Today in Madonna History: June 8, 2026

On June 8, 2026, Confessions II – The Film premiered globally on YouTube, giving fans their first full look at the visual world surrounding Madonna’s upcoming album, Confessions II.

The nearly 14-minute film had premiered three days earlier at the Tribeca Festival in New York. Directed by David Toro and Solomon Chase of TORSO, the project was created as a cinematic companion to the album and features previews of six new songs.

Dolce & Gabbana partnered with Madonna on the film and curated the wardrobe for Madonna and the extended cast, adding another chapter to one of her longest-running fashion relationships.

The release quickly became a fan event, with appearances from Julia Garner, Lourdes Leon, Kate Moss, Debi Mazar, Benedict Cumberbatch, Gwendoline Christie, Richard E. Grant, Odessa A’zion, Archie Madekwe, Arca, Honey Dijon, Shygirl, Sabrina Carpenter, Cole Palmer, and João Pedro.

For longtime fans, the details mattered. The film includes references to Madonna’s early New York story, Danceteria, paparazzi culture, club life, and earlier visual eras, with nods to “Lucky Star,” “Into the Groove,” “Deeper and Deeper,” and “Hung Up.” Slant Magazine called the short film a “phantasmagoric disco dream,” a fitting description for a project built around memory, nightlife, fame, and reinvention.

A Madonna visual moment that once might have lived on MTV, VHS, DVD, or a limited festival screen was now available worldwide on YouTube the same day. More than four decades after Madonna helped redefine the music video as an art form, she was still using the format to build a world around the music.

On this day in Madonna history, the dance floor opened again.

Today in Madonna History: June 6, 2026

On June 6 2026, Madonna appeared in headlines around the world following the world premiere of her Confessions II short film at the 2026 Tribeca Festival in New York City.

The film premiered on June 5 at the Beacon Theatre, where Madonna presented a cinematic companion to her forthcoming album Confessions II. Directed by David Toro and Solomon Chase of TORSO, the short film ran more than 10 minutes and was built around the first six songs from the album, including I Feel So Free and Bring Your Love with Sabrina Carpenter.

Following the screening, Madonna appeared for a post-film conversation with Anderson Cooper, who stepped in after Jimmy Fallon was no longer able to moderate the discussion.

The premiere drew major entertainment coverage, with headlines including:

“Madonna Teases ‘Confessions II’ Album with Wild Short Film Featuring Cameos from Julia Garner, Kate Moss and Daughter Lourdes”People

“Madonna Premieres Surrealistic, NSFW Confessions II Short Film at Tribeca: ‘It’s About Connection’”Rolling Stone

“Madonna teases ‘Confessions II’ tour plans — but fans can forget about a Vegas residency”Page Six

The film featured appearances by Arca, Archie Madekwe, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cole Palmer, Debi Mazar, Gwendoline Christie, Honey Dijon, João Pedro, Julia Garner, Kate Moss, Lourdes Leon, Odessa A’zion, Richard E. Grant, Sabrina Carpenter, Shygirl and others.

During the conversation, Madonna also addressed the possibility of touring behind Confessions II, while making it clear that fans should not expect a Las Vegas residency.

The Confessions II short film was scheduled to stream on YouTube beginning June 8, 2026, ahead of the album’s July 3 release.

Today in Madonna History: December 9, 2016

On December 9 2016, Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour premiered on SHOWTIME, on-air, on-demand and over the internet.

Here’s a snippet from the press release for the broadcast:

MADONNA: REBEL HEART TOUR was shot around the world and features a collection of live and behind these scenes footage culminating in performances at the Sydney Olympic Park in March of this year. The film is co-directed by Danny B. Tull and Nathan Rissman, both of whom have worked extensively with Madonna on her feature films and tour movies. Madonna will be honored later this year as Billboard magazine’s 2016 Woman of the Year award, at a star-studded event held in conjunction with the publication of Billboard’s Women in Music list, which identifies the 50 most powerful female executives in the industry each year.

“When it comes to putting on a show, there is only one Madonna – an iconic performer that we’re thrilled to have on our air,” said David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc. “With her unique creative vision and unmatched stage presence, our viewers will see an arena show packed with visual theatrics, stunning costumes and intricate choreography, featuring new hits and beloved classic songs.”

The set list for MADONNA: REBEL HEART TOUR spans all decades of the iconic superstar’s illustrious career, including songs from Rebel Heart (the No. 1 dance hits “Living for Love” and “Bitch I’m Madonna“) to classic fan favorites like “Material Girl” and “Holiday” and a “Dress You Up” medley that included “Into The Groove,” “Everybody” and “Lucky Star.” Memorable highlights from the tour include her first-ever live concert performance of “Take a Bow,” acoustic versions of “Like A Prayer,” “Secret” and “Don’t Tell Me.”  At each tour date during the song “Unapologetic Bitch,” Madonna would bring someone up from the crowd to dance with her during the song. Some nights it was a fan, another night it was Katy Perry. Other guest dancers included: Amy Schumer, Ariana Grande, Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Diplo, Gwendoline Christie, Graham Norton and Anderson Cooper.

Produced by Live Nation Global Touring, the Rebel Heart Tour kicked off on September 9, 2015 in Montreal and visited arenas in 55 cities on four continents over seven months. Madonna performed 82 shows, plus a special fan club show in Melbourne. The tour grossed $169.8 Million with 1,045,479 in attendance, making her the top grossing touring female artist in the history of Billboard Boxscore with over $1.31 billion in ticket sales sold over the course of her career. Madonna is also the fourth top grossing touring act (behind The Rolling Stones, U2 and Bruce Springsteen) since tracking began in 1990.

The Rebel Heart Tour was directed by Jamie King with musical direction by Kevin Antunes (the band’s keyboardist Ric’key Pageot, drummer Brian Frasier-Moore, guitarist Monte Pittman, and background vocalists Kiley Dean and Nicki Richards), lead choreography by Megan Lawson, hair by Andy LeCompte, makeup by Aaron Henrikson, and costume design by Arianne Phillips.

Today in Madonna History: December 9, 2016

On December 9 2016, Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour premiered on SHOWTIME, on-air, on-demand and over the internet.

Here’s a snippet from the press release for the broadcast:

MADONNA: REBEL HEART TOUR was shot around the world and features a collection of live and behind these scenes footage culminating in performances at the Sydney Olympic Park in March of this year. The film is co-directed by Danny B. Tull and Nathan Rissman, both of whom have worked extensively with Madonna on her feature films and tour movies. Madonna will be honored later this year as Billboard magazine’s 2016 Woman of the Year award, at a star-studded event held in conjunction with the publication of Billboard’s Women in Music list, which identifies the 50 most powerful female executives in the industry each year.

“When it comes to putting on a show, there is only one Madonna – an iconic performer that we’re thrilled to have on our air,” said David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc. “With her unique creative vision and unmatched stage presence, our viewers will see an arena show packed with visual theatrics, stunning costumes and intricate choreography, featuring new hits and beloved classic songs.”

The set list for MADONNA: REBEL HEART TOUR spans all decades of the iconic superstar’s illustrious career, including songs from Rebel Heart (the No. 1 dance hits “Living for Love” and “Bitch I’m Madonna“) to classic fan favorites like “Material Girl” and “Holiday” and a “Dress You Up” medley that included “Into The Groove,” “Everybody” and “Lucky Star.” Memorable highlights from the tour include her first-ever live concert performance of “Take a Bow,” acoustic versions of “Like A Prayer,” “Secret” and “Don’t Tell Me.”  At each tour date during the song “Unapologetic Bitch,” Madonna would bring someone up from the crowd to dance with her during the song. Some nights it was a fan, another night it was Katy Perry. Other guest dancers included: Amy Schumer, Ariana Grande, Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Diplo, Gwendoline Christie, Graham Norton and Anderson Cooper.

Produced by Live Nation Global Touring, the Rebel Heart Tour kicked off on September 9, 2015 in Montreal and visited arenas in 55 cities on four continents over seven months. Madonna performed 82 shows, plus a special fan club show in Melbourne. The tour grossed $169.8 Million with 1,045,479 in attendance, making her the top grossing touring female artist in the history of Billboard Boxscore with over $1.31 billion in ticket sales sold over the course of her career. Madonna is also the fourth top grossing touring act (behind The Rolling Stones, U2 and Bruce Springsteen) since tracking began in 1990.

The Rebel Heart Tour was directed by Jamie King with musical direction by Kevin Antunes (the band’s keyboardist Ric’key Pageot, drummer Brian Frasier-Moore, guitarist Monte Pittman, and background vocalists Kiley Dean and Nicki Richards), lead choreography by Megan Lawson, hair by Andy LeCompte, makeup by Aaron Henrikson, and costume design by Arianne Phillips.