| World tour byKendrick Lamar | |
 | |
| Location |
|
|---|---|
| Associated album | Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers |
| Start date | June 23, 2022 |
| End date | March 23, 2024 |
| Legs | 4 |
| No. of shows | 103 |
| Supporting acts | |
| Box office | $110.8 million (73 shows) |
| Website | oklama |
| Kendrick Lamar concert chronology | |
| |
The Big Steppers Tour was the fourth soloconcert tour by American rapperKendrick Lamar, in support of his fifth studio album,Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022). It was his first concert tour and secondarena-driven tour afterThe Damn Tour.[1] Visualized and formatted byPGLang, Lamar announced the tour hours after the release ofMr. Morale & the Big Steppers. It began on June 23, 2022, inMilan, Italy, and concluded on March 23, 2024, inMexico City, Mexico, consisting of 103 shows across six continents. 75 of those shows were held in arenas, while 28 were headlining performances atmusic festivals.
Described as a form of 21st centuryhip hop opera,[2] the Big Steppers Tour reflects key themes ofMr. Morale & the Big Steppers through its incorporation ofminimalist aesthetics andperformance art. Narrated by English actorHelen Mirren, the tour follows the album'stitular character, Mr. Morale, as he attempts to escape hiscomfort zone with the assistance of his therapist.Light art, additionalprops andshadow play are heavily utilized throughout the performance as tools to enhance its storytelling aspects.[3]
The Big Steppers Tour received rave reviews from critics, who commonly labeled it as Lamar's best and most realized tour to date. Hisstoic performance, concept andhigh art-inspired stage production were the primary subjects of universal praise.[4] Damien Morris ofThe Observer considers the tour to be the greatest hip hop show of all time, writing that Lamar "takes the opportunity that his 'Greatest Rapper Alive' status affords to experiment withform, content andstagecraft in ways thatthe culture has not seen before".[5] An accompanyingconcert film,Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour, was released toAmazon Prime Video on November 23, 2022.[6] Earning a total revenue of almost $111 million across 73 shows, the Big Steppers Tour was the highest-grossing rap tour of all time,[7][8] until it was surpassed byTravis Scott'sCircus Maximus Tour (2023–2024).[9]
On November 12, 2021, American rapperKendrick Lamar headlined Day N Vegas festival, which marked his first live performance in two years and featured a "theatrical exhibition of his musical eras".[10][11] On February 13, 2022, Lamar co-headlined theSuper Bowl LVI halftime show.[12] Three days later, he was announced as a headliner for the Milano Summer Festival.[13] The following month, he was announced as a headliner forRolling Loud andGlastonbury Festival.[14][15]
On May 13, immediately following the release of his fifth studio albumMr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Lamar formally announced the Big Steppers Tour by sharing its promotional poster onTwitter, withBaby Keem andTanna Leone serving as the opening acts.[16][17] On May 19, the tour's promoterLive Nation Entertainment and one of its sponsorsCash App held a presale for their"Cash Card" cardholders.[18] Tickets for the general public went on sale the following day.[19] Additional dates were added inLos Angeles andOntario, California,Melbourne,Sydney,Amsterdam,Paris,London, andDublin following the sales.[20][21] It was noted inSounds From Nowhere's review of the European closer at Manchester'sAO Arena that Lamar and Baby Keem spent time recording their performance to "take back to L.A" as Lamar put it, potentially for a music video.[22]
The show begins with the main section of the stage being covered under a white curtain. As the opening lines from "United in Grief" echo throughout the arena, the eleven dancers emerge onto the catwalk. The men, dressed in black, and the women, dressed in white, make their way towards the main section to the instrumental of "Savior (Interlude)". Once the drape raises, the male dancers leave the stage; the female dancers slowly walk to the main section and pose on a bed. Mr. Morale is seen sitting at a piano with a small puppet resembling him resting on top.[23] He performs the first verse of "United in Grief" before he and his puppet walk towards the middle stage. After a small pause, he continues the song by performing the chorus and second verse usingventriloquism.[24][25]
After the song ends, Mr. Morale's therapist, voiced by actorHelen Mirren, introduces herself as his guide throughout the performance.[26] She informs him that he's been living in hiscomfort zone, or box, for over 1,855 days (the period of time between the releases of hisfourth andfifth studio albums) and that it was time for him to leave that space. He then performs "N95" withpyrotechnics and "Element" with hissilhouette shown against the lowered curtain. Using the introduction from rapperKodak Black, Mr. Morale performs the first and second verses of "Worldwide Steppers" with shadow play appearing on the curtain. He immediately performs "Backseat Freestyle" and "Rich Spirit" as the curtain rises once more.[27] After skipping his way towards the main stage to the instrumental of "Rich (Interlude)", Mirren tells Mr. Morale that he's "once again let your ego get the best of you" before asking if she needed to remind him of "how this went before". He plays the melody of "Humble" on the piano before performing the full song and descending the main stage.[28]
Using the opening dialogue between himself and his longtime partner Whitney Alford, Mr. Morale is raised back onto the main stage sitting in a chair while performing the first and part of the second verses of "Father Time". Mirren shows sympathy for him, acknowledging that she can't blame him for "being a product of your environment", but advises him that it's "up to you to maneuver through it at this point". Mr. Morale then performs "M.A.A.D city" with some of the dancers,flashlights and additional pyrotechnics. The curtain lowers again before showing a silhouette of Mr. Morale arguing with a woman to the chorus of "We Cry Together".[29] Now on the middle stage, he formally welcomes the audience to the show and performs the chorus and first verse of "Purple Hearts". As he's performing, the silhouetted couple works through their argument and embraces at the end.[30]
After performing "King Kunta", Mr. Morale decides to "check the temperature" of the audience by performing a mashup of "Loyalty" and "Swimming Pools (Drank)". He deems the audience ready to continue and performs the remix of "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" with a female dancer performing a solo piece behind him. Three more female dancers join him as he performs "Die Hard". They all make their way towards the main stage as the four dancers perform a group piece to "Lust" while Mr. Morale lays in a bed. As he descends the stage, the curtain lowers once more and shows a silhouette that mirrored movingsunlight. Mirren condemns Mr. Morale, telling him that he "did this to himself again". She suggests that he's forgotten who he is and asks if he needed a reminder from her before continuing the performance. Mr. Morale responds by performing "DNA" and is advised by Mirren that in order "to move further, first you have to get past yourself".
Experiencing abreakthrough in his journey, Mr. Morale performs "Count Me Out". During the first verse, he's hunched over with his silhouette, whose back is pierced with arrows, appearing on the lowered curtain. He continues the song with all of his dancers before performing its outro by himself. After a small pause, he performs "Money Trees" and "Love" on the lower stage. Mr. Morale is then enclosed in a small box with four male dancers, each wearinghazmat suits.[31] He is then instructed by Mirren to take aCOVID-19 test,[32] assuring him that it's "for your own good". After performing "Alright", Mirren then asks the audience if they were entertained before informing Mr. Morale that he has been contaminated. Smoke begins to seep into the box; Mirren assures him that it wasn't lethal. Still enclosed in the box, Mr. Morale is elevated into the air while performing "Mirror".[33] He breaks free from the box and performs the chorus and first verse of "Silent Hill". As he's lowered back down,Baby Keem appears on the main stage to perform a mashup of "Vent" and "Range Brothers" before performing a portion of "Family Ties". As Mr. Morale heads back to the main stage, Mirren tells him that the audience seems to follow him now and warns him that "with great power comes great responsibility". He performs "Crown" while playing the piano before being joined byTanna Leone and all of the dancers to perform "Mr. Morale". "Savior" is the concluding song of the show, where Mr. Morale thanks the audience for attending and flashes a smile as he exits the stage and the curtain is lowered for the final time. Mirren congratulates him for making it out of the box before asking if he can stay out.[34]
During the North American leg, Lamar wore custom costumes fromLouis Vuitton on stage; they were similar to the outfit he wore while co-headlining the Super Bowl LVI halftime show.[35] Each piece was taken fromVirgil Abloh's final menswear collection as Louis Vuitton's artistic director before his death in November 2021.[36] Lamar also sported pendants and earrings fromTiffany & Co., sunglasses fromGentle Monster which were designed byJennie Kim ofBlackpink,[37] and a diamond encrusted glove on his right hand. The gloves resembles the one commonly worn byMichael Jackson.[38] For his homecoming performances inLos Angeles, Lamar wore aTaz Arnold designed white suit painted with pink-redgraffiti that honored his hometown ofCompton.[39] During the European leg, he wore custom costumes designed by Mexican artist Arlette and British-Jamaican designerMartine Rose.[40][41]
As the lead creative director, Lamar enlisted his close collaboratorsDave Free and Mike Carson as key creatives, Tony Russell as the music director,Charm La'Donna as the lead choreographer, and Christopher Latouche as the story artist.[42][43][44] Eleven dancers, seven men and four women, are featured in the performance. The "intense"choreography includedtwo-stepping that resembles "divine nine step shows".[45]
Theminimalist all white stage design was separated into three sections: a main stage periodically draped with a white curtain, a middle stage, and a lower stage that additionally functions as a mirrored elevator. The three stages are connected by a whitecatwalk and were intentionally designed to resemble a therapist's office.[46] The tour experiments withlight art,shadow play,pyrotechnics and additionalprops throughout the performance.[47]
The Big Steppers Tour was met with widespread acclaim from critics, who praised Lamar's performance, concept and stage production. Taiyo Coates ofVariety described the show as "performance art at its pinnacle" and that Lamar proves "yet again that his elevated artistry carves an unobstructed path tohip hop'sMount Rushmore".[48] Chris Kelly ofThe Washington Post called the tour a "theatrical spectacle that rewrote the rules of the rap show in the same way that Lamar has rewritten the rules of rap itself".[49] Bryson "Boom" Paul ofConsequence lauded the show's "display of militant precision. Lamar was in sequence with the artistically expressive backdrop, while the impeccable timing of the dancers in unison never missed a step." He also described the overall performance as a "two-hour therapy session, redemption odyssey, and play rolled into one. Fans left the show immensely satisfied. It was must-see experience, period."[50]
Writing forComplex, Andre Gee hailed Lamar as a "stoic performer, leaning on the full scope of the live show to keep fans entertained". He elaborates by writing "the genius of [Lamar's] live show is how he maneuvers the stage with no wasted motion. While someMC's continuously run from side to side, jumping around the stage, [Lamar] moves methodically." Gee further writes that Lamar "knew all eyes were on him, and he did exactly what it took to keep it that way, all without over-exerting himself during the marathon set. Even when he was two-stepping, you soon realized he was just stylishly moving to another part of the stage for the next song."[51] Robyn Mowatt ofOkayplayer wrote that the tour "isn't just a rap show, it's an expansive experience. Reckoning with what you’ve pulled from his latest album should lead you to understand why Lamar is a pioneering hip hop figure."[52]
Mikael Wood of theLos Angeles Times praised how Lamar blended the "meditative" songs on his recent studio album with the "rowdy old bangers" present in hisprevious works, which "served to demonstrate the intellectual ambition of even his most radio-friendly songs". He then wrote that the "most gratifying" part of the performance was Lamar's dancing, which he described as a "series of subtle little glide-and-shimmy moves that made him [look like] somebody's cool uncle turning up right on time to the family cookout". Wood suggested that the description was what Lamar ultimately thought of himself during the performance, "not a hero. Not an idol. Just a guy who's learned how best to carry himself."[53]
Steve Baltin ofForbes noted that the last time he personally saw Lamar perform was at a private party forKobe Bryant's jersey retirement ceremony, where Lamar performed in front ofNBA legends such as Bryant,Bill Russell,Magic Johnson,Jerry West, andKareem Abdul-Jabbar. After watching Lamar's homecoming performance inLos Angeles, Baltin pieced together why he "was the perfect artist to perform for all those NBA greats", because, like them, "Lamar is clearly driven by the quest for greatness. From the opening, [he] performed with the fire and intensity of an athlete determined to bring home the championship on this night." Baltin further praised Lamar's stage presence, expressing that it's why he "has risen to the absolute pinnacle of his musical generation. While others are trying forTikTok followers or staying stupid things like, 'Doing it for the 'Gram', Lamar is chasing true artistry not for fame or fortune, but for the desire within to see what he can accomplish. Driven by that internal push, the way great athletes are, he showed atCrypto.com he can reach true artistic greatness. He displayed that again and again throughout the two hours, doing it with style and fervor consistently."[54]
On October 18, 2022, Lamar andAmazon Studios announced that his second performance at Accor Arena in Paris would be livestreamed through Amazon Music'sTwitch channel to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the release of his second studio albumGood Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012).[55] The livestream featured Baby Keem and Leone's respective opening performances, and was directed by Mike Carson, Dave Free and Mark A. Ritchie. Adirector's cut of Lamar's performance was released as a concert film, titledKendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour, exclusively toAmazon Prime Video on November 23.[56]
Credits adapted from Mike Carson.[57][58]
Production
Choreography
Music direction
Lighting
Camera operation
Content and visual effects
Wardrobe
Dancers
This set list is from the concert on August 13, 2022, inToronto. It is not intended to represent all shows from the tour.[59]
Source:[60]
| Date (2022) | City | Country | Venue | Opening acts | Attendance | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 23[a] | Milan | Italy | Ippodromo SNAI San Siro | — | ||
| June 26[b] | Pilton | England | Worthy Farm | — | ||
| July 19 | Oklahoma City | United States | Paycom Center | 9,967 / 10,633 | $1,131,269 | |
| July 21 | Austin | Moody Center | 10,219 / 10,219 | $1,577,084 | ||
| July 22 | Houston | Toyota Center | 11,783 / 11,783 | $1,750,794 | ||
| July 23 | Dallas | American Airlines Center | 12,178 / 12,178 | $2,005,083 | ||
| July 24[c] | Miami Gardens | Hard Rock Stadium | — | |||
| July 27 | Tampa | Amalie Arena |
| 11,965 / 12,471 | $1,492,032 | |
| July 29 | New Orleans | Smoothie King Center | 12,481 / 12,481 | $1,695,384 | ||
| July 30 | Atlanta | State Farm Arena | 12,427 / 12,427 | $1,816,858 | ||
| July 31 | Nashville | Bridgestone Arena | 13,342 / 13,639 | $1,489,160 | ||
| August 2 | Charlotte | Spectrum Center | 11,653 / 11,653 | $1,584,154 | ||
| August 4 | Washington, D.C. | Capital One Arena | 13,420 / 14,190 | $2,028,940 | ||
| August 5 | Brooklyn | Barclays Center | 24,758 / 24,758 | $3,652,750 | ||
| August 6 | ||||||
| August 7 | Elmont | UBS Arena | 12,875 / 12,875 | $1,462,939 | ||
| August 9 | Philadelphia | Wells Fargo Center | 12,451 / 12,451 | $1,723,306 | ||
| August 10 | Boston | TD Garden | 12,983 / 12,983 | $1,911,584 | ||
| August 12 | Toronto | Canada | Scotiabank Arena | 28,046 / 28,046 | $3,158,604 | |
| August 13 | ||||||
| August 14 | Detroit | United States | Little Caesars Arena | 13,747 / 13,747 | $1,819,963 | |
| August 16 | Columbus | Schottenstein Center | 11,991 / 11,991 | $1,604,920 | ||
| August 18 | Milwaukee | Fiserv Forum | 12,109 / 12,109 | $1,765,303 | ||
| August 19 | Chicago | United Center | 13,656 / 13,656 | $2,060,985 | ||
| August 20 | Saint Paul | Xcel Energy Center | 13,640 / 13,640 | $1,522,905 | ||
| August 21 | Kansas City | T-Mobile Center | 12,267 / 12,267 | $1,664,480 | ||
| August 23 | Denver | Ball Arena | 13,163 / 13,163 | $1,906,982 | ||
| August 24 | Salt Lake City | Vivint Arena | 11,841 / 11,841 | $1,620,262 | ||
| August 26 | Portland | Moda Center | 12,709 / 12,709 | $1,689,385 | ||
| August 27 | Seattle | Climate Pledge Arena | 13,949 / 13,949 | $2,318,964 | ||
| August 28 | Vancouver | Canada | Rogers Arena | 12,339 / 12,339 | $1,340,262 | |
| August 30 | Sacramento | United States | Golden 1 Center | 12,364 / 12,364 | $1,610,876 | |
| August 31 | Oakland | Oakland Arena | 24,586 / 24,586 | $3,721,088 | ||
| September 1 | ||||||
| September 6 | San Diego | Viejas Arena | 9,699 / 9,699 | $1,438,826 | ||
| September 7 | Anaheim | Honda Center | 11,239 / 11,239 | $1,599,294 | ||
| September 9 | Las Vegas | T-Mobile Arena | 12,338 / 14,231 | $1,727,812 | ||
| September 10 | Phoenix | Footprint Center | 12,327 / 12,327 | $2,105,421 | ||
| September 11 | Ontario | Toyota Arena | 7,368 / ? | $1,110,987 | ||
| September 14 | Los Angeles | Crypto.com Arena | 50,402 / 51,657 | $7,122,758 | ||
| September 15 | ||||||
| September 16 | ||||||
| September 17 | ||||||
| October 7 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Ziggo Dome |
| 31,599 / 31,599 | $2,398,609 |
| October 8 | ||||||
| October 10 | Prague | Czech Republic | O2 Arena | 12,246 / 12,839 | $825,293 | |
| October 11 | Berlin | Germany | Mercedes-Benz Arena | 12,881 / 12,881 | $963,910 | |
| October 13 | Hamburg | Barclays Arena | 11,209 / 11,562 | $845,024 | ||
| October 15 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Royal Arena | 14,673 / 14,673 | $1,582,329 | |
| October 17 | Stockholm | Sweden | Avicii Arena | 13,642 / 13,768 | $1,024,580 | |
| October 19 | Oslo | Norway | Telenor Arena | 19,865 / 19,865 | $1,412,661 | |
| October 21 | Paris | France | Accor Arena | 30,993 / 30,993 | $2,796,539 | |
| October 22 | ||||||
| October 24 | Stuttgart | Germany | Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle | 10,437 / 10,617 | $794,515 | |
| October 25 | Zürich | Switzerland | Hallenstadion | 13,000 / 13,000 | $1,329,442 | |
| October 26 | Lausanne | Vaudoise Aréna | 6,566 / 6,566 | $748,911 | ||
| October 28 | Antwerp | Belgium | Sportpaleis | 17,624 / 17,624 | $1,314,179 | |
| October 30 | Cologne | Germany | Lanxess Arena | 13,563 / 15,063 | $1,042,046 | |
| October 31 | Frankfurt | Festhalle Frankfurt | 10,532 / 10,532 | $802,698 | ||
| November 2 | Glasgow | Scotland | OVO Hydro | 10,917 / 11,871 | $923,415 | |
| November 3 | Leeds | England | First Direct Arena | 11,322 / 11,322 | $1,195,295 | |
| November 4 | Newcastle | Utilita Arena Newcastle | 10,753 / 10,753 | $1,102,267 | ||
| November 5 | Birmingham | Utilita Arena Birmingham | Baby Keem[d] | 11,851 / 11,851 | $1,188,417 | |
| November 7 | London | The O2 Arena |
| 48,417 / 48,417 | $5,353,597 | |
| November 8 | ||||||
| November 9 | ||||||
| November 13 | Dublin | Ireland | 3Arena | 23,418 / 23,418 | $2,412,356 | |
| November 14 | ||||||
| November 16 | Manchester | England | AO Arena | 13,893 / 13,893 | $1,537,751 | |
| November 19[e] | Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | Etihad Park | — | ||
| December 1 | Perth | Australia | RAC Arena |
| 12,830 / 12,830 | $1,492,229 |
| December 4 | Melbourne | Rod Laver Arena | 24,694 / 24,694 | $2,824,879 | ||
| December 5 | ||||||
| December 8 | Sydney | Qudos Bank Arena | 28,433 / 28,945 | $3,287,022 | ||
| December 9 | ||||||
| December 12 | Brisbane | Brisbane Entertainment Centre | 10,462 / 10,751 | $1,189,894 | ||
| December 16 | Auckland | New Zealand | Spark Arena | 10,953 / 11,123 | $1,242,939 | |
| Date (2023) | City | Country | Venue | Opening acts | Attendance | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2[f] | Barcelona | Spain | Parc del Fòrum | — | — | — |
| June 7[g] | Porto | Portugal | Parque da Cidade do Porto | |||
| June 9[h] | Madrid | Spain | Arganda del Rey | |||
| June 11[i] | Queens | United States | Flushing Meadows–Corona Park | |||
| June 16[j] | Manchester | Great Stage Park | ||||
| June 28[k] | Roskilde | Denmark | Darupvej | |||
| June 29[l] | Gräfenhainichen | Germany | Ferropolis | |||
| June 30[m] | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Rotterdam Ahoy | |||
| July 1[n] | Gdynia | Poland | Gdynia-Kosakowo Airport | |||
| July 6[o] | Liège | Belgium | Rue de l'Arbre Courte-Joie | |||
| July 7[p] | Frauenfeld | Switzerland | Grosse Allmend | |||
| July 8[q] | Munich | Germany | Messe München | |||
| July 17 | Verona | Italy | Verona Arena | |||
| July 23[r] | Paris | France | Hippodrome de Longchamp | |||
| August 4[s] | Chicago | United States | Grant Park | |||
| August 6[t] | Montreal | Canada | Parc Jean-Drapeau | |||
| August 11[u] | San Francisco | United States | Golden Gate Park | |||
| August 19[v] | Osaka | Japan | Maishima Sports Island | |||
| August 20[w] | Chiba | Zozo Marine Stadium | ||||
| September 23[x] | Las Vegas | United States | Downtown Las Vegas | |||
| October 6[y] | Austin | Zilker Park | ||||
| October 13[y] | ||||||
| October 29[z] | Atlanta | Piedmont Park | ||||
| November 5[aa] | São Paulo | Brazil | Allianz Parque | |||
| November 11[ab][ac] | Los Angeles | United States | Dodger Stadium | |||
| December 6[ad] | Kigali | Rwanda | BK Arena | |||
| December 9[ae] | Pretoria | South Africa | Legends Adventure Farm |
| Date (2024) | City | Country | Venue | Opening acts | Attendance | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 23[af] | Mexico City | Mexico | Parque Bicentenario | — | — | — |
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Reason | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 17, 2022 | Auckland | New Zealand | Spark Arena | Scheduling conflict | [78] |
| March 29, 2024[ag] | Monterrey | Mexico | Parque Fundidora | Logistical conflict | [79] |
He currently serves as the Musical Director and live bass player for Kendrick Lamar.
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| Family |
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| Related topics | |
