The date July 24th was already permanently etched into my memory. After all, that was the day I saw Madonna live for the very first time back in 1990. But from this year onward, Club Confessions Amsterdam will share that special spot. 

On that exact day, Madonnaunderground (MU) was asked to translate a short piece of text into Dutch. It was a massive honor, of course, and it immediately sparked intense speculation within the MU team. What could it be for? A video message? Something to do with World Pride, which is being hosted in Amsterdam this year? A surprise performance? 

On Tuesday the 28th, Madonna dropped a teaser in Dutch. It contained a minor mistake, which was corrected immediately after Kimberly sent an email about it. The entire Dutch press went absolutely wild, and the rumor mill instantly kicked into overdrive. My phone and social media DMs completely exploded. Shortly after, a second 15-second teaser was released. Both clips were also reposted by Instagram accounts that had been involved in previous promotional events for Confessions II.

The Ticket Hunt

When the first rumor surfaced that Madonna would be coming to AFAS Live, I rushed straight to their website to check the schedule for that weekend. It turned out to be a multi-day event as part of World Pride, called the World Pride Music Fest. I could hardly believe it. Regular tickets were already sold out, but there was a waiting list you could sign up for. I figured, why not? You never know. A few hours later, I received an email saying I had secured a ticket through the waiting list. I was absolutely thrilled… but then again, what exactly was I thrilled about?

It made sense that if she were to show up, it would be there, since DJ Honey Dijon was on the line-up. She had played at all the previous Club Confessions events. Still, it seemed completely illogical that the actual fans wouldn’t get a proper chance to score a ticket. After that, everything went quiet again. Waiting truly is the theme of 2026!

The next day, the suspense was killing me. To distract myself, I decided to do some gardening. With Confessions II on repeat and one eye constantly on my phone, I was laboring away in the bright sunshine—which I actually loved. There was no news for hours until Kimberly suddenly called. “WE ARE GETTING A CLUB CONFESSIONS ON AUGUST 1ST, EVERYTHING IS ONLINE!” It was indeed going to take place during the World Pride Music Fest at AFAS Live. Soon after, an updated night schedule appeared online, confirming Club Confessions from 01:30 to 02:00 AM. Just my luck: the one moment I lose focus, I completely miss the news right as it drops. Overjoyed and full of adrenaline, I threw down my gardening tools, jumped in the shower, and didn’t let go of my phone for the rest of the day.

A Moral Dilemma

However, I faced a major moral dilemma. Two very close friends of ours, Paul and Bob, were coming over from Scotland to celebrate World Pride with us. Bob is also a massive Madonna fan. Naturally, I felt terrible about the whole situation. I barely even dared to mention that I had a ticket. You could only put one person on the waiting list, and they had to hold a Dutch passport. I promised him I would do everything in my power to get him a ticket. But honestly, what else could I do besides continuously refreshing the event website?

Meanwhile, resale ticket prices had gone sky-high, even though everyone was still just guessing what Club Confessions would actually entail. At the previous events in London and New York City, Madonna had simply stood next to Stuart Price in the DJ booth, hyping up the crowd with her presence and lip-syncing along to one or two songs. There were still some VIP tickets available, but a few hundred Euros is a lot of money for just half an hour of Madonna. Many of our friends missed out entirely.

Our friends finally arrived, but Bob and I could hardly talk about anything else except Club Confessions and how incredible the new album was.

Saturday, August 1st: Canal Parade Day

Early on Saturday morning, out of nowhere, an email arrived from the World Pride Music Fest organisation stating that extra tickets had been released. I immediately grabbed a ticket for Bob. Finally, I could breathe a sigh of relief.

We left early for the spot where we were going to watch the Canal Parade. Suddenly, I got a message saying Ricardo had posted something from a hotel—the rumor was Hotel Rosewood—hinting that Madonna had just checked in. Bob and I immediately walked over there. Of course, we didn’t see anything, but we took some photos anyway, despite it just being a rumor. The whole time, we kept wondering: who was going to be the special guest? I had a strong feeling Lola would be there.

Around 3:00 PM, the parade, and especially the overwhelming crowds, became too much for me. I am currently recovering from a burnout, so I have to protect my boundaries when it comes to sensory overload. I decided to head home to rest up so I would be completely fit for Madonna. The plan was to meet Hans, Kimberly, and their partners at the venue around 10:00 PM.

Then, around 5:00 PM, Kylie Minogue suddenly posted a TikTok video featuring a clip of her and Madonna, hinting at a duet. I thought to myself: No way… could it really be? An hour later, yet another rumor surfaced. This time, it was claimed that Kylie had checked into the exact same hotel as Madonna. That caused a minor logistical error in my brain: wasn’t 10:00 PM going to be way too late to arrive, even if Madonna wasn’t scheduled until 1:30 AM?

Arrival at AFAS Live

We decided to change plans and meet at AFAS Live around 9:00 PM. Bob and I arrived at a quarter to nine and immediately took some photos. There was a beautiful collage of Madonna and Mistr (the event sponsor, providing free PrEP and DoxyPEP) on the fences. The iconic photo of Madonna’s legs with a speaker between them was also there, transformed into a massive inflatable archway where you could take photos.

The rest of the group arrived shortly after, and we joined the queue. Fortunately, it was a short line. I was given number 69, so there weren’t many people ahead of us. Since I know the venue quite well, I had a feeling we would get a great spot. We agreed to find our spots in the hall first before buying any merchandise.

The doors opened, tickets were scanned, and we went through security. The very first thing we saw right after that? The merchandise stand. So much for our agreement! We immediately joined the queue to buy two incredibly cool Club Confessions Amsterdam shirts—the white version and the black version. I bought two of each right away: one to wear and one to keep pristine.

Inside the arena, we managed to secure an amazing spot just as expected: front row, right against the barrier on the right-hand side. Then the waiting game began. We took turns in pairs to explore the venue while the others held our spots. Late in the afternoon, I received a message from a friend who had also managed to get a ticket but was going alone. He asked if he could join us. I hate disappointing people, but I also found it hard to be brutally honest. I had to tell him that I was with my tight-knit Madonna group and that we would be incredibly nervous and not really in a social mood until Madonna came on stage. I told him straight away, and of course, he completely understood (though in my head, I was already overthinking and worrying about how it would all play out).

The time actually flew by until it was 1:30 AM…

Gay Heaven

As expected, unfortunately, Madonna was late. Personally, it doesn’t bother me that much. I just get tired of everyone immediately repeating it like a mantra as soon as it happens.

Nearly an hour later, it was finally showtime! And what a show it was…

I hadn’t dared to dream or hope that it would turn out to be such a memorable, unique night. Madonna gave it her absolute all, but in a completely different way than you might expect. She was having the time of her life. She sang a few songs live next to Stuart, and then, out of nowhere, Kylie was announced… So the rumors were true!

Madonna obviously noticed the entire crowd collectively dropping their jaws, and she shouted: “ARE YOU IN GAY HEAVEN?!” 

Madonna performed seven songs in total, and Kylie joined her for the final three.

Pure Pop History

The chemistry between the two of them was—and still is—indescribable. They had so much fun together. They looked less like two legendary global superstars under immense pressure and more like two close girlfriends standing on top of a bar, singing their hearts out with their gay friends. The set concluded in such a beautifully spontaneous way, with Madonna giving Kylie multiple genuine, warm hugs. When it ended, I was left completely spellbound.

I had never experienced Madonna like that before. There was no strict choreography, none of the usual constraints she typically has to factor in—just pure, unadulterated fun. Wow, it felt so incredibly intimate and special. To be honest, even now, two days later, I still can’t quite believe it.

Pure Pop History was written that night, and we were right there to witness it!

Bob and I were originally supposed to hitch a ride back with Kimberly and Stefan, but we decided to hang around a little longer. Who knew? Maybe Madonna would make a surprise reappearance during Honey Dijon’s set, which was up next. Both Stuart and Ricardo remained near the stage for a bit, so we were very hopeful. But, as was to be expected, the fairy tale was truly over.

We decided to grab a taxi home. Usually, it costs around €50, but the driver informed us it was “a bit more expensive” because of Pride. He was perfectly happy to take us home… for €150. After politely thanking him and calling him a criminal, we headed over to catch the night bus instead.

An hour later, we were finally home, still completely overwhelmed by this once-in-a-lifetime experience. We walked through my front door around 5:00 AM. The plan was to have a quick drink and go straight to sleep. That was the plan, anyway. Unfortunately, I was far too hyper and couldn’t close an eye. So, I decided to go through my photos and immediately delete the blurry ones. I had brought a pocket camera with me but forgot my reading glasses, meaning I couldn’t actually tell on the spot whether a shot had turned out well or not. Fortunately, there were a few absolute gems among them.

I got up around 10:30 AM, enjoyed a quiet breakfast, and slowly made my way down to Dam Square, where a stage had been set up with DJs and live performances. The very first thing I noticed was a video of Madonna being played as a visual during the music.

Amsterdam clearly hadn’t had enough of Madonna yet…

And neither have I. I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us. I have a strong feeling that Club Confessions and the promotion surrounding this album are far from over.

The end of an era is not here yet!

Dave Crombeen