The Joanne World Tour was the sixth headlining concert tour by American singer Lady Gaga, in support of her fifth studio album, Joanne (2016). It began on August 1, 2017, in Vancouver, Canada and ended on February 1, 2018, in Birmingham, England. After tickets went on sale, various shows in Europe and North America quickly sold out, prompting additional dates in both continents. Due to chronic pain caused by fibromyalgia, Gaga was forced to cancel the last 10 shows of the concert series.
The tour featured a large multi-level stage with moving platforms, satellite stages and elevated bridges that allowed Gaga to perform across the arena. She wore various outfits largely inspired by Western and avant-garde aesthetics, working with designers such as Alexander Wang and Norma Kamali. The concert series was noted for a more scaled-back tone compared with Gaga's previous tours, though critics widely praised its visual staging, Gaga's vocal performances, and her connection with the audience. Some reviewers, however, criticized the show's pacing and frequent costume-change interludes. The Joanne World Tour ultimately grossed nearly $95 million from 842,000 tickets sold.
Development
Two weeks before Lady Gaga's fifth studio album, Joanne, was released in October 2016, she began a small promotional tour called the Dive Bar Tour, which visited bars across the US. On October 24, 2016, she confirmed to Howard Stern that she would also embark on a worldwide concert tour to continue promoting the record. She clarified that it would begin after her performance at the Super Bowl LI halftime show, that took place on February 5, 2017. Following the halftime show, Gaga announced the Joanne World Tour which began on August 1, 2017, at Vancouver's Rogers Arena and would continue till December 18, 2017, ending at Inglewood, California's The Forum venue, for a total of 60 shows across North and South America and Europe.
On March 2, 2017, Coachella announced Gaga as a main headliner of the festival in Indio after Beyoncé had to cancel her appearance due to pregnancy. Billboard reported that the tour would start with the Coachella performances, four months earlier than originally expected. However, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gaga's choreographer Richard Jackson confirmed that the performances at Coachella was exclusively for the festival and the Joanne World Tour would be completely different. Nevertheless, elements from the festival performance as well as from the Super Bowl halftime show were kept and used for the tour.
Gaga's participation in the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil was supposed to be the only date in South America. However, due to being hospitalized for body pain, she had to cancel the date. On September 18, 2017, Gaga postponed the European leg of the tour as a result of further chronic pain she endured. The postponed dates were announced a few weeks later to reconvene from January 14, 2018, in Barcelona and end on February 23, 2018, in Germany. However, due to severe pain caused by fibromyalgia, Gaga was forced to cancel the remaining 10 shows of her tour, which consequently ended in Birmingham on February 1, 2018. In 2025, Gaga added that the cancelled concerts were also due to a psychotic break, explaining that her mental health had deteriorated to the point that she was on lithium while filming A Star Is Born; after being confronted by her sister, she decided to take a break and check into a hospital for psychiatric care.
DJ White Shadow–who worked as producer on Gaga's Born This Way and Artpop albums–served as the opening act on select dates of the North American leg of the tour. During the European leg, the documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two (2017) was screened in arenas before the shows began.
Production Conception
The Joanne World Tour plans had to be put on hold temporarily for the Coachella rehearsals. However, its concept was in development since the Super Bowl and rehearsals started after Gaga finished filming for A Star Is Born, her first lead role as an actress. By July 2017, Gaga told Billboard magazine that she and her team were discussing the song selection process as well as where all they would want choreography in the show. She confirmed her plans of releasing more music on tour, like standalone single "The Cure", which was released following the first Coachella performance. Gaga had also planned to play another Dive Bar stop at Las Vegas in July 2017 before kicking off the tour. She expressed a desire to have a slowed-down section during the Joanne World Tour, to connect with every person in the audience in an intimate, dive-bar-like setting. She also wanted to honor the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing, which had happened in May 2017, on every show of the tour.
In February 2017, Gaga unveiled a look-book for the tour, which would be available as part of the merchandise on the tour. The book was a collaboration between London-based creative studio Lobster Eye and merchandising company Bravado. They hired photographer Synchrodogs, and stylist Daria Lagenberg to create the photographs. Models like Stacy Koren and Daria Svertilova posed for the pictures, which showed them in a wood-inspired set. Tania Shcheglova and Roman Noven of Synchrodogs explained in an interview with Women's Wear Daily that envisioned a colorful aesthetic for the pictures, being given total freedom as to how they would create it. Wanting to mix both "artificial and natural elements", Synchrodogs used Ukrainian landscape as the backdrops for the photo shoot. The merchandise consisted of necklaces, scarves and T-shirts, with Alexa Tietjen from the Los Angeles Times commenting that "If the lookbook is any indication, the Joanne World Tour just might be Gaga's most fashionable yet." They were made available for purchase at clothing shop Urban Outfitters from May 19, 2017. Consisting of long and short-sleeved T-shirts and bomber jackets, the collection had 10 different items for men and women, with Joanne inspired artwork on them.
Stage
Gaga confirmed in July 2017 that the stage design had been finalized and that construction was underway. She described the stage as different from those built for her previous tours. She also noted that lighting would play a major role in the production. The main stage was built in collaboration with Tait Inc. with production manager Robert 'Hydro' Mullin, and creative designer, LeRoy Bennett. Tait developed the stage at its rehearsal and design facilities in Lititz, Pennsylvania, where large-scale touring productions can be designed, constructed, and tested before going on the road. Gaga worked with the company during the development process as the concept moved from design to construction and rehearsal.
It is in width and is accompanied by two satellite stages and a b-stage. It consists of three moving platforms for staging equipment and five performer wave lifts that can move in unison with one another or independently in various different configurations. Carly Mallenbaum from USA Today called them "tetris stages", because of their changing alignments. The main three lifts are wide and aligned parallel to them are two other lifts. Altogether they render the different configurations and shapes to the stage: elevated, flat, criss-cross, diagonal or staircase. During the performance, the lifts frequently move in synchronized formations such as zigzags or staircase-like patterns, allowing the stage to continuously change shape throughout the show.
Additionally, above the audience there are three inflatable lightning pods with video projection displays, that also act as bridges. When not being used for videos, they descend to connect the main stage with the circular satellite stages and the b-stage, allowing access to the performers to move between them. When combined, the structures can form catwalk-like pathways above the audience, enabling Gaga and her dancers to traverse the arena while remaining elevated above the crowd. Through these moving platforms and stage, Gaga was able to traverse the entirety of an arena and perform close to the audience. The satellite stages also consisted of two hydraulic lifts, which raised Gaga to join a platform on the b-stage. Tait also designed a laser lit, heart-shaped piano. It was adorned with 44 laser beams, that lit up the arena and sequenced with the keypads on the piano. The 1.25-inch acrylic shell piano was enhanced by adding a mix of dichroic filmed polycarbonate fascia, thereby reflecting the beams more.
The complex staging system was coordinated through Tait's proprietary automation software, which synchronized the lifts, lighting, bridges, and other stage elements with the choreography and music to ensure that cues were executed at precise moments during the performance.
Before the tour began, Gaga said that performing new songs during the concert series was definitely her intention. However, she later explained that the complexity of the stage production made this less likely. According to Gaga, the show was highly technical and controlled by computer-coded cues that had to be executed at precise moments, creating a tense backstage environment. As a result, while the setlist might change slightly, the performance was largely designed as a carefully constructed show for the audience.
Costume design and makeup
Like on Gaga's previous tours, the show was divided into separate segments, each preceded by a costume change. While Gaga had not shared any sketches or details concerning the costumes before the tour began, it was reported that nearly 50,000 Swarovski crystals had been used while designing the costumes and props for Gaga and the dancers. Sarah Tanno, who worked as makeup artist for the tour, has revealed that the crystals were even used on Gaga's eyes "in order to create a multi-dimensional effect that shines on stage". Gaga shared a photo on Instagram prior to the first show, giving a preview of her two-toned, orange and green wig that she later wore for the shows.
The first outfit worn by her was a black bejewelled fringe leotard with heavy embroidery, completed with a crystallized sequin hat. The ensemble was custom-made for her by Alexander Wang, who was inspired by "Gaga's incredible energy" and "the Western spirit", "as well as her transformation into Joanne". Discussing his creation with Vogue, Wang further added that the outfit was influenced by "a cowboy boot's heavy stitching and embellishments". Gaga later appeared on stage in other "Western-inspired" looks. For one of them, Gaga donned a black jacket with much leather fringe, along with black thigh-high-boots, fishnets, and a black hat. Stripping off the jacket, she was seen in a mesh leather cut-out bodysuit. A different "cowgirl" ensemble consisted of a wide-brim hat and a white, hand-painted fringe blazer, which featured song and album titles from her past discography and lyrics from the track, "Perfect Illusion".