Madonna invites heart attack victims on stage during a Miami concert

Madonna has long used her platform to empower the LGBTQ+ community, and at her most recent concert she paid tribute to the victims of the horrific 2016 mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

The Queen of Pop invited survivors and relatives of those killed in the June 2016 shootings to the Miami stop of her Celebration Tour at the Kaseya Center on Tuesday, April 9. During the show, the 65-year-old Material Girl spoke passionately about being affected by the tragedy that left 49 innocent people dead.

“I want to draw attention to this moment because nightclubs, music and dance bring us together. It shouldn't be places or things we do that bring us sadness, tragedy, murder, death, pain, suffering and trauma. But unfortunately, people are still stuck in a bit of a rut,” Madonna said.

“I will always stand up for the gays, always because the gays have always stood up for me,” she told the crowd, describing the tragic event as “the worst terrorist attack since 9/11.”

As Madonna addressed the survivors and their families, she became embarrassed and admitted that she felt “emotional” about the moment. “I make dance music. My job is to bring people together, make people dance, make people happy, not judge. This shouldn't happen. Don’t forget it,” she said.

The “Music” singer then called out several survivors, highlighting the impact the shooting has had on their lives, including loss of friends, gunshot wounds and mental health issues.

“When will we learn? This is a rhetorical question, but I'm telling you that we're all in on this – do you know why? Because we all judge each other,” she continued. “We think we are so exalted, we think we have seen everything, we have done everything, but even I speak evil things to other people. Even I judge.”

Madonna added: “We are all guilty of discrimination in one way or another, which is why we contribute to these hate crimes on a global level. So I ask you all to be aware of your responsibilities, and I ask you all to do the same.” Remember that you have the ability to bring light into the world and make a difference.

After being handed a guitar, the Grammy winner began crying as she asked the audience to turn on their cellphone flashlights.

“Lighten this room so that we may all be reminded that their lives were not in vain, and that we may be reminded that each of us has the ability to shine our own light upon one another and share it with the world, to share it with our friends, share it with our families, share it with our loved ones, share it with the people we don't understand, share it with the people we consider our enemies because we ultimately don’t understand “We have damn enemies!” Please remember that,” Madonna concluded.

Following the speech, she performed an emotional acoustic version of Gloria Gaynor's “I Will Survive.”

Throughout the Celebration Tour, Madge has peppered the show with touching tributes – from montages reflecting on those she lost in her own family, such as her mother, to musicians who have died.

During her performance of the 1986 classic “Live to Tell,” she takes a moment to reflect on people like Keith Haring, Freddie Mercury and many others who died of AIDS.

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While the show thoughtfully deals with various tragedies, it is also a tribute to the queer community that has fueled Madonna's career and inspired her over the years, as well as a career retrospective.

The “Hung Up” singer kicked off her Celebration Tour last October at London's O2 Arena. The show, which includes a two-hour set, marked the hitmaker's return to the stage after she was hospitalized for a serious bacterial infection in the summer of 2023.

Since the tour began, the music legend has attracted attention through the spectacle of the show and various surprises. During the “Vogue” portion of the set, she brought along a host of special guests, including FKA Twigs, Kylie Minogue, Pamela Anderson, as well as Julia Garner and Julia Fox, both of whom were rumored to be appearing in her long-awaited biopic, among others, which are currently on hiatus.

Madonna kicked off the US leg of her tour in late 2023 with multiple shows in New York City and Washington DC in December. She hit the road again in 2024 to continue the remaining dates in North America, which continue in the US until April 15, before traveling to Mexico City for five shows at the end of the month.

Next month, on May 4, the “Like a Prayer” singer will officially say goodbye to the Celebration Tour with a big farewell show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She will conclude the tour with a historic, free concert on Copacabana Beach at the Belmond Copacabana Palace Hotel.

The concert is sponsored by Itaú Apresenta and “will be free as a thank you to their fans who have celebrated more than four decades of their music over the course of the epic global tour,” according to a press release.