“Grandma noooo!” one viewer exclaimed online after Madonna left fans fearing for her safety during a surprise concert in New York City’s Times Square.
Madonna stunned thousands of fans when she shut down traffic in Times Square on Thursday, June 4, with a surprise pop-up performance to kick off Pride Month celebrations.
During the show, the 67-year-old Queen of Pop performed from an elevated platform suspended high above the packed crowd, with many fans saying the stunt gave them a “heart attack” and left them fearing for her safety.
The performance also triggered a wave of ageist criticism online, as some viewers took aim at the singer’s age and outfit choice.
The seven-time Grammy winner performed a stunt that left fans fearing for her safety during a surprise NYC concert on Thursday
Image credits: James Devaney/GC Images
Madonna performed at a surprise free pop-up concert to kick off Pride Month and promote tracks from her upcoming album, Confessions II.
She took the stage at the TSX Stage in Times Square, in the heart of Manhattan, in partnership with Grindr to honor the LGBTQIA+ community.
Her performance featured giant screens displaying rainbow colors and tributes to iconic queer trailblazers, including Marsha P. Johnson and Keith Haring.
Image credits: James Devaney/GC Images
The 15-minute set also generated buzz for her immersive musical film, built around the album’s first six tracks, which is set to premiere later this week at the Tribeca Festival.
The stage consisted of an elevated platform positioned several stories above the streets, allowing thousands of fans packed shoulder to shoulder below to watch the performance.
Madonna wore a custom, multi-layered Dolce & Gabbana ensemble inspired by the colors of the transgender pride flag.
Image credits: Grindr
She paired a skintight pink Dolce & Gabbana corset layered over a frilly bodysuit with a contrasting blue br* and a shiny silver cropped jacket draped over her shoulders.
The Material Girl singer accessorized with matching pink thigh-high stockings, a suspender belt, pink arm-length gloves, and metallic silver knee-high boots.
Madonna kicked off Pride Month and gave fans a preview of several tracks from her highly anticipated upcoming album
Image credits: Grindr
While performing her hit song Hung Up, Madonna walked to the edge of the stage, lifted one leg, and straddled the clear protective glass barrier, leaning forward over the edge without any visible safety harness.
While attendees at the event largely cheered the move, social media users appeared far more concerned. Some expressed genuine fears for her safety, while others harshly criticized her appearance.
One netizen wrote, “Madonna has always lived on the edge, but at this point, we just want her to protect her legacy-and her bones. Love the energy, but the anxiety it gives the audience is real.”
Image credits: Grindr
Another netizen added, “She is just embarrassing… She’s so weak she can hardly stand now. Dancers are placed around her to hold her up.”
A third commentator remarked, “We’re a little too close to 70 for all that! I don’t think so!”
Another comment read, “It’s a very dangerous posture. She would fall down or someone would snap her.”
Image credits: Grindr
One concerned user said, “The way I screamed ‘madonna no don’t!!!!’ when she was hanging over the barricade!”
Others expressed similar concerns, writing, “That made me so nervous… I was scared to d**th… Fr I was like grandma noooo omg.”
“Oh my god she needs to sit down before she falls… Someone come collect your Nanna……she forgot her meds.”
The Crazy for You singer was harshly criticized online for “trying to cosplay a teenager,” as brutal ageist remarks flooded social media
Trolls also weaponized her age to criticize her tight pink Dolce & Gabbana corset, with one person writing, “Grow up, your not a teenager anymore.”
“Yeah, no. Big Madonna fan from back in the day but she should really dress her age. She walks like an old lady. It’s pretty sad,” one person said.
Another critic added, “Disturbing An old lady in her underwear… Time to retire.”
However, plenty of fans refused to let the negativity overshadow Madonna’s edgy and playful performance.
One supporter chimed in, “Still outperforming every 20-something pop star half her age. Madonna didn’t just perform, she ATE Times Square and left NO crumbs. Mother is UNTOUCHABLE.”
Another gushed, “As an older lady myself, I find it deeply offensive that we’re expected to disappear after a certain age. What a load of old rubbish! So much Love and respect for her!”
Madonna has a four-decade career history of stunning viewers with jaw-dropping onstage stunts and visuals
Image credits: Raph_PH/Flickr
“If anything, she proved that being older, s*xy, confident, and still making great music is what she does best.”
As for concerns surrounding Madonna’s stunt, while it appeared perilous from street level, the barrier itself was heavily secured.
Moreover, as a seasoned performer, the Grammy winner has spent more than 40 years incorporating physically demanding, provocative, and sometimes high-risk stunts into her live shows.
Image credits: Madonna Now/YouTube
During the 2006 Confessions Tour, Madonna performed the song Live to Tell while suspended high above the arena floor on a giant mirrored disco-ball crucifix.
The stunt drew global controversy from some religious groups and required her to be secured to the moving structure as it traveled through the air.
Image credits: Mario Fernandes/Wikimedia
During the 2008 Sticky & Sweet Tour and the 2012 MDNA Tour, she routinely incorporated vertical poles and aerial ropes into her performances, at times hanging upside down several feet above the stage while continuing to sing live.
“Actually, if she had done all that in a better/appropriate outfit, it would’ve worked! Her voice still rocks!” wrote one fan online
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