From Summerboy on the setlist to a gothic gondola, here’s what’s new at Lady Gaga’s The Mayhem Ball Tour

Little Monsters, the Mayhem Ball Tour has officially begun, and Mother Monster kicked it off with a jaw-dropping spectacle on July 16, 2025, at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena!

After blowing us away with her The Art of Personal Chaos promotional shows earlier this year, Lady Gaga has reimagined her vision for the Mayhem Ball, taking the chaos to new heights.

Here’s everything she’s added to make this tour a bolder, more electrifying experience compared to the Coachella, Mexico City, Rio, and Singapore shows. Buckle up—this is Gaga like you’ve never seen her before! 🎭🔥

A revamped theatrical vision

While The Art of Personal Chaos introduced a five-act structure exploring duality and inner chaos, the Mayhem Ball transforms this concept into a “new and improved” global tour experience. Gaga, alongside choreographer Parris Goebel, has kept the opera-inspired narrative but dialed up the theatricality with fresh vignettes and a bolder aesthetic.

Fans on X describe it as “a new form” of the original show, with select visuals carried over but reimagined to feel more immersive in arena settings. Think less “gothic dream sequence” and more “electrifying global chaos” tailored for closer connection with fans.

Now, about the set: it didn’t carry that initial shock that the Chromatica Ball Tour imposed on fans at first look, since, as the audience entered the arena, it was framed by the same columns and structure that mimics an opera house as the previous series of shows. As the night went on, came the surprises: a gondola travelling along “shallow waters” for “Shallow”, a huge rotating skull followed by a brand new staircase, the 2.0 version of the chess board presented along the runway and a hot new light platform that transformed the stage during “Summertime” were welcome additions to the visual experience.

New songs for setlist surprises

The Mayhem Ball setlist builds on the Art of Personal Chaos template but adds crowd-pleasing tracks and fresh arrangements that had fans screaming. Here’s what’s new:

Gaga debuted “Aura,” “LoveGame,” “LoveDrug,” “Applause,” “Just Dance,” and “Summerboy” in Las Vegas. Banger “Kill for Love” also got its full premiere (previously performed differently in promo shows, as a small portiong).

“Summerboy,” a rare The Fame cut not performed in 18 years, was a standout, with Gaga rocking a guitar amid a “sweaty, tangled mess of gyrating bodies.”

New arrangements also transformed previous tracks already at the show: “Shallow” now features Gaga singing from a gondola, a dramatic departure from its piano-led Art of Personal Chaos rendition. “Die With a Smile,” her Bruno Mars duet, got a stylistic makeover for a solo full live performance, and “Million Reasons” joined the setlist for a heartfelt moment. “Killah” and “Zombieboy” also got a makeover for the new tour.

The setlist structure of show retains the five-act arc (e.g., Act I: “Of Velvet and Vice,” Act II: “And She Fell into a Gothic Dream”), starting with “The Manifesto of Mayhem” and hits like “Bloody Mary,” “Abracadabra,” “Judas,” and “Scheiße.” New additions like “Aura” and “LoveGame” slot into Act I, while “Applause” and “Summerboy” electrify the second half, ensuring a mix of Mayhem bangers and nostalgic hits.

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Lady Gaga The Mayhem Ball Tour photos, review and setlist

The Queen got new outfits

Gaga’s Mayhem Ball wardrobe is a fashion fever dream, building on the gothic, cyberpunk, and high-fashion aesthetic of the promo shows. New outfits include…

“Killah”: She donned “regal Gothic opulence” with a new costume, performing in front of a massive spinning skull prop, amplifying the song’s freaky energy.
“Shadow of a Man”: A new custom outfit, distinct from the promo shows tailored looks and a Lara Jensen hat, adds a modern edge to this disco-electropop track.
Backstage action: to finish her performance, Lady Gaga performed her fan favorite track “How Bad Do U Want Me” just like she did at the Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana concert rehearsal, a viral moment from that show. Starting from backstage, she donned a casual look with a rock t-shirt, sunglasses and beanie before she came out back to the stage for a final tune before the night was done.

HOW BAD DO YOU WANT ME – extra #MAYHEMBALL pic.twitter.com/cnsg3zwKAP
— Dei 🍷 (@artxdesire) July 17, 2025

Enhanced Stage Props and Visuals

The Mayhem Ball introduces new stage elements to bring the Mayhem universe to life in arenas:

Interactive Fan Stories: Before the show, fans submit “Voices of MAYHEM” through a QR-Code like with stories projected on the stage’s LED screen, a new feature not seen in the promo shows, fostering a deeper fan connection.

Light-Up LED Bracelets: Synced with the performance, these bracelets create a synchronized light show, enhancing the immersive experience in smaller venues.

New Props: The spinning skull for “Killah” and the gondola for “Shallow” are fresh additions, contrasting with the Art of Personal Chaos’s 1,260-square-meter stage and 60-meter-wide LED screen in Rio. “Paparazzi” also got a makeover with full blown support, literally, to the LGBTQIAPN+ community, turning her gigantic train into a rainbow flag, an emotional moment for fans.

Retouched Visuals: The tour carries over the opera-inspired, Es Devlin-designed set from Coachella but adds new visual references, blending, for example, Alexander McQueen’s influence with futuristic touches for a more polished, arena-friendly spectacle.

Mayhem stories displayed at the screen before the show through a QR-code link

The Mayhem Ball Tour: what's different from The Art Of Personal Chaos shows by Lady Gaga

A Longer, More Dynamic Show

The Mayhem Ball is a longer production than the Art of Personal Chaos shows, with fans on X noting an extended runtime to accommodate the expanded setlist w The pacing feels more dynamic, with Gagith more than 2h20 of concert. Lady Gaga’s “legit acting chops” enhanced transitions from “imperious formality to controlled chaos to slinky vamping,” as Billboard noted.

The Mayhem Ball has sparked a cultural renaissance, with Gaga’s classic hits like “Bad Romance” and “Poker Face” climbing global charts alongside Mayhem singles “Abracadabra” (No. 7 worldwide) and “Die With a Smile” (No. 2 on Billboard Global 200).

Unlike the promo shows, the tour’s exclusivity in arenas amps up demand, with sold-out dates and projections of $100–125 million in grosses. Fans on Reddit and X call it “a masterpiece” that builds on The Art of Personal Chaos’s foundation, with some speculating a deluxe Mayhem album.

What stayed the same?

While the Mayhem Ball evolves the formula, it retains the core of The Art of Personal Chaos: the five-act structure, Parris Goebel’s choreography, and the “Monsters Never Die” finale with “Bad Romance” in Elizabethan-inspired attire.

The Mistress of Mayhem character and themes of duality, fame, and inner turmoil still anchor the narrative, ensuring continuity for fans who loved the promo shows’ theatricality.

The Mayhem Ball is Gaga at her most unfiltered—channeling the raw energy of her The Fame days with the polished artistry of a 14-time Grammy winner. By blending new songs, iconic hits, and avant-garde visuals in intimate arenas, she’s created a show that’s both a love letter to Little Monsters and a bold new chapter. Whether it’s the skeleton dancers, the spinning skull, or Gaga jamming on guitar for “Summerboy,” this tour proves no one does chaos like Gaga. Share your favorite Mayhem Ball moment below, and let’s keep the paws up! 🐾✨