Lady Gaga’s The Mayhem Ball Tour: what to expect from the night of chaos
On March 26, 2025, the pop music universe erupted as Lady Gaga unleashed a seismic announcement that sent her “Little Monsters” into a frenzy: the Mayhem Ball Tour is officially here.
Revealed with her signature dramatic flair via Instagram, this global arena tour—her first full-scale arena trek since 2018—promises an electrifying blend of intimacy, theatricality, and unbridled chaos. Supporting her seventh studio album, Mayhem, released on March 7, 2025, the tour is poised to redefine live music with Gaga’s avant-garde artistry and a closer connection to her fans. Buckle up, because Mother Monster is back, and she’s bringing the mayhem to a city near you.
The Mayhem Ball Tour wasn’t initially on Gaga’s 2025 radar. After a string of promotional performances earlier this year—including headlining Coachella on April 11 and 18, stadium shows in Mexico City (April 26-27), a record-breaking free concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on May 3 that drew 2.5 million attendees, and four nights in Singapore (May 18, 19, 21, and 24)—Gaga planned to take a breather.
The explosive response to Mayhem, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top Pop Albums and Top Dance/Electronic Albums charts, changed everything.
“I wasn’t planning to tour this year after my shows in Singapore,” Gaga confessed on Instagram, “but the incredible response to the new album inspired me to keep things going.” Thanks to promoter Arthur Fogel and Live Nation, a global itinerary of 45 shows across three continents came together in mere weeks, a testament to Gaga’s enduring star power and her fans’ insatiable demand.
The tour, which kicks off July 16, 2025, at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena and concludes January 30, 2026, at Tokyo Dome, is already projected to gross between $100 million and $125 million, potentially making it her biggest tour in over a decade.
What makes this tour a marvel is how quickly it came together. Gaga credited the “amazing team at Live Nation” and promoter Arthur Fogel for orchestrating a global itinerary in mere weeks. It’s a testament to her enduring star power and the insatiable demand from fans who’ve been clamoring for her return to the stage since her last major outing, the Chromatica Ball in 2022.
But don’t expect a rehash of past glories—this is Gaga reimagined, trading stadium bombast for arena intimacy, and she’s got a vision that’s as bold as it is personal!
If you’ve seen Lady Gaga live, you know she thrives in the electric sprawl of stadiums, where her larger-than-life persona fills every corner with sound and spectacle.
So why arenas this time? “There’s something electric about a stadium, and I love every moment of those shows,” Gaga said in a press release. “But with the Mayhem Ball, I wanted to create a different kind of experience—something more intimate—closer, more connected—that lends itself to the live theatrical art I love to create.”
Arenas allow Gaga to control every detail of the show—intricate stage designs, immersive lighting, and choreography that hits you right in the chest—in ways stadiums can’t. However, posts on X suggest mixed fan reactions, with some expressing disappointment over a reportedly “minimalist” stage setup after Gaga allegedly overspent her budget on Coachella.
A leaked photo of the stage sparked debate, particularly among Mexican fans who felt the production for shows at GNP Seguros Stadium lacked the expected grandeur. Despite this, Gaga’s vision remains clear: a theatrical, electrifying experience that brings Mayhem to life exactly as she envisions it.
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What to expect from Mayhem live
At the heart of the Mayhem Ball Tour is Mayhem, a 14-track sonic rollercoaster hailed by The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis as a return to Gaga’s “freaky first principles.” A glitter-soaked rebellion blending pulsating synths with raw emotional depth, the album features hits like “Abracadabra,” “Disease,” “Die With a Smile” (a Bruno Mars collaboration), and “Garden of Eden.”
Gaga described it to ELLE as “utter chaos,” a celebration of “following your own chaos into whatever cranny of your life that it takes you to.” Expect these tracks to ignite arenas with their anarchic energy, alongside classics like “Bad Romance,” “Poker Face,” “Born This Way,” and possibly “Bloody Mary” after its viral resurgence.
Gaga’s Coachella set offers a glimpse of what’s to come: a “gothic dream sequence” with towering set pieces and theatrical acts, crafted with choreographer Parris Goebel. While the Mayhem Ball’s setlist remains unconfirmed, it’s likely to weave new tracks with her iconic hits, delivered with high-energy choreography, stunning visuals, and eccentric costumes. Posts on X indicate Gaga has been rehearsing at MGM Grand and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, building anticipation for a show that’s both intimate and explosive.
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Mayhem Ball Tour schedule, locations and tickets
Originally planned for 32 dates, the tour expanded to 45 shows due to overwhelming demand, with additional performances added in cities like Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Miami, Toronto, Chicago, London, Paris, and Australia. Below is the updated schedule based on the latest announcements:
North America
- July 16, 18, 19, 2025: Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
- July 22, 24, 26: San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
- July 28, 29, August 1, 2: Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
- August 6, 7, 9: Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
- August 22, 23, 26, 27, September 6, 7: New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
- August 31, September 1, 3: Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
- September 10, 11, 13: Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
- September 15, 17, 18: Chicago, IL @ United Center
Europe/UK
- September 29, 30, October 2, 4: London, UK @ The O2
- October 7, 8: Manchester, UK @ Co-op Live
- October (dates TBD): Stockholm, Sweden; Milan, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Berlin, Germany; Amsterdam, Netherlands
- November 17, 18, 20, 22: Paris, France @ Accor Arena
Australia
- December 8, 9: Melbourne, Australia @ Rod Laver Arena
- December 12, 13: Sydney, Australia @ Accor Stadium
Asia
- January 28, 29, 30, 2026: Tokyo, Japan @ Tokyo Dome
- Additional Asia date TBD (rumored, per fan posts on X)
Securing tickets is a battle—most dates sold out on the first day of general sale (April 3, 2025). Presales included Citi cardholder access (March 31–April 2), Verizon Access (April 25–28 for new dates), and an artist presale (April 2 for initial dates, April 28 for new dates). General sales for additional dates began April 29.
Prices vary by venue, with Las Vegas tickets starting at $148 on Vivid Seats and $396 on SeatGeek, though closer seats can exceed $1,000. VIP packages (Premium, VIP, Gold, Silver, Early Entry) offer perks like premium seating, pre-show hospitality lounges, and exclusive merchandise, but none include artist meet-and-greets. Resale sites like StubHub, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, TicketNetwork, and Gametime are the best bet for sold-out shows, with promo codes like RS30 ($30 off $300 at Vivid Seats) or BILLBOARD150 ($150 off $500 at TicketNetwork) offering discounts.
Chaos Offstage: Controversies and Challenges
No Gaga era is complete without drama, and Mayhem delivers. Hours after the tour announcement, Lost International, a surfboard company, filed a lawsuit claiming Gaga’s Mayhem logo infringes on their 2015 design. They’re seeking to block its use and claim profits, but Gaga’s team dismissed the suit as “baseless” and “opportunistic.” The legal spat hasn’t impacted the tour, but it adds intrigue to the rollout.
More seriously, the Rio de Janeiro concert faced a bomb threat, leading to a police investigation with 5,000 officers, drones, and facial recognition. Two individuals were arrested—one for illegal weapons, another for child pornography—ensuring the event proceeded without disruption. Gaga’s team was unaware of the threat until media reports surfaced the next day.
Fan sentiment on X also highlights production concerns. Some Mexican fans criticized the “poor” stage setup for the Mexico City shows, while a TMZ report suggested Gaga’s Coachella overspending led to a scaled-back tour design. Despite this, anticipation remains high, with fans buzzing about rehearsals and a potential additional Asia date.
Why the Mayhem Ball is something to be very, very excited about
At 39, Gaga has evolved from the meat-dress provocateur of the late 2000s into a multifaceted icon who commands arenas, jazz stages, and film sets (Joker: Folie à Deux looms in 2026).
The Mayhem Ball bridges these worlds, offering a raw, connected experience that feels like a love letter to her fans. “See you soon, monsters,” she wrote, and the anticipation is palpable. After years of genre experiments and cinematic ventures, Gaga’s doubling down on the theatrical art that made her a legend.
For Little Monsters, it’s a chance to see Gaga at her most unfiltered—closer than ever, yet still larger than life. For everyone else, it’s a reminder of why she endures: no one does chaos like Gaga. So put your paws up, snag those tickets, and prepare for a glorious mess. The Mayhem Ball is here, and it’s set to be a transformative spectacle.
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