Pop may have many stars, but Lady Gaga just showed everyone why she’s royalty.
The singer kicked off her highly anticipated Mayhem Ball tour last night in Las Vegas—and based on the flood of videos posted online—it was a spectacle to behold.
Much like her Coachella set in April, The Mayhem Ball plays like a gothic opera, unfolding across four distinct acts as Gaga journeys from life and innocence to death and corruption. Running 2 hours and 12 minutes, the show delivers everything Little Monsters dreamed of—and then some.
It’s camp. It’s dramatic. And most importantly, it’s Gaga in her most spellbinding form.
If you’re like me and couldn’t afford a ticket (cries in poor) and want to see what you’re missing, or you’re one of the lucky ones hoping for a sneak peek, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.
Here are the moments from the Mayhem Ball that Little Monsters can’t stop talking about.
Intro: The Mayhem Manifesto
A short film opens the concert, which Gaga projects on the big screen.
Titled The Mayhem Manifesto, the piece features two Gagas facing each other and speaking in unison. There is a “good” Gaga dressed in white lace with a blonde wig and a “bad” Gaga in a dark wig and a red gown.
“Beware she says, the chaos in your heart will never cease,” the Gagas chant.
It’s just the perfect way to set the tone for the rest of the night ❤️🖤.
Act I: Of Velvet and Vice
During Act I, Gaga performs “Abracadabra,” the first single she released off the Mayhem album. She sits inside a three-story red dress, while the stage fills with a mix of red smoke and white flashes from fireworks.
As one commenter said on X, “I’m here for the drama, the lights, and the vocals 🎤."
Next, she sings “Judas” before going right into “Aura.” The transition between the songs has people losing their minds.
Act II: And She Fell Into a Gothic Dream
Easily one of the most talked about moments from Act II is when Gaga’s cape turns rainbow-colored during “Paparazzi,” a single from her debut album, The Fame.
The aesthetics on this tour are truly out of this world.
Act III: The Beautiful Nightmare That Knows Her Name
For this act, Gaga performs “Applause,” proving once again that Artpop defenders were right all along—while polarizing at the time, it is an amazing album.
Critics consider it her most “experimental” album and she doesn’t perform tracks off of it very often, which is why fans were freaking out last night when they heard the news.
Act IV: Every Chessboard Has Two Queens
In the fourth and final act of the evening, Gaga pulls out all the stops, kicking it off with “Shadow of a Man” and ending it with “Vanish Into You.”
Based on reviews from Variety and Rolling Stone, the fourth act is, without a doubt, the highlight of the evening. From the props and choreography to the dazzling pyrotechnics, Gaga creates a “melodramatic ballad” to remember.
During her rendition of “Shallow,” Gaga goes full gothic and recreates famous scenes and iconography from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera musical.
Theater lovers were feral over this moment on social media.
In case anyone doubted her technical skills, Gaga’s Mayhem Ball also featured a new original opera piece.
The only acceptable response to this piece of news is: “Lady f---ing Gaga ✨🔥❤️🔥."
What an icon.
Special Mentions of the Evening
Throughout her career, Gaga has used her art to make political points. (Who could forget her iconic “arrest me Russia” at her concert in Moscow? She screamed this on stage after governmental authorities threatened her with jail time if she spoke out in support of LGBTQ+ rights in the country.)
The Mayhem Ball was no different. Throughout the night, she projected political messages on the big screen.
One read: “No human is illegal. Melt ICE. F--k Donald Trump.”
Another one said, “trans lives matter.”
The next stop on The Mayhem Ball tour is San Francisco. Gaga will be traveling everywhere from New York to Sydney to Tokyo between now and January 30 of next year.
