Madonna: The Celebration Tour - London© GettyImages

Gloria Gaynor reacts to Madonna’s cover of ‘I Will Survive’

Madonna performed the song on her Celebration Tour, in London.


Senior Writer
OCTOBER 17, 2023 8:03 PM EDT

Madonna’s Celebration Tour was worth the wait. On the first show of her tour, in London, Madonna performed Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” prompting a thrilled reaction from Gaynor herself.

Opening Night of Madonna: The Celebration Tour   London© GettyImages
Madonna on opening night of her show

Before performing the song, Madonna discussed the health scare she experienced over the past year, which ended up postponing her tour for six months. “I forgot five years of my life, or my death — I don’t really know where I was,” she said onstage. “But the angels were protecting me, and my children were there. And my children always save me every time. If you want to know my secret and you want to know how I pulled through and survived, I thought, ‘I have to be there for my children. I have to survive for them.'”

Gaynor shared a clip of Madonna’s cover on X, celebrating Madonna’s performance and return to health. “@Madonna congratulations on the launch of #TheCelebrationTour at @TheO2,” wrote Gaynor. “So happy that you are in good health and ready to have a holiday with fans around the world! By the way, you have excellent taste in music!”

Madonna’s Celebration Tour

Madonna’s Celebration Tour has been hailed as a celebration of her extensive pop repertoire, one that ensures that all of Madonna’s decades in music are celebrated. The show features a stunning stage, dancers, the appearance of her children, and over two hours of music.

The tour has 78 dates around the world, and its rumored to be her last show, at least of this scale. Some fans think otherwise. “Never, she won’t give up” said a fan to The New York Times. “This is just a new celebration, a new era.”