stefanie Roos – associate choreographer
Taimak Guerreillo – Martial arts coordinator
Ho Sung Pak – assistant to Martial arts coordinator

Wardrobe

Jean Paul Gaultier – designer
Arianne Phillips – designer
Dean and Dan Caten – designer

Crew

Hamish Hamilton – broadcast director
Jamie King – stage production director
Joyce Fleming – creative technical consultant
Tif'nie Olson – assistant to director
William Orbit – engineer
Mirwais Ahmadzaï – engineer
Pat McCarthy – engineer
Mark "Spike" Stent – engineer
Caresse Henry – artist management
Shari Goldschmidt – business management
Richard Feldstein – business management
LeeAnn Hard – business management
Liz Rosenberg – publicist
Chris Littleton – tour manager
Arianne Phillips – stylist
Luigi Murenu – stylist
Rita Marmo – stylist
Klexius Kolby – make-up
Julie Harris – make-up
Joseph kale – art director
Peter Morse lighting director
Jake Davies – sound design
Carol Dodds – video director
Edwin Stern – yoga instructor
Kevin Reagan – tour book design
Rosie O'Donnell – cover photo

References

Literary sources

External links

Madonna.com > Tours > Drowned World Tour