Madonna’s Celebration Tour: Photos From Opening Night in London

After the opening night of The Celebration Tour in London on Saturday (Oct. 14) night at the O2 Arena, the verdict is in: Madonna is back.

Despite a brush with death, the Queen of Pop delivered a two-hour-plus show full of smash hits, killer deep cuts and a surprise or two (or three). Candid as ever, Madonna didn’t shy away from addressing her hospital stay in June due to a “serious bacterial infection” that caused her Celebration Tour’s opening to be pushed back by three months.

“I didn’t think I was going to make it,” she stated bluntly at one point in the evening. “I forgot five days of my life — or death, I didn’t really know where I was.” Madonna said it was her family, ultimately, who pulled her through. “My children were there — and my children always save me every time.” Calling it her “secret” to survival, Madonna said she simply tells herself, “I have got to be there for my children – I have to survive for them.” Five of her children were on stage with her during the tour opener in London: Mercy James, David Banda, Lourdes, Esther and Stella. And it seems that moving forward, at least four of her kids will be joining her on stage each night as performers.

Joining her throughout the tour, too, is Bob the Drag Queen, a RuPaul’s Drag Race winner and LGBTQ comedy legend in the making. Recounting Madonna’s arrival at LaGuardia airport in the late ‘70s to take on New York City with nothing but $35, Bob tossed a wad of cash into the crowd at the top of the show and drily offered, “Use this and become a star.”

Check out pics of the woman who did that below and check out best moments from the tour here.