Lady Gaga returns in spectacular fashion, with S'pore flag in tow

American pop star Lady Gaga played a dazzling, sold-out set at the National Stadium on May 18, the first night of her four gigs in Singapore, her only stops in Asia.

- Eddino Abdul Hadi

Backed by a group of dancers, the theatrical two-hour show in support of her latest album Mayhem (2025) featured tight choreography and a spectacular stage set-up with multiple props and costume changes.

Kicking off the proceedings at 8.15pm, 15 minutes after the stipulated start time, the 39-year-old actress-singer-songwriter appeared in an exaggerated towering red Tudor gown and launched into an orchestral rendition of her 2011 song Bloody Mary.

The crowd at the 55,000-capacity venue then eagerly danced along to the follow-up song, an energetic rendition of dance-pop banger Abracadabra from Mayhem, released in March.

The concert was styled as a dramatic five-part opera, chock-full of 22 old and new hits, and Lady Gaga would appear on stage after each interval in a different costume, which included armoured bodysuits, feathered wings and flowing trains.

"You are so very special to me, my Little Monsters in Singapore," she told the audience at one point, adding that she had fond memories of her previous shows in Singapore.