Lady Gaga unleashed her divine chaos in Mexico City, where on Saturday night (April 26) she held her first concert in 13 years, captivating just over 61,000 attendees (according to promoter OCESA) with the gothic dreams emanating from MAYHEM, her celebrated dark and avant-garde new album.
The pop star brought the striking opera-style show that dazzled this year’s Coachella festival to the Estadio GNP Seguros (formerly Foro Sol), immersing her “Pequeños Monstruos” (Little Monsters) into a dark parallel universe. During the show, which marked the start of the international leg of her new stadium tour, Gaga read an emotional letter to her fans.
“To all my beautiful little monsters who are here tonight, it is an honor for me to be here, in your beautiful country, performing for you. It’s been 13 years since the last time I was here. I hope you see how hard I’ve worked on stage tonight to show you how much I admire and respect you. I sincerely thank you for choosing to spend the night with me,” Gaga read in Spanish from a balcony while a Mexican flag unfurled in front of her.
“Mexico City holds a special place in my heart because it’s where I ended my first stadium tour, the Monster Ball,” she added. “I will never forget the excitement and passion you shared with me that night as I bid farewell to the most important show of my career. I’m proud to share this moment with you again, only this time, it’s not the end but the beginning.”
Mother Monster’s return to Mexico was also accompanied by the live debut of the song “Blade of Grass,” a track written for her fiancé, businessman Michael Polansky.
“I wrote this song for the person I love most in the world, my fiancé Michael,” she said in English. “It’s on my new album, and I’ve never performed it before, but I really wanted to perform it here tonight. I just wanted to remind everyone, just for my life, that love can make us so happy. Always follow love and it will make you happy”.
After performing the song on the piano, she moved on to “Shallow” in an intimate moment that brought her to the brink of tears.
The majestic show in Mexico, dubbed “¡Viva La MAYHEM!”, kicked off with “Bloody Mary,” her 2011 hit that experienced a resurgence on TikTok, and “Abracadabra,” the first single from MAYHEM, with Gaga donning a massive three-tiered Victorian-era-inspired red dress. The 22 songs included in the setlist, nearly identical to the one presented at Coachella, featured tracks from her new album, like “Perfect Celebrity,” alongside older hits like “Poker Face” and “Born This Way,” delivered in acts that celebrated an internal battle between the lighter and darker sides of the 14-time Grammy and Oscar winner.
The Mexican “Little Monsters” paid tribute to Gaga by taking creativity to the next level with their outfits, which captured the early years of the diva with costumes inspired by that era, as well as her iconic meat dress worn at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards; her portrayal of Harley Quinn in Joker 2; and the country style blue outfit with red bows from “Die With a Smile,” her hit collaboration with Bruno Mars.
The star closed the night by stepping off the stage to greet fans in the front rows and performing her mega-hit “Bad Romance” alongside dancers, as the sky lit up with green, white, and red fireworks — a nod to the Mexican flag — in a celebration that will undoubtedly remain etched in the memories of both the artist and her local fans.
Lady Gaga will perform a second concert at the Estadio GNP Seguros on Sunday night (April 27) before heading to Brazil, where she will give a massive free show on May 3 at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
