The Girlie Show (concert tour)
| World tour by Madonna | |
Promotional poster for the Tokyo concerts | |
| Location |
|
|---|---|
| Associated album | Erotica |
| Start date | September 25, 1993 |
| End date | December 19, 1993 |
| Legs | 5 |
| No. of shows | 39 |
| Supporting acts | |
| Box office | US$70 million |
| Madonna concert chronology | |
The Girlie Show was the fourth concert tour by American singer Madonna, launched in support of her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). Comprising 39 shows, the tour visited Europe, the Middle East, North America, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania, and ran from September 25, 1993, at Wembley Stadium in London, England, to December 19 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. It marked Madonna’s first concerts in countries including Turkey, Israel, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Brazil, and Australia. The tour was announced in July 1993, following a period of intense media scrutiny surrounding the release of Erotica, the coffee table book Sex, and the film Body of Evidence (1993). Its title was inspired by an Edward Hopper painting, and Madonna's brother, Christopher Ciccone, served as tour director. Costumes were provided by Dolce & Gabbana.
The production was divided into thematic sections—Dominatrix, Studio 54, Weimar Cabaret, and an encore. Madonna opened the show dressed as a dominatrix, accompanied by topless dancers, while other segments incorporated cabaret and disco aesthetics. The performance of "Express Yourself" (1989) featured her descending from the ceiling on a disco ball, and "Like a Virgin" (1984) was staged in the style of actress Marlene Dietrich. The Girlie Show received generally positive reviews from critics, who observed that despite the controversy surrounding Madonna, she could still please audiences. It earned US$70 million ($156.01 million in 2025 dollars) in ticket sales, becoming the highest-grossing female tour of the year.
Despite its commercial success, the tour generated controversy in several countries due to its explicit sexual content. In Puerto Rico, Madonna drew criticism after passing the island's flag between her legs during a performance, while religious groups in other territories protested the show. The November 19, 1993, performance in Sydney, Australia was filmed and broadcast on HBO before being released on home video as The Girlie Show: Live Down Under (1994), while concerts in Fukuoka, Japan were recorded for television broadcast.