Inside Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball Tour: Full Setlist Revealed
Oh, brilliant. Another superstar drop-kicking reality with an over-the-top spectacle. Yet here we are, breaking down Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball Tour kickoff like your cranky aunt at Thanksgiving.
Lady Gaga ignited her Mayhem Ball Tour on October 14, 2024, at Vancouver’s BC Place, and yes, it was as loud and garish as you’d expect. Backed by pulsating LED hoops and a futuristic catwalk, Gaga launched into “Bad Romance” as the arena lights flickered to neon green. According to setlist data confirmed by Billboard and Eyewitness Journal, the opener set the tone for a near two-hour mashup of career-spanning bangers and new material from her latest album, Chromatica II.
After the stomping electro-anthem, she didn’t waste a beat before launching into “Poker Face” and “Just Dance,” ensuring early casualties in the under-25 crowd. Mid-show, the artist dialed up the drama with a stripped-down piano rendition of “Born This Way,” accentuating lyrics about self-acceptance. Urban radio outlet Rolling Stone corroborated that this tender moment earned spontaneous tears—and a speedy costume change.
Next, fans were thrust into the glitch-pop realm of “Alice” and “Babylon,” the latter being one of two new tracks that Gaga teased on Good Morning America two months ago. Sources from Variety noted that the producer duo BloodPop and Max Martin, credited on Chromatica II, were likely behind the remixed transitions that smoothed each switch from ballad to rave.
Of course, no Gaga show is complete without a dramatic surprise. At track eight, she invited rapper Kim Petras for a punchy duet of “911,” a collaboration first hinted at during a backstage TikTok livestream. The moment was verified by industry insider The Hollywood Reporter. Petras’ verse added a raw edge to the robotic choreography, prompting a brief confetti explosion and zero subtlety.
As the night wound on, Gaga delivered fan-favorite deep cut “Government Hooker,” followed by a synth-heavy “Stupid Love,” which had the crowd singing every word. The penultimate act featured “Applause” in a high-energy laser show, then slowed down for a haunting “Million Reasons” acoustic encore. Finally, “Paparazzi” closed the set, with Gaga perched atop a rotating platform, waving goodbye as pyrotechnics painted the sky.
This opening salvo of the Mayhem Ball Tour didn’t reinvent the wheel, but it did remind everyone why Gaga remains the queen of pop-opera theater. Expect bigger stage stunts, more guest cameos, and maybe a wardrobe malfunction or two before this tour wraps early next year. And that, dear reader, is why it’s impossible to be underwhelmed.
Well, if you needed any more proof that spectacle still sells, there you have it. Moving on.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
