Gaga singing "Paparazzi" as opening act at Madison Square Garden for NKOTB on October 27, 2008.
In music, an opening act—also known as a support act or opener—is a performer or group that appears on stage before the featured artist, or "headliner," at a concert. Opening acts are typically used to engage the audience and provide exposure for less-established performers. On extended tours, different opening acts may be selected for various regions or legs of the tour.
Following the Just Dance Promo Tour, Lady Gaga began her professional career by opening for a number of established acts before launching her own headlining tours. In 2008, she served as an opening act for New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) and occasionally joined them on stage to perform the song "Big Girl Now." In 2009, she opened for The Pussycat Dolls on the European and Oceanian legs of the Doll Domination Tour. Her performances during this tour received favorable media coverage, with commentators noting her increasing popularity on radio and among live audiences. Some reports suggested she outshone the headlining act. Gaga's final engagement as an opening act was for the English pop group Take That on their 2009 tour, Take That Presents: The Circus Live. She was also scheduled to open for Michael Jackson during his planned This Is It residency at The O2 Arena in London, originally scheduled from July 13, 2009, to March 6, 2010. The shows were cancelled following Jackson’s death.
As opening act[]
- When there is a + after a number it denotes additional performances outside of the tour that had a very similar if not identical setlist.
| Title | Headlining artist | Year | Shows | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Kids on the Block: Live | New Kids on the Block | 2008 | 26+46 (72) | 3+3 (6) |
| Doll Domination Tour | The Pussycat Dolls | 2009 | 32+8 (40) | 12 |
| Take That Presents: The Circus Live | Take That | 2009 | 2 | 1 |
Opening acts for Lady Gaga[]
From 2009 to 2017, Gaga had 25 opening acts with only Lady Starlight being on more than one concert tour.
- Chew Fu and Breedlove were part of a joint DJ set with Lady Starlight on some dates.
- Lady Starlight was also the opening act for Lady Gaga Live at Roseland Ballroom on March 28 - April 7, 2014.
- The Dirty Pearls were also the opening act for SXSW Festival - South by Southwest on March 13, 2014.
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