Europe Of the opening night in London, the BBC's Mark Savage applauded the singer's looks, vocals, and the way she moved, "from one elaborate set-piece to the next with conviction and power". Joe Lynch from
Billboard wrote: "This wasn’t just a party – it was an exuberant victory lap for a woman who showed up to New York City with $35 and turned herself into the biggest pop diva the world has ever seen".
Rolling Stone UKs Nick Reilly deemed the concert, "two hours of overblown, indulgent fun that refuses to dance to the beat of anyone else’s drum"; he also singled out the performances, particularly "Holiday" and "Live to Tell", which he classified as "the first powerful moment of the night". Celebration is a "spectacular, ambitious and occasionally bemusing" concert, according to
The Arts Desks Thomas H. Green, who also praised "Live to Tell", "Hung Up", and "Vogue", which he named the best moment of the night. Laura Snapes from
The Guardian also lauded "Vogue" for its ballroom theme, which she felt showcased a genuine bond between Madonna and the LGBTQ+ community. The participation of the singer's children was also met with praise. Luis Hidalgo from
El País considered it "one of the most complete and dazzling [concerts] by an artist who's given impressive shows [known for] their elegance, originality and fearlessness". From
Vogue, Liam Hess was impressed with the singer's mood; describing her previous tours as "a little robotic in their military-level precision and acrobatic choreography", he added that she seemed "thrilled" to be back on stage and her presence was perceived "warmer than in previous years". Shaad D’Souza from
Pitchfork described Celebration as "an
Architectural Digest of the [Madonna] archives, as she shimmied across three catwalks, stepping into sets that echoed past tours and iconic moments", commenting that her voice sounded the best it has "since
Ray of Light". Kirsten Sokol, from Belgian broadcaster
VRT, was satisfied with the "dazzling" concert, but chastised the singer's tardiness and lack of a live band. Sutherland also criticized the lack of a band.
The New York Times' Caryn Ganz wrote that the first act was the "most carefree", with "Like a Prayer" being the "most spectacular" performance. She also noted that the singer seemed "looser and chattier" than on previous tours, and let the dancers "do much of the heavy lifting, though she still handled choreography". Criticism was given to the lack of a band, as Ganz felt it "removed some of the theater of the show and put extra pressure on Madonna's vocals". Celebration was referred to as a highly energetic, busy, "two-hour-plus performance that carried fans [...] into the wee hours of the morning on a wave of welcome nostalgia", by
Boston.com's Kristi Palma. Azul del Olmo from
Excélsior regarded the show as a "legacy celebration that goes beyond than just music, but also religion, sexuality, and everything only Madonna can group into a completely inclusive party, where no one is different". " was referred to as a "spirited highlight of the night" by the
Washington Blades Kevin Naff. According to
The Washington Posts Chris Richards, "It’s hard to shock the world in this digital age — but on tour, Madonna is still finding new ways to make her music memorable".
Metro Weeklys André Hereford deemed it a "high-energy, heartfelt" concert that was "executed with straightforward technical prowess", and highlighted "Everybody", "Live to Tell", "Bad Girl", and "Ray of Light". For Craig C. Semon from the
Telegram & Gazette, Celebration is "pure, unabashed Madonna, embracing her glorious past while taking a stranglehold on the future", considering the spectacle as a "theatrical show about the pop icon's life". Writing for the
Toronto Sun, Jane Stevenson gave the concert a three and a half star rating out of a potential four stars, and ranked "Open Your Heart", "Holiday", "Live to Tell", and "Erotica" as the night's best.
The Globe and Mails Brad Wheeler noted that the repertoire was reworked in order to being presented in altered forms instead of relying on "nostalgia". A particularly positive review was given by
Le Journal de Montréal, where Bruno LaPointe wrote that, "Madonna's crown as queen of pop has lost none of its luster. [she] proved it with a cracking, polished and frankly spectacular concert". For the
Chicago Tribunes Bob Gendron, the concert was "ambitious, sexy, inclusive, buoyant, vibrant, defiant and, on occasion, messy, awkward, and overly busy [...] the very traits that define Madonna’s career". According to
PopMatters Chris Rutherford, "in a year when
Taylor Swift and
Beyoncé owned the touring circuit, [Madonna] proves why she is the blueprint for all female pop artists who came after her". A negative review came from the
Los Angeles Times, where Mikael Wood was disappointed with the inclusion of "forgettable" songs such as "Die Another Day", the "inexplicable" mashup of "Human Nature" and "Crazy For You", and the "overly moody" arrangements of songs like "Like a Prayer", "Hung Up", and "Ray of Light". In 2024, Celebration was named Madonna's best sixth concert tour by Sal Cinquemani, who wrote for
Billboard that he watched and listened to Madonna's embracement of her legacy. Cinquemani continued: "With no new album to promote, the setlist is packed with so many iconic songs [...] that more than a dozen of her 28 top 5 hits on the
Billboard Hot 100 had to be omitted".
Brazil During the final show of the tour, held on May 4, 2024, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, many Brazilian media outlets turned their attention to the show. Ronald Villardo writing for
GShow said the best part of the show was "Madonna's disposition"; he also struggled to believe how she "was hospitalized until just before the start of the Celebration tour. The energy on stage leaves any young artist in the dust". Sabrina Legramandi of
O Estadão, one of the largest newspapers in Brazil, wrote that the show was a "Broadway's megaspectacle that went down in history". Lanna Silveira, in the newspaper
Correio da Manhã summarized the show as "emotion, reference and sensuality", and about the first moments after the show started, she said: "What was seen next by millions of Brazilians was a clear demonstration of the strength of the Madonna phenomenon". The television program
Fantástico mentioned that during the "Like a Virgin" interlude, Madonna heard the biggest chorus of her career and ended by saying that: "Copacabana, Rio and Brazil celebrated not only an extraordinary artist, but also what she represents: boldness, courage and freedom". However, despite the positive reviews of the show in the country's biggest media outlets, some media personalities and right-wing politicians created a wave of hatred against Madonna and the show, calling it "satanic" and a "pornographic show". Soon, many of these media personalities tried to associate and blame Madonna for
the climate disasters that occurred in southern Brazil, the same week that the show took place. All of these criticisms came from politicians and newspapers associated with
Bolsonarism, a
far-right political line in Brazil. The Rio de Janeiro concert was broadcast live through Brazil's
TV Globo,
Multishow and
Globoplay channels. == Broadcast ==