A Guide To Dressing For Madonna’s The Celebration Tour

“I arrived in New York City in 1978 with just $35,” Madonna shared with her fans while opening The Celebration Tour in London’s O2 arena last month. It’s not the first time the 65-year-old superstar has shared this rags-to-riches detail about a young Madonna Louise Ciccone trying to get her big break in the big city — but it is the first time doing so while nostalgically looking back on her entire career. 

It’s not like Madonna to dwell on the past, so a tour featuring four decades of her greatest hits has come as something of a surprise to her fans everywhere. This is a woman who has consistently reinvented herself with such success that artists like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and more have all followed suit. In short: she always looks forward and we love her for it. 

But, as a first-time goer to a Madonna gig (although longtime fan), a spectacular show around her entire life, the community she’s forged, the family she’s created and the hardships she’s endured to become pop’s ultimate survivor, was special. Why not mark and celebrate that survival with a kick-ass, sexually charged show?

And it’s a show fans are queuing up and paying handsomely for. In the UK, according to Viagogo ticket sales, Madonna is the second highest-selling female performer of 2023, just after Beyoncé. And this year, total ticket sales for female artists have already reached 85% of sales last year. Kicking ass, indeed — but would we expect anything less from the legendary icon?

By the time the tour closes on 24 April 2024, Madonna will have performed 78 shows across 15 countries, which is why revisiting and recreating the singer’s most iconic looks — from “Like A Virgin” to “Ray Of Light” — is a must. Because if Madonna is willing to take a trip down memory lane for us then we’d damn well better dress up for her. 

For many of us, ’80s Madonna is our favourite era, right? From white lace gloves to frothy tulle skirts, dressing up ‘Like A Virgin’ is pretty easy. Take inspiration from brands like Free People and Mejuri so you don’t feel like Halloween has come twice. Instead, think back to a young Madonna arriving in NYC with $35, tearing up the town in virginal white.

Released on the cusp of the ’90s, Madonna was channelling the decade’s sought-after styles before the rest of us with slinky slips, cross chokers and a touch of angry grunge spirit in ‘Like A Prayer’. So follow Madge and stick to a less is more approach with pieces you’ll definitely wear again and again.

If you’re planning on riffing off the Madonna in her “Music” era. then we suggest forgoing the white fluffy coat and chunky gold accessories version for the Cowboy-inspired spirit instead. Think: cowboy hat, cowboy shirt and (cowgirl) embellished jeans that coordinate with ease.

For The Celebration Tour, costume and creative designers Eyob Yohannes and Rita Melssen created standout outfits inspired by her most iconic looks for the stage. Of course, Donatella Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier and Dilara Findikoglu lent a hand. And her “Erotica” era reigns supreme. To channel some of that sexual expression and liberation associated with it, pick pieces that are black, made from sheer fabric and help to shape your body like this Out From Under corset.

Possibly the most pared back version of Madonna we’ve ever been privy to, the singer’s “Ray Of Light” era meant she kept things simple. So slip on a white vest, pull on some kick-flare trousers and complete it all with a denim jacket.