When I’m late to the party, and word-of-mouth is strong, my expectations grow to stratospheric proportions. I mean, how could hearing, “Conor, you’ve got to watch x, it’s fantastic,” or “Have you seen y? It will literally change your life,” over and over again for months not do that to you? I hype it up so much in my noggin that by the time I finally experience whatever the streets are talking about, I’m often underwhelmed.
So when I’d heard from friends who’d previously seen Lady Gaga on The Mayhem Ball tour say that it’s Gaga at her absolute best, I was really hoping this would be one of those times where my sky-high expectations were realized.
In this case, they weren’t met—they were exceeded tenfold. I was not prepared for this level of excellence.
I’ve been a Little Monster since before the term “Little Monster” was coined. I can remember where I was the first time I heard “Just Dance” on the radio; the song was just that much different. One of my only regrets in life is not taking my friend up on their ticket offer to a performance of The Fame Ball at Terminal 5 in New York City–I think the ticket was something like $25? “Shit, I have to go to [insert name of College friend whose name I can’t remember]’s birthday thing, I’ll catch her on the next tour,” I said.
Yeah, that didn't happen. Other than being in attendance for her performance on Good Morning America to celebrate the release of Born This Way back in May 2011, I wouldn’t see Gaga live in a full concert until August 2022, when The Chromatica Ball finally came to fruition after two years of COVID delays. (Note: I’ve had tickets for many of her concerts, but something always happened to prevent me from attending).
Magnum Opus
Why was I even talking about this? Oh, right–having missed the first North American leg of The Mayhem Ball, I figured it was another notch to add to my belt. After all, this tour wasn’t even supposed to happen. Gaga’s initial plan was to do a few promotional concerts and then retreat to plan her wedding to fiancé Michael Polansky. It all changed when her ninth studio album MAYHEM was released on March 7, 2025 (I’m counting The Fame Monster and Harlequin as LPs, don’t @ me). MAYHEM was like a sonic homecoming for Gaga fans, a reunion with the brand of pop music that first made us fall in love with her–an album of "no-skips." MAYHEM was also universally lauded by critics, who praised Gaga's ability to build on a previous sound in a way that creates a sense of familiarity while simultaneously presenting something unique.
MAYHEM also presents some of Gaga's most introspective lyrics. Many of the songs on the record reference an internal battle waging within her psyche. It's the double-edged sword of fame; the conflict between Lady Gaga, the public figure, and Stefani Germanotta, the person. The track "Perfect Celebrity" references her public-facing self like a sleep paralysis demon, "asleep on the ceiling." Both of the music videos for the album's lead singles, "Disease" and "Abracadabra," feature two versions of Gaga–one light and one dark–facing off against one another.
Within two weeks of MAYHEM's release, Lady Gaga announced the initial 32 dates for The Mayhem Ball. With a show called The Art of Personal Chaos in development for her headline appearance at Coachella in 2025 and a date at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (which became the single most-attended show by a female artist in history when an estimated 2.5 million people showed up to the free gig), the decision was made to adapt the production for the road. The first leg sold so well that pop legend and her team extended the tour into 2026, visiting Europe, Australia, and Japan, before making one final lap around North America. When it ends on April 13, The Mayhem Ball will run for 87 dates across four continents. Not bad for a tour that wasn't supposed to happen.
Death or Love Tonight
On March 24, I got into my Mayhem finery and headed to the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., to see what all of my friends had told me was "Gaga at her best." The moment I entered the arena, I understood the increased "creative control" Gaga cited as her reason for choosing arenas over stadiums. Pre-show, scarlet red lights were cast onto the floor, making the Capital One Arena look more like a Victorian opera house than the home of the Washington Capitals. Opera music played over the loudspeakers as fan messages, called "Voices of Mayhem," flashed across the screens surrounding the set. Gaga is known for world-building in her live shows, extending the theme of her tour beyond the stage and into the audience, offering a truly immersive experience, but something stood out about this environment specifically.
At 8:45 pm, the house lights dimmed, and two versions of Lady Gaga appeared on screen to recite "The Manifesto of Mayhem," providing background for the story about to unfold. Much like the album's tone, The Art of Personal Chaos introduces us to two facets of Gaga's personality–a blonde, almost angelic character emblematic of her public persona, and the much darker "Mistress of Mayhem," who represents the singer's inner chaos, self-destructiveness, and the pressure of fame. For the sake of this recap,
"So I must sing and build the walls to cradle my own space," Gaga recites. "And my own sound will grow the fortress of a home erased. And her and I, will find a way to live as dueling twins."
A cascade of thundering guitars and drums enveloped the arena, and the crowd erupted in cheers. A curtain opened midstage to reveal Gaga moving forward, dressed in a red Tudor-style gown with a skirt draped over a cage. Over twenty feet in the air, Gaga began the show singing "Bloody Mary," a track from 2011's Born This Way that found a recent audience thanks to TikTok.
"The category is... dance, or die," she yelled, as the infectious beat of "Abracadabra" kicked in. Mayhem had arrived.
The 2.5 hour performance was divided into four acts, the setlist reflecting the storyline remarkably. Gaga alternates playing both "sides" of herself with a body double, who wears a replica of an outfit she wore at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. In Act I, aptly titled "Of Velvet and Vice," the audience is introduced to the Mistress of Mayhem (aka Mother Mayhem) as she's throwing a party that is part Moulin Rouge, part Studio 54. Hearing both "Judas" and "Scheiße" live in 2026? Easily worth the price of admission alone.
The central conflict is established at the end of Act I, Gaga's public persona emerging from the audience and taking the stage. "What are you doing here in my house?" Mother Mayhem taunts her blonde counterpart. A stand-off ensues; the stage transforms into a chess board while the opening synth bass line of Gaga's hit song "Poker Face" rings out from the speakers, and the two personalities play a game of chess the campy way–through a dance battle.
What ensues is a full narrative arc–the two personalities begin by viciously sparring with one another, but as the performance progresses, they eventually learn to accept each other. Act II begins with Gaga laying in a graveyard, performing "Perfect Celebrity" surrounded by skulls. As the scene transitions to the song "Disease," the skulls began to shake to life. "Holy shit, those are dancers!" I yelled out loud as the skulls emerged from the sand around them.
A moment I found particularly touching was the rendition of "Paparazzi." Blonde Gaga begins the song hobbled over, clad in armor. Moving forward as she sings, she begins to strip her armor piece-by-piece, her gown trailing the length of the stage behind her. Right after the bridge, she raises her arms to reveal wings that are lit in the colors of the Pride flag–a moment of true self-acceptance, and a message to everyone that when we strip ourselves of what is weighing us down, we can learn to fly. Act II ended with an otherworldly performance of "The Beast," with Gaga jumping on electric guitar.
Act III opens with two of my personal highlights from MAYHEM: the Gesaffelstein-featured "Killah," and "Zombieboy," evocative of Blondie's "Rapture." I was also ecstatic to hear "Applause" (justice for ARTPOP). The central conflict is resolved in Act IV, which featured a fan-favorite track from The Fame, "Summerboy." Having reconciled both of her identities midway through Act IV, Gaga finally had a moment to take a beat, after over two hours of running around on stage (while delivering some of the best live vocals of her career).
Photos from an earlier performance in Barcelona, by Juan Gonzalez Herrera.
As Free As My Hair
As she does at many of her shows, Gaga took a seat at the piano–the instrument where so many of her songs begin their journey. Finally, she had a moment to be truly present, and, gazing out at the sea of fans surrounding her, Gaga gave a small shake of her head, as if she were trying to process the moment. Her eyes began to fill with tears.
“I feel very lucky to be here,” she told the over 20,000 fans in attendance. “It’s my birthday in a couple of days.”
A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd. She continued, “In a lot of ways, I’ve been growing up with you.”
Gaga, who turned 40 this past Saturday, made it clear there was nowhere else she’d rather be than in a room full of people who had grown alongside her.
“You have been there through all of my iterations,” the singer said. “I hope you know I want to be there for all of…ours.”
Part of Lady Gaga's emotional speech to her fans.
Lady Gaga has always said she feels most comfortable when she's on stage, performing for her fans. Yet there was something very emotional about this moment in Washington, D.C. It was a moment where both artist and audience communicated their mutual gratitude toward one another. Often, the relationship between artist and fan is a one-way street, but that has never been the case for Lady Gaga–and at that moment, sitting in front of her piano, she truly was thankful for our support.
"I think the thing that I'm most proud of... in all of my career... is this very special community that I get to be a part of every night."
It's likely that Gaga will be taking a break after this tour. She has been very vocal about wanting to start a family and settle down a bit after two decades of being on the road. But she made a point to let everyone know that she will always make music and perform, no matter what happens.
"I will always come back here," Gaga continued. "I don't know what's going to happen in the next twenty years. I don't know if I'll fill an arena or a stadium–"
At that moment, she locked eyes with a fan in the crowd, who rebuked this claim with a loud exclamation. "YOU WILL!" he told her.
"I don't... hey, I don't know!" She jumped up from her piano bench with a wry smile. As if to say, "from your mouth to God's ears."
"But I will find a piano, and I will pull it up to a bar, or on the street somewhere, and I will play for you," Gaga promised.
The main set ended with, appropriately, a finale entitled "Eternal Aria of the Monster Heart," which included one song, and one song only–"Bad Romance." Arguably the biggest song of Lady Gaga's career, "Bad Romance" and The Fame Monster were the inspiration behind the moniker "Little Monster" and "Mother Monster." After the song ended, Lady Gaga disappeared from the stage, and when she reappeared for the encore, she was bare-faced, in sweats and a beanie. It was a brilliant ending—one that perfectly tied together the show’s message of self-acceptance.
For a woman who has spent her whole career making sure everyone around her felt accepted, Gaga is entering her 40s finally returning the favor to herself.
Setlist
Act I: Of Velvet and Vice
Bloody Mary
Abracadabra
Judas
Aura
Scheiße
Garden of Eden
Poker Face
Act II: And She Fell Into a Gothic Dream
Perfect Celebrity
Disease
Paparazzi
LoveGame
Alejandro
The Beast
Act III: The Beautiful Nightmare That Knows Her Name
Killah
Zombieboy
LoveDrug
Applause
Just Dance
Act IV: Every Chessboard Has Two Queens
Shadow of a Man
Kill for Love
Summerboy
Born This Way
Million Reasons
Shallow
Die With a Smile (Gaga on piano)
Hair (acoustic, Gaga on piano)
Vanish Into You
Finale: Eternal Aria of The Monster Heart
Bad Romance
Encore
How Bad Do U Want Me
Sine From Above (Gaga sang along to a recording)
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