The entire two-plus hours of Madonna’s “Celebration Tour” seemed to build to a singular ecstatic moment when the pop and queer icon glided above the packed floor of Capital One Arena in a lighted box belting out her 1998 hit “Ray of Light.”

You could feel the arena move beneath your feet.

It’s difficult to capture in words the spectacle, sheer joy, and even sadness that characterize Madonna’s “Celebration Tour,” which played D.C. on Monday and Tuesday nights featuring 28 songs in seven “acts.” Let’s get her tardiness out of the way: Yes, she was late. Very late. The 8:30 p.m. start time turned into 10:30, which, considering the advancing age of her fanbase, proved a challenge for many on a school night. But the moment she hit the stage, all was forgiven.

Bob the Drag Queen was a capable, entertaining emcee, opening the show with a short monologue of praise and inviting the glitter/sequin/feather-adorned crowd to the celebration. With that, Madonna appeared on the tiered stage (a nod to her 1984 MTV Video Music Awards debut atop a wedding cake) and opened the show with the unexpected “Nothing Really Matters,” a surprising choice for a “greatest hits” show given it peaked at 93 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart back in 1999 (though it did hit No. 1 on the dance chart that year). She wore a black kimono designed by Eyob Yohannes and a halo headpiece by House of Malakai, according to Harpers Bazaar. The look evoked her red kimono from the video. 

From there, old school fans were treated to an ‘80s throwback and a recreation of Danceteria featuring club hits like “Everybody,” “Into the Groove,” and “Burning Up.” 

The party anthem “Holiday” took a jarring turn as dancers were depicted dying on stage with Madonna using her coat to cover up one of them as the vibe quickly changed from intoxicating and fun to introspective and tearful as she transitioned to her 1986 ballad “Live to Tell.” In a show packed with highlights, this was the emotional core of the night. The song opened with two-story images of friends who had died of AIDS projected on giant screens around the stage; as the song progressed, the screens filled with more and more faces until the visages of hundreds of mostly gay men filled the arena with Madonna floating around them singing in tribute. It was a haunting moment and the most visually stunning sight I have ever witnessed in a concert. There wasn’t a dry eye in our row and I haven’t been able to get that image out of my mind for two days, a painful reminder of our community’s recent history and Madonna’s role as one of the few celebrities who stood with us in our darkest hour. She has more than earned our loyalty after fighting for AIDS awareness and funding and standing up to everyone from the Pope to the Boy Scouts advocating for our basic humanity. 

After the emotional pull of that number, we needed some levity and Madonna delivered by pivoting to “Like a Prayer” featuring a giant carousel filled with her mostly shirtless dancers and a minute of chanting and a Sam Smith-Kim Petras “Unholy” snippet followed by a raucous version of the smash hit song.

Moving into act three, “Erotica” arrived with the dancers dressed as boxers in a ring with laser lights instead of ropes. There was an interlude featuring a dancer dressed as a Blond Ambition-era Madonna on a red velvet bed, another nod to an iconic Madonna moment, followed by “Justify My Love” with the scantily clad dancers writhing around their queen. 

One of my personal highlights followed as Madonna’s daughter Mercy James killed it, skillfully playing piano as her mother sang “Bad Girl,” another surprise setlist inclusion from 1992’s “Erotica” album. Though the single didn’t fare well on the charts, the David Fincher-directed video remains one of her absolute best, depicting Madonna as a Manhattan business executive who drinks and smokes excessively and embarks on a series of one-night stands that leads to her murder. Christopher Walken co-stars in the video, which was influenced by Wim Wenders’s acclaimed “Wings of Desire.” Mercy is clearly no nepo-baby; she’s a talented pianist who wowed the crowd. 

Next up was “Vogue,” which saw Madonna strutting the runway in a Jean Paul Gaultier-designed little black dress complete with conical bra and ending with a tribute to the ‘80s ballroom scene with Bob the Drag Queen in the role of Billy Porter from “Pose.” 

Act V commenced with a rather drawn out recording of “The Beast Within,” the 1990 track that features spoken word passages from the Book of Revelation. She’s included this one on several tours. It wasn’t a hit song and we’ve seen it multiple times before so it felt unnecessary.  

“Don’t Tell Me” saw the return of cowboy hats and line dancing, a spirited highlight of the night. Shortly after, Madonna slowed things down with a moody cover of “I Will Survive,” a poignant moment given her recent bout with a serious bacterial infection that led to the tour’s postponement.

But she was saving the best for last, as Act VI debuted with Madonna in a glittering Versace catsuit sprawled on a box singing “Bedtime Story” before rising to the rafters and tackling the aforementioned “Ray of Light.” It was an electric rendition that had the thousands of attendees on their feet. 

So, what didn’t work? There were a few missteps, chief among them a misguided tribute to Michael Jackson at the end of the show that depicted silhouettes of Michael and Madonna dancing to “Billie Jean” and “Like a Virgin.” The comparison screamed “He’s the King of Pop and I’m the Queen” — it felt thirsty and superfluous. The whole “Queen of Pop” debate smacks of 20th century sexism, especially in an era of Taylor Swift and Beyonce billion-dollar tours. Madonna should be over that by now. Further undermining the comparison, Michael Jackson detested Madonna and was caught on an audio recording calling her a “nasty witch” and accusing her of being “jealous” of his popularity. She should cut this segment from the show.

One friend described the show as “chaotic,” which it was at times, but that stems from trying to cram a 40-year catalogue of hit songs into a two-hour show. Some of the show’s transitions were abrupt but, again, when you have as many hits as she does, you have to move fast.

Another issue was the lack of a live band, which she’s included on previous tours. I think most concert-goers paying hundreds of dollars for a ticket expect to see and hear a band. Instead, she relied on a recorded track for the music and some of the vocals. But Madonna’s mic was live and she did sing most of the show. As for the dance moves, Madonna has certainly slowed down from previous tours; her dancing isn’t nearly as athletic as in tours past. But she’s 65 years old and the leg brace she’s worn on stage clearly shows she’s suffering from so many years of entertaining us in high heels. She can leave the moves to her coterie of dancers and focus on singing. 

She closed the show abruptly with a combo of “Bitch I’m Madonna” and a truncated “Celebration,” the tour’s namesake.

In all, a festive and nostalgic night with Madonna serving up hits and memories spanning decades for her adoring fans dressed in all sorts of tribute attire. If you’re on the fence about going, let me push you off. Go see her before she retires from touring. Yes, you’ll have to stay up late and indulge a few misguided moments. But our icons are aging and dying and no one can fill Madonna’s shoes. The show is a party, a walk down memory lane, and, yes, a Celebration.