Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Emily Richardson | Celebrity | September 6, 2023
Back in June, Madonna gave us all a scare when she was rushed to the hospital after being found unresponsive in her New York City home. According to her manager, the 64-year-old Queen of Pop had suffered from a “serious bacterial infection,” requiring intubation and several days in the ICU.
Before the incident, Madonna had been putting in daily 12-hour rehearsals for her 40th-anniversary world tour, The Celebration Tour. It was set to kick off on July 15 in Vancouver, but, due to the severity of Madge’s health issues, the initial North American leg had to be delayed. The new start date is October 14 in London, England (poor Vancouver was rescheduled to February).
Over the summer, Madonna made a few brief appearances on social media; an Instagram selfie here, a birthday video there. Last week, TMZ paps caught her riding her bike in Central Park. Then, yesterday, Madonna posted a carousel of rehearsal photos. She’s back in business, baby! Here are the pics (note the knee brace):
Around the same time the Instagram pics appeared, a source told People that Madonna had returned to rehearsals on August 28, roughly two months after her health scare:
“She returned to rehearsals last Monday. She’s so happy to be back onstage and is feeling strong. She’s working closely with her longtime collaborators, Jamie King and Stuart Price, to put the final touches on the show.”
The insider added that Madonna enjoyed celebrating her birthday in Lisbon with family and friends, but “now she’s back in work mode and focused on the tour. This is where she thrives. She loves being back in a creative environment.” The source also referred to Celebration as Madge’s “most ambitious tour ever.” Even more ambitious than the Blond Ambition World Tour, a tour with the word “ambition” in its title? Whoa.
Hopefully, Madonna is fully recovered by the time October 14 rolls around; she’s scheduled to perform 78 concerts in North America and Europe. The tour is set to end on April 24, 2024 in Mexico City.
