Las Vegas lit up in neon as Lady Gaga took over the T-Mobile Arena for one of the most ambitious, theatrical, and downright electric pop spectacles of the year. The Strip glowed just outside, but inside the arena, another kind of light show was about to take hold—an arena packed with Little Monsters in sequins, leather, and fearless makeup, buzzing with anticipation. This wasn’t just another tour stop; it was the kind of night where Gaga promised to tear down and rebuild pop mythology in front of 20,000 screaming fans.
Fans had been waiting months for the official kickoff of The MAYHEM Ball Tour, and they showed up ready to celebrate. The merch lines stretched across the concourse, the energy in the arena was restless, and everywhere you looked, there was a reminder that Gaga’s crowd is one of the most colorful and diverse fanbases in music. Grandparents, teenagers, drag queens, couples on date night—all in one place, all with one purpose.
By 8:40 p.m., the lights went down and the massive screens flickered to life with the prologue: a pre-recorded manifesto entitled “The Art of Personal Chaos (The Manifesto of MAYHEM).” It was a cinematic introduction, blending opera, industrial beats, and surreal visuals, and it set the tone perfectly: this was going to be a night of spectacle, chaos, and transformation.
Full Setlist
(Gaga delivered nearly 40 performances, including tapes, interludes, deep cuts, and encores—a truly theatrical experience.)
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(Tape intro) The Art of Personal Chaos (The Manifesto of MAYHEM)
Act I: Of Velvet and Vice
2. Bloody Mary (operatic, shortened version)
3. Abracadabra (partially a cappella intro)
4. Judas (blending into “Abracadabra”)
5. Aura (shortened—woven with Judas & Scheiße)
6. Scheiße (extended intro, powerful transition)
7. Garden of Eden (opera-infused, orchestral intro—Gaga on guitar)
8. Poker Face (with “Off With Her Head” orchestral outro)
9. (Tape) Abracadabra (Gesaffelstein Remix – ballroom battle interlude)
Act II: And She Fell into a Gothic Dream
10. Perfect Celebrity (shortened, epic intro)
11. Disease (big intro)
12. Paparazzi (alternate version, extended in & out)
13. LoveGame (short with a grand intro)
14. Alejandro (lean but impactful)
15. The Beast (Gaga on guitar mid-song)
Act III: The Beautiful Nightmare That Knows Her Name
16. Killah (brooding intro & outro)
17. Zombieboy (dark and atmospheric)
18. LoveDrug (raw energy)
19. Applause (welcome return, extended and bold)
20. Just Dance (reimagined outro, glitzy)
21. (Tape interlude) Wake Her Up! (Abracadabra Cirkut remix tease)
Act IV: Every Chessboard Has Two Queens
22. Shadow of a Man (brooding, extended intro)
23. Kill for Love (short, but intense)
24. Summerboy (nostalgic, sweet; Gaga on guitar)
25. Born This Way (big, righteous intro)
26. Million Reasons (haunting with “Tears” homage by Giorgio Moroder)
27. Shallow (lavish alternate take)
28. Die With a Smile (solo, intimate)
29. Vanish Into You (glam-rock closing of act)
Finale: Eternal Aria of the Monster Heart
30. Bad Romance (sweeping, cinematic performance)
Encore
31. How Bad Do U Want Me (slinky, infectious)
32. G.U.Y. (partial sing-along taped performance—first since 2014)
The Energy
From the opening bars of Bloody Mary, the show was relentless. The staging was gothic but futuristic—massive cathedrals of LED screens, sharp beams of light cutting through haze, dancers in dark couture, and Gaga herself commanding the stage like a priestess of pop.
She didn’t just sing—she embodied every song. Judas was snarling and dangerous, Poker Face reinvented itself with orchestral flourishes, and Scheiße came with an almost militaristic ferocity that had the whole arena stomping.
Her voice was powerful, flexible, and passionate. On the stripped-down ballads like Million Reasons and Die With a Smile, she reached a level of intimacy that made the massive arena feel like a small cabaret. But when she needed to hit with force—Bad Romance, Born This Way, Applause—she filled the space like only she can.
The energy wasn’t just coming from Gaga. The audience gave it right back, roaring, dancing, and waving arms in synchronized chants. The connection between Gaga and her Little Monsters remains one of the most palpable in music.
Highlights & Crowd Moments
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The “Paparazzi” rainbow-cape moment — A visual stunner. Gaga transformed the stage into a moving canvas, reminding everyone of why she’s not just a singer but a true performance artist.
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“Summerboy” surprise — Rarely played, deeply nostalgic, and heartfelt. Fans erupted at the opening chords, cheering like they’d stumbled into a secret club moment.
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“Applause” resurrection — ARTPOP fans nearly lost their voices when this one kicked in. It was triumphant, defiant, and sounded like Gaga reclaiming an underrated era.
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“Die With a Smile” stripped solo — An intimate pause in the chaos. Just Gaga, her voice, and the piano. It was quiet, it was raw, and it floored the arena.
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Encore joy — How Bad Do U Want Me was funky and modern, while G.U.Y. was pure nostalgia bait, even with the taped element. It gave longtime fans something to scream about.
The Vibe
The vibe of the night was a mix of Vegas spectacle and underground theater. It was glamorous but raw, polished but still daring. Gaga leaned into the darker, more avant-garde elements of her persona, and it felt authentic, like she was at her most creatively free.
Fans came in with high expectations, and she matched them with sheer scale—massive visuals, costume changes, choreography—but what made it special was how personal it still felt. Gaga knows how to turn an arena show into an emotional journey, and this night proved it again.
Tiny Quibbles
A couple of transitions felt long, especially between taped interludes and live segments. The inclusion of the taped G.U.Y. performance, while cool for hardcore fans, also undercut the finale’s momentum a bit. And while the sound mix was mostly flawless, the bass swallowed some of her vocals on LoveDrug.
But in the grand scheme, these were small bumps in a show that was otherwise flawless.
Final Thoughts
The MAYHEM Ball in Las Vegas wasn’t just a pop concert—it was an operatic journey, part theater, part rave, part confessional. Gaga pulled from every corner of her career—deep cuts, global hits, new songs—and stitched them together with a dark, cinematic flair.
By the time the confetti fell and the last notes of G.U.Y. echoed, the fans were drained but ecstatic. It wasn’t just that Gaga played the hits—it was that she reimagined them, dramatized them, and let them breathe in new ways.
If you’ve ever wondered whether Gaga still has that edge, that sense of unpredictability, that magic—this show answered it: yes, and then some. She’s not just keeping pace with pop’s evolution, she’s still leading the charge.
Las Vegas got a show for the ages on July 19, 2025. The Strip may have been lit up outside, but inside T-Mobile Arena, Gaga burned brighter than anything neon could match.