Lady Gaga debuts Mayhem Ball tour setlist with 29 hits, epic scenes in Las Vegas

Lady Gaga brought her theatrical magic to Las Vegas on Wednesday, July 16, marking the official start of her highly anticipated Mayhem Ball tour at T-Mobile Arena, as reported by USA Today for its comprehensive coverage of the opening night performance. The pop superstar delivered a two-hour spectacular that felt more like attending an opera house than a typical concert, with Gaga herself declaring the venue her house.

The show featured four distinct acts with poetic names like "Every Chessboard Has Two Queens" and "Of Velvet and Vice," creating a monster mash of entertainment that combined feather plumes, black lace, and dramatic lighting. More than 20 dancers joined Gaga on stage alongside a full band, creating visuals that seemed inspired by Alice in Wonderland mixed with David Bowie and Marilyn Manson aesthetics. The performance showcased songs from her latest album "Mayhem" alongside beloved hits from her career, with themes exploring the contrast between chaos and wonder, darkness and light, making it clear why USA Today praised her as the ultimate performer.

The tour represents Gaga's first major arena tour since 2018, with Variety providing detailed insights into the complete setlist and tour structure for fans eager to know what to expect. The show ran for two hours and 12 minutes after Gaga took the stage at 8:40 p.m., featuring notable additions not seen in her earlier 2025 performances, including "Applause," "Just Dance," "Shadow of a Man," and "LoveGame." The rare track "Summerboy" made its first appearance in 18 years, while "Kill for Love" received its live debut during this opening night. The concert followed a similar template to her Coachella shows from April but with crowd-pleasing expansions throughout the second half.

Read more on Chicago Star:

• The inside scoop on Chicago's best ice cream to celebrate National Ice Cream Day
• Chicago’s brown street signs reveal the city’s most overlooked history
• A Taste of Diego: West Town's non-stop seafood celebration
• Top high school girls basketball players in the country–here this weekend!

A surprise encore of "How Bad Do U Want Me" capped off the evening, with Gaga appearing in casual attire, including a Cramps t-shirt, showing her versatility as a performer. Variety's coverage emphasized that this North American leg will visit only six cities through September, with the European portion scheduled to begin Tuesday, September 30, in London and conclude Thursday, November 20, in France.

Billboard's analysis of the opening night highlighted how the Mayhem Ball differed from a simple Coachella repeat, featuring significant changes to the look, pacing, and expanded setlist that created a more intimate arena experience. The tour supports her Billboard 200-topping album "Mayhem," which debuted at number one in March and placed 10 tracks on the Hot 100 chart, including her five-week number one hit "Die With a Smile" featuring Bruno Mars.

This album's achievement set new records for Gaga, giving her the biggest streaming week of her career and the most number-one positions on Billboard's Top Dance Albums chart with eight total. The concert featured standout moments when Gaga performed "Shallow" from a gondola and delivered "Die With a Smile" behind a piano, leading the sold-out crowd in a sing-along. Her previous Chromatica Ball tour in 2022 sold over 800,000 tickets and earned $112 million, but Billboard noted that the Mayhem Ball's arena format offers fans a more connected experience compared to the stadium shows of her last tour.