Born This Way Ball

The Born This Way Ball was the third concert tour by American singer Lady Gaga, in support of her second studio album Born This Way (2011). The tour visited all continents, except Antarctica,[2] and was ranked as the fifth highest-grossing tour of 2012 by Pollstar.[3] The tour grossed $22.5 million in 2013 according to Pollstar's year-end chart from the 18 dates played, bringing the Born This Way Ball Tour's total gross to $183.9 million from 98 dates.[4] The tour was well received by critics who praised the stage design, Gaga's vocal abilities and different expressive messages.

The Born This Way Ball
World tour by Lady Gaga
Promotional poster for the tour
Location
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • North America
  • Oceania
  • South America
Associated albumBorn This Way
Start dateApril 27, 2012 (2012-04-27)
End dateFebruary 11, 2013 (2013-02-11)
Legs8
No. of shows98
Box office$183.9 million ($201.84 in 2019 dollars)[1]
Lady Gaga concert chronology

On February 13, 2013, after already announcing the postponement of shows in Chicago, Detroit, and Hamilton two days earlier due to an injury,[5] Live Nation and Lady Gaga announced the cancellation of the remaining concert dates due to the singer's development of a break and a labral tear of the right hip caused by strenuous repetitive movements involved in the shows.[6] The singer went through surgery to fix the damage caused.[7][8]

Background and development
The stage for the tour, displaying the medieval castle.

During the release of "Judas", the second single from Born This Way, Lady Gaga confirmed in an interview that she would embark on a concert tour in 2012, which would visit Latin American countries for the first time, like Brazil, and would return to Mexico.[9] In November 2011, producer DJ White Shadow asserted that Gaga was "doing [preparations] for the next round of touring", adding that the singer's main objective in the following year was to continue preparing for the Born This Way Ball, as well as create new songs for her next studio album.[10] Fernando Garibay, who began collaborating with Gaga in The Fame Monster (2009), felt that Born This Way was one of his most personal moments. He opined, "This album was the most personal [because of] the amount of detail that went into this record, the amount of passion [and] emotion from her and the team. Every song was a story towards the Born This Way theme. We're excited now, putting that into the tour and expressing that on a live performance level."[11] In contrast to her previous tour, Garibay affirmed that the shows of the Born This Way Ball would be more exaggerated.[11] A promotional poster of the tour was released on February 7, 2012, which was described by Billboard's Ray Waddell as a "bizarre poster that portrays the ball as a campy, medieval-meets-the-80's kingdom."[12] It features Gaga's face hovering over dark clouds looking down from the sky, and includes touches of neon purple and turquoise coloring. She is also fused into a keytar, standing near her dancers in front of a medieval castle.[12][13] The first and second legs for the Born This Way Ball were announced the following day, revealing that Gaga would perform concerts in countries such as South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore.[12] Additional dates as part of the Australasia leg were added on February 15, 2012.[14] Live Nation Global Touring CEO Arthur Fogel and his team will steer around the tour, as they did the bulk of the Monster Ball tour of 2010–11.[12] Fogel explained that "The last tour established [Gaga] as a major act worldwide and I believe this tour will be an extension of that, particularly considering we're going to territories she's never been in, like Southeast Asia and Latin America."[12]

Lady Gaga performing "The Edge of Glory" in a Versace-designed cloth. Donatella Versace provided multiple outfits for the tour.

A European leg was announced in March 2012, which consisted of twenty-one dates over a period of two months, initiating in Bulgaria while concluding in Spain.[15][16] Subsequently, German electronic musician Zedd was declared as an opening act for the Asian leg of the tour,[17] while longtime collaborator Lady Starlight and British glam rock band The Darkness were approached as opening acts for the European portion of the Born This Way Ball.[16] In their website, the band stated that they were "honoured to announce their addition to the bill as main support for Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball tour 2012."[18]

Dates for Latin America were announced on August 6, 2012 via Twitter. There were two dates in North America and four in South America, with more to be added.[19]

Gaga evaluated the tour as an "electro-metal pop-opera"; "the tale of the Beginning, the genesis of the Kingdom of Fame. How we were birthed and how we will die celebrating."[14] Dance rehearsals occurred for approximately one month.[16] In February 2012, she revealed that she would release stage designs for the Born This Way Ball via Twitter.[20] Gaga unveiled a sketch of the stage design, which was designed by the singer herself and her creative team Haus of Gaga.[21] Gaga tweeted: "I'm so excited. The Haus has been working so hard, we can't wait for you to see it!! Love you Little Monsters, have the time of your life."[21] The stage was completed over a period of a few months,[14] and was modeled after a medieval Gothic castle, featuring viewing towers, intricate carvings and a large catwalk to interact with the audience.[21] It took over fifteen trailers—which measured fifty-three feet in length—to move the castle onto the stage.[22][23] The area enclosed by the catwalk was described by Gaga as "The Monster Pit".[24][25] "The Monster Pit is General Admission only, and Little Monsters [...] unlock it when they arrive to the arena or stadium. Entry to The Monster Pit is relegated [...] to the fans who have arrived first, waited all night, [...] dressed to 'Ball.' Every night Haus of Gaga will choose fans from The Monster Pit to come back stage and meet me! These tickets are not more expensive. No dress code requirement. Born This Way means anything goes."[24]

As part of an advertising campaign in the weeks proceeding to the tour, sketches of four costumes designed by Giorgio Armani were released to the press. Armani previously contributed attires to Gaga at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, and again during her endeavors on the Monster Ball Tour.[26]

Concert synopsis
Lady Gaga opening the show with the performance of "Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)" atop a fully puppeteered horse

The show is set in and around a large medieval style castle, known as the "Kingdom of Fame" which rotates and manoeuvres throughout the show. A classical score accompanies the show's interludes, tying in with the show's dark, operatic theme. The show began with "Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)" accompanied by an extended intro, which Gaga performed while atop a fully puppeteer-ed horse, with a mechanical look, built by The Jim Henson Company, out of the three-story medieval castle prop.[27] After the song, the stage went dark and spotlights were shone across the stage with a helicopter sound being played. The audience then hears "Mother G.O.A.T." speak for the first time stating that "alien fugitive Lady Gaga has escaped" and that "Operation: Kill the Bitch", is in order. Gaga comes out in an alien costume and sings "Government Hooker", in which she "seduces" a dancer who is dressed in a suit before killing him and leaving the stage. Gaga's dancers then reenact the birth scene akin to that in "Born This Way", as the singer moans and simulates giving birth after coming out of the zipper-like vagina of a large, inflatable body.[28][29]

After "Black Jesus + Amen Fashion" and "Bloody Mary" an interlude commences and recites the opening dialogue of the music video of "Born This Way".[30] For "Bad Romance", Gaga arrives on the stage inside a vessel. Following the song, she escapes to the top of the castle and sings "Judas", before escaping and performing "Fashion of His Love" and "Just Dance". During "LoveGame", a clear bathtub built on the stage inside which it is sung. After a speech from Gaga, thanking the audience for coming to her show, "Telephone" is performed with the original choreography. An interlude follows, with Mother G.O.A.T. describing "Gaga's take over of planet earth". "Heavy Metal Lover" is performed next and Gaga appears laying atop across the body of a motor-"tricycle" with her arms in two slots, a recreation of the album cover. Gaga drives around the Monster Pit followed by choreography for the last chorus of the song. After "Bad Kids" an acoustic section follows with songs like "Hair", "Princess Die" and "You and I". The section concludes with "Electric Chapel" with a display of flashing lights before Gaga leaves the stage.

Gaga sitting on a "meat couch" during "Alejandro"

After a Spanish guitar intro, she then returns in a recreation of the meat dress and performs "Americano". "Poker Face" is performed next and at the end of the song Gaga is lowered into a meat grinder. A moment later she emerges from the stage sitting on a meat couch and performs "Alejandro" with her gun bra and green trousers. The castle closes along an interlude and blue lights. Mother G.O.A.T. flies around the castle lip-syncing the words to the first verse of "Paparazzi" until Gaga returns to kill her with her new disco stick. Gaga then gives a speech about how there are no boundaries in music, and then performs "Scheiße". After the song the stage goes black. Moments later she returns in a tower singing "The Edge of Glory" and the last song, "Marry the Night". When the song ends, she and her dancers are lowered off stage and the castle goes dark.

Critical response

Asia and Oceania
Lady Gaga beginning the performance of "Born This Way" with a birth scene

The Korea Herald journalist Cho Chung-un opined that Gaga captivated the audience with what he described as an "innovative and breathtaking stage installations and ideas" in the tour.[31] Writing for the same publication, Emma Kalka complemented Gaga's wardrobe, and cited several segments, such as her "Americano" performance, as highlights of the concert.[32] To Kwaak Je-yup of The Korea Times, the performance demonstrated Gaga's abilities as a performing artist. "Friday night was Lady Gaga at her best, fusing fashion and designs with great melodies and dance moves."[33]

A writer for MTV noted the elaborate visuals of the show with its "Gothic castle backdrop and myriad costume changes" concluding that it is "clear that Gaga has outdone even her own Monster Ball in terms of spectacle."[34] Elizabeth Soh of Yahoo! gave a positive review of the Singapore concert describing it as "at times shocking, raunchy, mellow and just plain bizarre."[30] The New Zealand Herald felt that it was "obvious Gaga believes in her message, you can feel it in her voice. [That] Behind all the lights, glitz, meat, guns and exploding bras is a singer of exceptional talent".[35] Regarding her first show in Brisbane, the Brisbane Times gave it five stars, writing that it was "pure pop theatre" and that "the crowd was simply lost in the Gaga experience.[36] Sean Sennet of The Australian commented that the show was "An extravaganza in every sense" and will be "remembered as a benchmark tour."

Simon Sweetman of New Zealand's Stuff.co.nz praised the tour's Auckland date as the best pop concert since Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope Tour.[37] South African publication The New Age gave Gaga's performance in Johannesburg five stars, stating that "Gaga's energy teamed with a bevy of spectacular dancers made for an electric show".[38] National newspaper The Times's Nikita Ramkissoon shared this praise, writing that she "was really taken by was her natural talent... From arriving on stage on a horse, birthing herself, dancing dripping with sex and magnificence, Black Jesus and legs splayed open on an armchair made of meat, this performance was nothing short of spectacular. Every minute of it... Everyone [she] know who was there was blown away. You just had to be there to see how impressive it was".[39]

Europe

The Born This Way Ball was labelled as the "best show of the year" and "one of the most amazing events in years in Lithuania" by Lithuanian publication ATN.[40] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph awarded the Born This Way Ball in Helsinki four stars, writing that the show "is quite spectacular... and quite spectacularly bonkers", mentioning that Gaga "occupies pole position as the 21st centuries ultimate pop star".[41] Swedish news corporation Expressen gave the show five stars, believing that "her two and a half hour show is by far the most lavish and eccentric [they'd] ever seen", complementing Gaga's "flashes of humour... and smart political digs", and the show's intimacy and promotion of self-expression and love.[42] The Guardian gave the show four out of five stars, stating that "The tightly choreographed hits sound terrific, but it's when this curious star sabotages the slickness that she seems most herself".[43] Regarding her performance at the O2 World in Berlin, Berliner Morgenpost reported that "unlike Madonna, whose artificial spectacle you could experience at the same place, the younger rival is cheeky, fresh, uncompromising".[44] Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang gave it a mixed review, admiring her voice, but saying that "if we are going to talk about content, it is similar [to Madonna's]. Gaga hardly says anything Madonna didn't say 25 years ago" adding that "But I have a feeling that she is a less interesting pop-artist than many of us had hoped for. Lady Gaga so often praised for being "original", is mostly very un-original."[45]

North America

Reviews of the North American leg were mostly positive. The Vancouver Sun's François Marchand praised the show, writing that "Unlike Madonna, whose latest Vancouver appearance was dominated by violent imagery and a borderline bullying attitude toward her longtime fans, Gaga continued to carry her trademark message of empowerment and self-love".[46] Jeva Lange of the Seattle Weekly's review of the Tacoma show paralleled the praise given to the Vancouver shows, believing that "her voice, costumes, and lyrical honestly were not only completely unforgettable, they were inspiring".[47] Rich Lopez from Dallas Voice praised the show and Lady Gaga's "relentlessness in giving a dynamic performance", saying "She shocked, she touched, she served diva realness, and like those four fans onstage (as well as the ones who joined her in the "Marry the Night" finale), she made everyone feel special."[48] The Arizona Republic's Joe Golfen also gave the Phoenix show a positive review, stating that "The nearly two-and-a-half hour show, a stop on her worldwide Born This Way Ball, highlighted everything that has made Lady Gaga such a phenomenon. There were outrageous outfits, elaborate set pieces, sexy dance numbers, and messages of self-respect and gay rights. Plus, all those hit songs.", and noting "that packed arena of screaming fans made it clear that her star wasn't going to be fading away anytime soon."[49]

Other North American reviews were more critical. Emily Zemler of The Hollywood Reporter gave the Los Angeles show a mixed review, writing: "The music was, at best, secondary to the grab-bag, highly produced performance... It was almost as though the singer decided to indulge every possible idea anyone ever had for her live show simultaneously".[50] Jim Harrington from Oakland Tribune gave the San Jose concert a negative review, saying that the "production is so over-the-top that it completely buries the music", adding that "the level of enthusiasm [of the fans] definitely seemed to peak early in the concert."[51] Bernard Perusse from Montreal Gazette gave Gaga's Montreal concert a mixed review, criticizing the confusing storyline and her long speeches: "There was, in fact, a bit too much talking. Not that Gaga's mission of inclusion, tolerance, love and empowerment is anything but positive and necessary – but a drawn-out monologue repeatedly making the point that no one should give a f-k in the face of criticism only restated what is already in the lyrics."[52]

Commercial performance
Lady Gaga performing her hit "Poker Face", wearing a re-creation of her infamous meat dress

Tickets for the tour ignited tremendous commercial success in several Asian and Australian markets. Tickets for the Australasian leg of the Born This Way Ball became available on February 17, 2012 through Ticketek and Ticketmaster.[14] Shortly after availability, tickets for the initial two Auckland shows were sold out.[53] In response to positive ticket sales in New Zealand and Australia, nine additional concerts were scheduled as part of the Australasia leg.[54] In Hong Kong, an estimated 6,000 presale tickets became available on February 24. Tickets were sold out within three hours, prompting Live Nation to add three extra concerts in the city in five days.[55][56] Additional sellouts and positive commercial results were reported for the successive performances in Hong Kong,[57] as well as in Taipei,[58] Tokyo,[59] Bangkok,[60] Singapore,[61] Seoul,[62] and Jakarta, with the latter having sold out within two hours.[63][64]

Similar successes were echoed in European markets. Several British publications indicated that presale tickets in the United Kingdom were selling beyond the demand.[65][66] Industry analysts suggested that based on internet searches that an estimated two million people could attempt to purchase a ticket out of the 75,000 that were issued for the London and Manchester dates.[67] Tickets became available for general sale on April 13, 2012; the London event sold out in a record-breaking 50 seconds,[68][69] while the Manchester concert sold out under ten minutes.[70][71] Several European ticketing sites crashed when the tickets went on sale, including Sweden, Finland and Spain, where the Barcelona pre-sale fastly sold out; more than 22,000 people attended her outdoor concert in Bucharest, Romania. Both Russian dates sold out in hours. So far the biggest crowd on the tour has been in Paris at the Stade de France on September 22, 2012, when Gaga, with 71,000 people in attendance, became the youngest artist to ever grace the stadium[72] until Rihanna scheduled a date at the Stade de France on her Diamonds World Tour for June 2013.

Lady Gaga posing on a catwalk that encompasses the "Monster Pit"

The high demand for tickets continued in Africa. When tickets went on sale for the two dates in South Africa, the ticket retailer Computicket's online ticketing servers crashed under the pressure from the high volume of fans trying to buy tickets to the concerts.[73] Before the crash, some fans experienced extremely long waiting times in online queues, up to two hours, and at one point it was reported that over 26,000 people were still waiting to purchase tickets online.[74] As a result, Computicket decided to cease online ticket sale until the following morning.[75]

Despite the worldwide commercial success of the tour, it was not very well received by the South American market. In Colombia, some tickets were sold at half of their original price to increase ticket sales. This generated a wide criticism from fans who bought tickets at the original price; the production company also made an offer to fans who bought tickets at their original price, so they could get another free ticket in the same location and a price adjusted refund, or a full refund.[76] To increase ticket sales of the three concerts in Brazil, special offers were made, one of to include a two for one in some stand locations, and a 10 installments with no interest payment for tickets.[77] In Chile, ticket sales were higher than in the rest of the South American countries. However, the show wasn’t able to sell all the locations immediately, and the production company for the concert had to make special offers 2 weeks before the show to sell more tickets. This included a 2x1 offer in stand locations, and reducing the price in most of the tickets.[78][79] In Peru, tickets were sold in the original price.[80]

The North American leg of the tour additionally experienced strong ticket sales. By the time the final 21 dates of the tour had been canceled on February 13, the entire leg had been nearly sold out. Had the entire leg been completed, the tour would have topped $200 million in ticket sales and finished as one of the top fifteen highest-grossing tours of all time. The cancellation of the last 21 dates resulted in refunds of over $25 million and 200,000 tickets.[81] With more than twenty dates left, Gaga was forced to cancel the remaining tour dates due to sustaining a hip injury that required surgery. With the dates of the tour that were successfully completed, Gaga grossed more than $160 million.

Controversies
"Princess Die" redirects here. For the British princess, see Diana, Princess of Wales.

The South Asian part of the tour was the subject of some controversy due to its denunciation by social conservatives. Gaga's support for LGBT rights, the supposed indecency of her shows, and religious content in her lyrics led some conservative Christian and Muslim groups in South Korea, the Philippines, and Indonesia to call for the cancellation of the concerts.[82][83] Most went on as scheduled, although one, in Indonesia, was canceled due to threats,[84] the cancellation being seen as an indicator of the growing influence of conservative groups like the Islamic Defenders Front.[85]

Several conservative political commentators denounced The Born This Way Ball shortly after the conception of the tour. In May 2012, Gaga sparked an online uproar, particularly in the city of Bangkok when she tweeted: "I just landed in Bangkok baby! Ready for 50,000 screaming Thai monsters. I wanna get lost in a lady market and buy fake Rolex." Several of Gaga's fans felt that the tweet was racist and viewed it as a negative stereotype.[86] The following month, weeks after her concert in Thailand, several members of the country filed a public lawsuit against Gaga for misuse of the Thailand flag. The complaints came from when Gaga while wearing an accessorized and provocative bikini costume with and a traditional Thai headdress, rode a motorcycle across the stage with a Thai flag tied to it. Government officials in the country deemed the act as "not appropriate" and felt that it "hurt the feelings of Thai People".[87]

Gaga caused more controversy after her performance of June 27 in Melbourne, where she debuted a new song called "Princess Die", about suicide and mental illness.[88] The song's lyrics, including lines such as "I wish that I was strong/I wish that I was wrong/I wish that I could cope/but I took pills and left a note" were slammed as "distasteful" by suicide charities, who feared the message about the suicide that the song portrayed. Chris Wagner of Lifeline, an international crisis support service, stated, "Lifeline is very concerned about the nature of the song, particularly as it clearly describes the method of suicide and talks in depth about suicide. It doesn't actually have any message of hope, of help seeking, or anything of a positive nature whatsoever."[89] The song's references to Diana, Princess of Wales and her death also caused offense and outrage, despite Gaga attempting to distance herself from such controversy by clearly spelling out the name of the song during her concert.[90]

Set list

This set list is representative of the first show in Los Angeles. It does not represent all dates throughout the tour.[91]

  1. "Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)"
  2. "Government Hooker"
  3. "Born This Way"
  4. "Black Jesus + Amen Fashion"
  5. "Bloody Mary"
  6. "Bad Romance"
  7. "Judas"
  8. "Fashion of His Love"
  9. "Just Dance"
  10. "LoveGame"
  11. "Telephone"
  12. "Hair"
  13. "Electric Chapel"
  14. "Heavy Metal Lover"
  15. "Bad Kids"
  16. "The Queen"
  17. "Yoü and I"
  18. "Americano"
  19. "Poker Face"
  20. "Alejandro"
  21. "Paparazzi"
  22. "Scheiße"
Encore
  1. "The Edge of Glory"
  2. "Marry the Night"
Notes
  • On select dates, Gaga performed her unreleased song, "Princess Die".
  • During the two performances in London, Lady Gaga performed a cover of John Lennon's "Imagine".[92]

Shows
List of concerts, showing date, city, country, venue, opening act, tickets sold, amount of available tickets, and gross revenue
Date City Country Venue Opening act Attendance Revenue
Asia[93]
April 27, 2012 Seoul South Korea Seoul Olympic Stadium Zedd 51,684 / 51,684 $3,084,172
May 2, 2012 Hong Kong AsiaWorld–Arena 51,613 / 51,613 $7,893,195
May 3, 2012
May 5, 2012
May 7, 2012
May 10, 2012 Saitama Japan Saitama Super Arena 96,550 / 96,550 $18,339,701
May 12, 2012
May 13, 2012
May 17, 2012 Taipei Taiwan TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall 22,173 / 22,173 $4,274,243
May 18, 2012
May 21, 2012 Pasay Philippines Mall of Asia Arena 18,915 / 18,915 $1,275,387
May 22, 2012
May 25, 2012 Bangkok Thailand Rajamangala National Stadium 41,478 / 41,478 $4,299,376
May 28, 2012 Singapore Singapore Indoor Stadium 30,952 / 30,952 $4,744,331
May 29, 2012
May 31, 2012
Oceania[94]
June 7, 2012 Auckland New Zealand Vector Arena Lady Starlight 34,367 / 34,367 $3,669,324
June 8, 2012
June 10, 2012
June 13, 2012 Brisbane Australia Brisbane Entertainment Centre 31,326 / 31,326 $4,289,453
June 14, 2012
June 16, 2012
June 20, 2012 Sydney Allphones Arena 54,774 / 54,774 $7,563,088
June 21, 2012
June 23, 2012
June 24, 2012
June 27, 2012 Melbourne Rod Laver Arena 60,031 / 60,031 $8,169,642
June 28, 2012
June 30, 2012
July 1, 2012
July 3, 2012
July 7, 2012 Perth Burswood Dome 32,046 / 32,046 $3,696,277
July 8, 2012
Europe[95]
August 14, 2012 Sofia Bulgaria Armeets Arena The Darkness
Lady Starlight		 8,705 / 8,705 $489,708
August 16, 2012 Bucharest Romania Piaţa Constituţiei 22,602 / 22,602 $627,303
August 18, 2012 Vienna Austria Wiener Stadthalle 13,826 / 13,826 $1,213,814
August 21, 2012 Vilnius Lithuania Vingio Parko Estrada 14,853 / 14,853 $1,004,182
August 23, 2012 Riga Latvia Mežaparka Lielā Estrāde 12,974 / 12,974 $587,997
August 25, 2012 Tallinn Estonia Tallinn Song Festival Grounds 16,191 / 16,191 $1,011,992
August 27, 2012 Helsinki Finland Hartwall Arena 19,793 / 19,793 $2,043,247
August 28, 2012
August 30, 2012 Stockholm Sweden Ericsson Globe 27,447 / 27,447 $2,848,530
August 31, 2012
September 2, 2012 Copenhagen Denmark Parken Stadium 27,819 / 27,819 $2,223,471
September 4, 2012 Cologne Germany Lanxess Arena 25,123 / 25,123 $2,312,695
September 5, 2012
September 8, 2012 London England Twickenham Stadium 101,250 / 101,250 $10,714,991
September 9, 2012
September 11, 2012 Manchester Manchester Arena 15,543 / 15,543 $1,795,795
September 15, 2012 Dublin Ireland Aviva Stadium 37,005 / 37,005 $3,523,340
September 17, 2012 Amsterdam Netherlands Ziggo Dome 26,375 / 26,375 $2,462,977
September 18, 2012
September 20, 2012 Berlin Germany O2 World 11,968 / 11,968 $1,138,313
September 22, 2012 Saint-Denis France Stade de France 70,617 / 70,617 $6,367,305
September 24, 2012 Hanover Germany TUI Arena 10,816 / 10,816 $1,075,831
September 26, 2012 Zürich Switzerland Hallenstadion 26,626 / 26,626 $3,035,010
September 27, 2012
September 29, 2012 Antwerp Belgium Sportpaleis 33,539 / 33,539 $2,948,685
September 30, 2012
October 2, 2012 Milan Italy Mediolanum Forum 10,753 / 10,753 $1,119,536
October 3, 2012 Nice France Palais Nikaia 13,169 / 13,169 $1,088,012
October 4, 2012
October 6, 2012 Barcelona Spain Palau Sant Jordi 16,934 / 16,934 $1,705,685
Latin America[96][97]
    October 26, 2012 Mexico City Mexico Foro Sol The Darkness
    Lady Starlight    		 37,260 / 37,260 $2,666,769
    October 30, 2012 San Juan Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum 21,262 / 21,262 $2,242,937
    October 31, 2012
    November 3, 2012 San José Costa Rica Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica 29,014 / 29,014 $1,661,029
    November 6, 2012 Bogotá Colombia Estadio El Campín 30,546 / 36,335 $2,465,994
    November 9, 2012 Rio de Janeiro Brazil Parque dos Atletas 26,167 / 26,167 $2,218,846
    November 11, 2012 São Paulo Estádio do Morumbi 43,137 / 43,137 $4,293,859
    November 13, 2012 Porto Alegre FIERGS Parking Lot 9,918 / 9,918 $923,379
    November 16, 2012 Buenos Aires Argentina River Plate Stadium 45,007 / 45,007 $3,988,565
    November 20, 2012 Santiago Chile Estadio Nacional de Chile 42,416 / 42,416 $2,849,707
    November 23, 2012 Lima Peru Estadio Universidad San Marcos 36,163 / 36,163 $1,732,732
    November 26, 2012 Asunción Paraguay Jockey Club 26,481 / 26,481 $1,107,371
    Africa[97]
    November 30, 2012 Johannesburg South Africa FNB Stadium The Darkness
    Lady Starlight    		 56,900 / 56,900 $3,270,764
    December 3, 2012 Cape Town Cape Town Stadium 39,527 / 39,527 $2,285,389
    Europe[97]
    December 6, 2012 Bærum Norway Telenor Arena The Darkness
    Lady Starlight    		 14,566 / 14,566 $1,748,812
    December 9, 2012 Saint Petersburg Russia SKK Peterburgsky 11,127 / 11,127 $1,434,499
    December 12, 2012 Moscow Olimpiyskiy 19,522 / 19,522 $4,022,660
    North America[98][99]
    January 11, 2013 Vancouver Canada Rogers Arena Madeon
    Lady Starlight    		 30,054 / 30,054 $2,891,441
    January 12, 2013
    January 14, 2013 Tacoma United States Tacoma Dome 14,185 / 14,185 $1,258,450
    January 15, 2013 Portland Rose Garden 8,853 / 8,853 $791,496
    January 17, 2013 San Jose HP Pavilion 11,465 / 11,465 $1,498,246
    January 20, 2013 Los Angeles Staples Center 24,412 / 24,412 $3,082,251
    January 21, 2013
    January 23, 2013 Phoenix US Airways Center N/A N/A
    January 25, 2013 Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena
    January 26, 2013
    January 29, 2013 Dallas American Airlines Center
    January 31, 2013 Houston Toyota Center
    February 2, 2013 St. Louis Scottrade Center
    February 4, 2013 Kansas City Sprint Center
    February 6, 2013 Saint Paul Xcel Energy Center
    February 8, 2013 Toronto Canada Air Canada Centre 24,874 / 24,874 $3,414,886
    February 9, 2013
    February 11, 2013 Montreal Bell Centre N/A N/A
    Total 1,692,693 / 1,698,482 $174,586,690

    Cancelled shows
    List of cancelled concerts, showing date, city, country, venue and reason for cancellation
    Date City Country Venue Reason
    June 3, 2012 Jakarta Indonesia Gelora Bung Karno Stadium Security measures[100]
    February 13, 2013 Chicago United States United Center Hip injury[101]
    February 14, 2013
    February 16, 2013 Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills
    February 17, 2013 Hamilton Canada Copps Coliseum
    February 19, 2013 Philadelphia United States Wells Fargo Center
    February 20, 2013
    February 22, 2013 New York City Madison Square Garden
    February 23, 2013
    February 25, 2013 Washington, D.C. Verizon Center
    February 27, 2013 Boston TD Garden
    March 2, 2013 University Park Bryce Jordan Center
    March 3, 2013 Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena
    March 6, 2013 Brooklyn Barclays Center
    March 7, 2013
    March 10, 2013 Nashville Bridgestone Arena
    March 11, 2013 Atlanta Philips Arena
    March 13, 2013 Tampa Tampa Bay Times Forum
    March 15, 2013 Sunrise BB&T Center
    March 16, 2013 Miami American Airlines Arena
    March 18, 2013 Greensboro Greensboro Coliseum
    March 20, 2013 Tulsa BOK Center

    Personnel

    Credits adapted from the tour's official program.[102]

    Main
    • Visual Director – Richard Jackson
    • Art Director – Marla Weinhoff
    • Production Executive – Mo Morrison
    • Stage Architect – Mark Fisher
    • Fashion Director – Nicola Formichetti
    • Costume Design – Haus of Gaga, Christian Dada, Armani, Versace, Moschino, and Void of Course
    • Creative – Haus of Gaga, Lady Gaga, Josh Thomas and Richard Jackson
    • Choreographer – Richard Jackson
    • Wardrobe – Perry Meek and Tony Villanueva
    • Stylist – Brandon Maxwell
    • Hair Stylist – Frederic Aspiras
    • Make Up – Tara Savelo and Sara Nicole Tanno
    • Video Director – Steven Fatone
    • Lighting Director – Calvin Mosier
    • Management – Troy Carter
    • Stage Director – Richard Jackson
    • Stage Fabrication – Tait Towers
    • Promoter – Live Nation Global Touring
    • Dancers – Amanda Balen, David Lei Brandt, Graham Breitenstein, Montana Efaw, Kevin Frey, Knicole Haggins, Asiel Hardison, Jeremy Hudson, Mark Kanemura, Ian McKenzie, Sloan-Taylor Rabinor, and Victor Rojas

    Band
    • Lady Gaga – Lead vocals, piano, keytar, guitar
    • Lanar "Kern" Brantley – Bass, Band Leader
    • George "Spanky" McCurdy – Drums
    • Brockett Parsons – Keyboards
    • Tim Stewart – Guitar
    • Ricky Tillo – Guitar
    • Joe Wilson – Musical director
    gollark: More CPU to throw at it.
    gollark: Modern resamplers are probably bettererer, no?
    gollark: Why would you want "amiga-y"?
    gollark: Right now it's NEAR-USELESS for anything but creating conformity and being expensive daycare.
    gollark: And teach sanely.

    References
    1. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
    2. Waddell, Ray (February 8, 2012). "Exclusive Info: Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way Ball' Tour to Hit Asia, Europe, Latin America This Year; North America in 2013". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
    3. "2012 Top Worldwide Tours" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 1, 2013.
    4. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    5. Alan Duke; CNN (February 12, 2013). "Lady Gaga suffers 'show injury,' postpones tour for a week". CNN. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013.
    6. Jr., James C. McKinley. "Lady Gaga Cancels Tour Because of Hip Injury". Archived from the original on February 17, 2013.
    7. "Lady Gaga Cancels Rest of Tour for Surgery". Archived from the original on March 28, 2013.
    8. "Lady Gaga cancels tour, will have hip surgery". CNN. February 14, 2013. Archived from the original on February 14, 2013.
    9. "Lady Gaga revela detalles de su gira por Latinoamérica". Noticias Caracol (in Spanish). January 31, 2012. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
    10. Vena, Jocelyn (November 28, 2011). "Lady Gaga 'Doing Prep' For Tour, Next Album". MTV News. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
    11. Vena, Jocelyn (December 8, 2011). "Lady Gaga's Born This Way Tour Will Be 'Exaggerated'". MTV News. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
    12. Waddell, Ray (February 8, 2012). "Lady Gaga Announces 'Born This Way Ball' Tour". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
    13. Vena, Jocelyn (February 8, 2011). "Lady Gaga Drops Tour Poster, Fashion Film". MTV News. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
    14. Hardie, Giles (February 15, 2012). "Lady Gaga announces more dates". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
    15. "Lady GaGa UK tour dates confirmed for London, Manchester". Digital Spy. April 10, 2012. Archived from the original on April 11, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
    16. Maloy, Sarah (April 10, 2012). "Lady Gaga Announces European 'Born This Way' Tour Dates". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 29, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
    17. "Lady Gaga confirms tour dates". The Belfast Telegraph. April 10, 2012. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
    18. Montgomery, James (April 10, 2012). "Lady Gaga Taps The Darkness To Open Born This Way Ball". MTV News. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on April 11, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
    19. Frith, Holly (August 6, 2012). "Lady Gaga Extends 'Born This Way Ball' Tour". entertainmentwise.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013.
    20. Vena, Jocelyn (February 3, 2012). "Lady Gaga To Reveal Born This Way Tour Stage Design". MTV News. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012.
    21. Vena, Jocelyn (February 8, 2012). "Lady Gaga Unveils Elaborate Born This Way Stage". MTV News. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
    22. Mitchell, John. "Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way Ball' Stage Biggest Ever Built To Tour". MTV. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
    23. Eggenberger, Nicole. "Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball World Tour: New Details!". Us Magazine. Archived from the original on May 10, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
    24. "Lady Gaga reveals tour plans". Toronto Sun. February 7, 2012. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
    25. "Lady Gaga Reveals 'Born This Way Ball' Tour Design". Rolling Stone. February 7, 2012. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
    26. Denley, Susan (April 20, 2012). "Fashion News: Lady Gaga to wear an Armani piano on her head". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
    27. Jones, Bridget (June 8, 2012). "Review: Lady Gaga at Vectors". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
    28. Grant, Damien (June 9, 2012). "Review: Lady Gaga II, passion in the cheap seats". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
    29. Jufri, Zaki (May 29, 2012). "Concert Review: Lady Gaga Born This Way Ball". iSing. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
    30. Soh, Elizabeth. "A (Born this Way) Ball of a Time with Lady Gaga". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
    31. Chung-un, Cho (April 28, 2012). "Lady Gaga criticizes Korean government's decision". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on April 28, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
    32. "Gaga conquers packed Olympic Stadium". The Korea Herald. April 29, 2012. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
    33. "Gaga's Tour Playful But Not Shocking". The Korea Times. April 29, 2012. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
    34. John Mitchell (April 27, 2012). "Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball Kicks Off Amid Protests Seoul, South Korea, set list heavy on new material, but Gaga's biggest hits come out to play". MTV. Archived from the original on May 12, 2012.
    35. Grant, Damien. "Review: Lady Gaga II, passion in the cheap seats". [NZ Herald]. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
    36. Jabour, Bridie. "Review: Lady Gaga at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre". [Brisbane Times]. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2012.
    37. "Gig review: Lady Gaga (Auckland) – Stuff.co.nz". Stuff.co.nz. March 15, 2010. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
    38. Gaga did not disappoint Archived July 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
    39. Nikita Ramkissoon. "Lady Gaga, The Prodigy and one hell of a weekend: Gallery". Times LIVE. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013.
    40. ATN, Lithuania. "The most impressive show of the year: Lady Gaga fans raged with The Park (updated)". ATN. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
    41. McCormick, Neil (August 28, 2012). "Lady Gaga: Born This Way tour, Helsinki, review". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
    42. Birch, Annah. "Severe team – but that's just the beginning". Expressen. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
    43. Lynskey, Dorian (September 9, 2012). "Lady Gaga – review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013.
    44. "In Berlin zelebriert Lady Gaga Trash auf höchstem Niveau" (in German). Archived from the original on August 11, 2014.
    45. "Konsertanmeldelse: Tja-tja, Gaga" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on February 10, 2013.
    46. François Marchand. "Review: Lady Gaga rules over her little monsters in Vancouver". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013.
    47. Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball—Tacoma Dome—Monday, January 14th Archived January 18, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
    48. "REVIEW: Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball". Dallas Voice. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
    49. "Review: Lady Gaga brings Born This Way Ball to Phoenix". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013.
    50. Emily Zemler (January 22, 2013). "Lady Gaga at Staples Center: Concert review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015.
    51. "Lady Gaga concert disappoints in San Jose". Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
    52. Lady Gaga more Cirque than rock Archived February 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
    53. "Lady Gaga's New Zealand shows sell out". 3 News. February 17, 2012. Archived from the original on November 18, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
    54. Adams, Cameron (February 23, 2012). "Extra show for Lady Gaga". Herald Sun. Australia. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
    55. Liu, Sandra (February 24, 2012). "Lady Gaga Hong Kong Pre-Sale Tickets Sold in Hours, SCMP Reports". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
    56. Chow, Vivienne (February 25, 2012). "Gaga to stage second show". South China Morning Post. SCMP Group. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
    57. News Desk (March 1, 2012). "LADY GAGA'S BORN THIS WAY BALL CONFIRMS THIRD SHOW IN HONG KONG". MTV Southeast Asia. Archived from the original on May 24, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2012.
    58. Huang, Hsiao, Amy, Scully (March 24, 2012). "Lady Gaga tickets sell like hot cakes in Taipei". Focus Taiwan. Archived from the original on November 24, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
    59. "Lady Gaga". Time Out. Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
    60. "Vietnam fans flock to Thailand for Gaga's concert". Tuổi Trẻ. March 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
    61. "Lady Gaga Announces Third and Final Show In Singapore". MTV Southeast Asia (MTV Networks Asia Pacific). March 30, 2012. Archived from the original on May 24, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2012.
    62. Ramstad, Evan (March 30, 2012). "No Little Monsters at Lady Gaga's Seoul Show". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
    63. Sihaloho, Markus (March 20, 2012). "Lawmaker Brushes Off MUI's Stance on Lady Gaga Concert". Jakarta Globe. PT Jakarta Globe Media. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
    64. "Little Monsters Await the Landing of Lady Gaga in Jakarta". Jakarta Globe. February 28, 2012. Archived from the original on February 28, 2012. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
    65. Ellison, Roland (April 11, 2012). "Lady Gaga Born This Way Ball tickets selling fast ahead of UK general sale – get 'em here". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on April 13, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
    66. Buckley, James (April 13, 2012). "LADY GAGA TICKETS ON SALE NOW". Newsquod. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
    67. Corner, Lewis (April 11, 2012). "Lady GaGa 'Born This Way Ball' UK tour tickets 'won't meet demand'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on April 13, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
    68. "Lady Gaga fans irked as £80 UK gig tickets go for £1100". Hindustan Times. HT Media Ltd. April 13, 2012. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
    69. "Lady Gaga fans swindled". The Times of India. April 13, 2012. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
    70. Firth, Holly (April 13, 2012). "Lady Gaga 'Born This Way Ball' Tickets Sell Out In Record Time". Entertainment Wise. Archived from the original on April 16, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
    71. Strickler, Jon (April 13, 2012). "LADY GAGA TICKETS FOR BORN THIS WAY BALL UK DATES SELL-OUT WITHIN MINUTES". Stereoboard. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
    72. "Lady Gaga en concert au Stade de France: tout ce qu'il faut savoir!" (in French). Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
    73. Mitchell, John (June 20, 2012). "Lady Gaga Fans Crash Servers In South African Ticket Frenzy". MTV. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
    74. Ndlovu, Andile (June 20, 2012). "Fans outraged at Lady Gaga online ticket fiasco". Times Live. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
    75. "Gaga 'can't believe' ticket sales crash". News24. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012.
    76. "Boletas para concierto de Lady Gaga en Bogotá bajan de precio" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on October 30, 2012.
    77. "Turnê de Lady Gaga termina com pouco mais da metade dos ingressos vendidos; entenda" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on October 5, 2013.
    78. "Entradas a Lady Gaga están "2x1" para clientes de compañía de telecomunicaciones" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on November 28, 2012.
    79. "Lanzan promoción de última hora de 2x1 para ver a Lady Gaga" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on October 5, 2013.
    80. "CRÓNICA: Lady Gaga en Lima, ¿remate musical o el mejor concierto de tu vida?" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on November 27, 2012.
    81. Makarechi, Kia (February 15, 2013). "Lady Gaga Tour Cancellation Will Cost Millions". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
    82. Genalyn D. Kabiling (May 20, 2012). "Palace Will Not Block Lady Gaga's Concert". Archived from the original on May 23, 2012.
    83. Rebecca Macatee (April 27, 2012). "South Korea protesters deem Lady Gaga 'too homosexual and pornographic'". E!. Archived from the original on April 29, 2012.
    84. Arlina Arshad. "Lady Gaga's Indonesia concert off after threats". Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on June 8, 2012.
    85. Angela Dewan (May 28, 2012). "Lady Gaga: Indonesian hardliners' latest victory". Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013.
    86. "Lady Gaga angers Thai fans with fake Rolex comment". CBS. Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
    87. "Lady Gaga's Thai concert inspires formal complaint Culture ministry critical of her use of country's flag". CBS. Archived from the original on June 18, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
    88. "Hear Lady Gaga's New Suicide Song "Princess Die". Idolator. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
    89. "Lady Gaga slammed after launching suicide song Princess Die that has Princess Diana death lyrics at Melbourne concert". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on December 20, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
    90. "Lady Gaga courts controversy with suicide song, Princess Die, at Melbourne concert". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
    91. "Lady Gaga Kicks Off Her Born This Way Ball in North America". Rolling Stone. January 12, 2013. Archived from the original on January 13, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
    92. "Lady GaGa, The Darkness at 'Born This Way Ball' – Review". Digital Spy. September 10, 2012. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
    93. Asia box score:
    94. Oceania box score:
    95. Europe box score:
    96. North American box score:
    97. "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard. New York. 124 (51). January 5, 2013. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on January 7, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
    98. "LADY GAGA ANNOUNCES THE NORTH AMERICAN LEG OF THE BORN THIS WAY BALL!". ladygaga.com. September 18, 2012. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
    99. North America box score:
    100. Lutfia, Ismira. "Lady Gaga Cancels Jakarta Concert". Jakarta Globe. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
    101. "Lady Gaga cancels tour, will have hip surgery". CNN. February 15, 2013. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
    102. Born This Way Ball Official Program. USA: Streamline, Interscope, Kon Live. 2012.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.