In 2009, Australian singer Kylie Minogue embarked on her first concert tour of North America, her eleventh concert tour at that point in her career. The tour took place following the release of her tenth studio album X (2007), and featured new material from her then-upcoming eleventh studio album, Aphrodite (2010).
Minogue had initially given the tour the working title For You, For Me upon its announcement; however, this name was not retained, with certain promotional materials later referencing the tour as KylieUSA2009. The nine-date mini-tour began on 30 September 2009 at the Fox Theatre in Oakland, California, and concluded on 13 October 2009 in New York City, after three nights at the famed Hammerstein Ballroom. The tour and concerts received favourable reviews from music critics, and grossed over US$3 million (or roughly $4.5 million in 2026).
Background In 2002, there was speculation Minogue would bring her Fever tour to the U.S. and Canada, after the success of Fever and its singles in those territories. It was originally believed Minogue did not want to scale down the show for smaller venues but later revealed she was swayed by her management to not perform in the U.S. and Canada. However, Minogue did tour the U.S. with Jingle Ball, an annual concert festival produced on by KIIS-FM, visiting Boston, Anaheim, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, New York City, and Seattle.
The tour was officially announced via Billboard on 6 May 2009. When asked about the name of the tour, she remarked, "It was For You, For Me. And maybe that’s going to stick, I’m not sure."Source for title: This working title was not retained further.
Minogue stated, "I've wanted to tour in America and Canada for years now and know that fans have been waiting a long time for this. I'm thrilled that the opportunity has finally arrived." Bill Silva (CEO of Bill Silva Presents) stated, "Kylie has such a successful career outside of North America that it has taken quite a while to find a window in her schedule for the U.S. and Canada. Her amazing fans in North America will be well rewarded for their patience when they experience her show and its entire spectacle." Minogue promoted the tour on the fourth hour of the Today Show in New York stating that she's always wanted to tour the US, but it was a constant battle with her manager. During an interview with BlackBook magazine, Minogue spoke about her fanbase in North America: "The fans in America aren't great in number, but they're great in spirit. And they've been so patient. I think I really shocked them when I said I was touring, because they've become accepting of the fact that it was never going to happen. But I meant it, all the years I spent saying I would love to tour the States" and what they should expect from the tour: "I decided not to go somewhere I've never been before, direction-wise, because American audiences haven't seen my live shows for the most part. So we decided—and I guess it works well in these financial times—to bring with us a "best of" my different tours". Jean Paul Gaultier created some of the outfits for the show.
Minogue later commented on the tour, stating, "It was a micro-tour, but I've got to tell you it was so rewarding [...] It was a mission from the heart… It was like… setting my wallet on fire because basically it just made no financial sense to do it, but I just reached a point where I thought, 'That's it! I just wanna!' I got a lot of reward from it. Right back to the heart, so it was amazing."
Synopsis The show was split into six sections along with an encore. All of the costumes worn in the tour were designed for Kylie by French designer Jean Paul Gaultier. The elements of the tour drew inspiration from Kylie's earlier tours, borrowing song interpretations, screen visuals, and costumes.
The show began with an overture containing elements of "Over the Rainbow", "Somewhere" and "The Sound of Music", which leads into "Light Years", remixed by Steve Anderson. Kylie was lowered onto the stage on the skull used for "Like a Drug" on the KylieX2008 tour; following this is a new remix of "Speakerphone", followed by a new version of "Come into My World", both also remixed by Steve Anderson. After chatting to the audience Kylie would go onto sing the KylieX2008 version of "In Your Eyes", closing the section.
The second section began with a slightly altered version of the "Everything Taboo Medley" used in the Homecoming Tour", but used elements and samples of "Fascinated", "Ride on Time", "The Real Slim Shady" and "Buffalo Gals", the latter two used in the Fever Tour and did not use the "Step Back in Time" sample. Following this medley, Kylie went on to perform "Better than Today", which was from her then-upcoming eleventh studio album.
The third section began with "Like a Drug", using the intro used on the X Tour; during this section a white version of the "erotic bellboy" outfit worn to sing "Like a Drug" for the X Tour was used. Following "Like a Drug", the "Boombox" / "Can't Get You Out of My Head" mashup was performed, which incorporated the screen visuals of "Can't Get You Out of My Head" used in the Money Can't Buy one-off concert and the KylieX2008 tour. After this, Kylie performed the X Tour version of "Slow" without the "Free" excerpt. To close the section, Kylie introduced the band and performed "2 Hearts".
The fourth section began with a slightly different version of "Red Blooded Woman" used in both the Showgirl Tour and Showgirl Homecoming Tour, but still used the "Where the Wild Roses Grow" excerpt; this performance blended the two performances in the aforementioned tours, using the pommel horse from the Homecoming Tour and the choreography from the Showgirl Tour. This was followed by a small dance interlude titled "Heart Beat Rock Segue" that included elements of the song "Mickey". "Wow" then closed the section.
The fifth section began with a small instrumental intro, titled "White Diamond Theme", which used excerpts and quotes from various films and actresses; this was followed by a performance of the ballad version of "White Diamond", which was followed by the Showgirl Tour version of "Confide in Me", then the ballad version of "I Believe in You", used on the X Tour. Throughout the performance of the latter, the screen visuals used in the "Crying Game Medley" during the Fever Tour were used, as well as the falling rose petals used in the tour too.
The penultimate section began with the mashup of Kylie's "Burning Up" and Madonna's "Vogue"; this was followed by the jazz version of "The Locomotion" used in the Showgirl Tours. It was at this point in the show that "On a Night Like This" was supposed to be performed, however it was not performed at any dates of the tour. Following "The Locomotion", Kylie and her backing vocalists sang "Kids" before Kylie closed the main body of the show with a performance of "In My Arms".
The encore began with a performance of "Better the Devil You Know", which was used in some shows of the KylieX2008 tour, followed by "The One" (except on 3, 4 and 12 October where it was removed from the set). At all shows, the closing song was "Love at First Sight".
Critical reception For the most part, the tour received rave reviews. After being "stunned by the glitz and glamour of Kylie's tour and the power it had to pull in celebs when she performed at the Palms", Vegas promoters even offered Minogue a complete residence for a show in the city.
San Francisco Chronicle critic Aidin Vaziri gave the concert in Oakland a positive review: "It's impossible to describe the full spectacle of the Kylie experience – part Vegas extravaganza, part sci-fi adventure, all flesh. There were golden tigers, confetti showers, diamante-studded football players, digital explosions and Trojan warriors with elaborate plumes on their heads. Well, why not? [...] The fact that she fit it all into a relatively intimate venue was a marvel unto itself. The show seemed to have been designed to be visible from the moon, with large-scale video projections broadcasting studio montages of celluloid Kylie mouthing the words to the songs the real-life version was singing below. The stage swarmed with musicians, dancers and the occasional army of robots. Meanwhile, her wardrobe department seemed intent on making Lady Gaga wave a white flag. [...] Apart from a pair of middling ballads that served as a reminder that her relatively thin voice works best served with a generous heaping of bass, there were no major opening-night missteps. Rather, it was one thrill after another, especially for the fans who had waited so long for this moment." Rolling Stone critic Barry Walters also gave the concert in Oakland a positive review: "Minogue doesn't possess vocal power, but, like Diana Ross, her precise yet joyous phrasing sets her apart from lesser, more self-conscious upstarts. [...] As made overt during a medley of Minogue's Burning Up and Madonna's Vogue, much of Minogue's show picked up where Madge left off at her Blonde Ambition peak, a task attempted but not quite fulfilled by countless well-funded sirens. [...] The difference is that Minogue radiates a bliss that can't be bought. Even in the midst of painstaking choreography, her sense of ecstasy is utterly of the moment." In some criticism of the audio effects, Walters noted, "...throughout a set that mixed tracks from her last three albums, import singles and unreleased material, her band and blankets of reverb often overwhelmed Minogue's pop-perfect sighs. Several songs early in the evening were rendered almost unrecognizable." Walters praised Minogue's stage presence: "When necessary, Minogue can toss her tiny frame around with the agility of a professional dancer. Yet more remarkable was her poise: She made no unnecessary or ungainly movements, and at times seemed to be traveling at a speed slightly slower than gravity would ordinarily allow. At 41, she is infinitely more sexy than she was in her 20s. Her grace is improbable, yet all the more compelling for its mystery." Referencing an unexpected wave of bouncing Mylar pillows sent by fans towards the stage during her performance of "Wow", to which she responded by twirling one she grabbed "as if she'd just been handed a tremendous present", Walters said, "It takes a special kind of star to accommodate and make the most of an unplanned special effect, and Minogue is effortlessly, exactly that".