Gosh… it’d been way too long since I’d seen Madonna in person (The Celebration Tour in 2023), but a lot had happened since that tour, and I had lived through some of the hardest and darkest times of my life. However down I felt, Madonna remained a light that kept me going.

When she announced the sequel, or call it a follow-up, to Confessions on a Dance Floor, I was shocked. To me, M was never an artist who liked to look back, but here she was working with Stuart Price again, much to my sincere delight.

Once the promo tour kicked off with the screening of Confessions – The Film at Tribeca, I was highly anticipating a European screening or some other form of European promo that would be possible to attend. To make a long story short, I was given the chance to see Madonna in Paris for the film screening and Q&A.

We had so little time to book a bus trip to Paris and an accompanying hotel, but if we thought that was the worst we had to worry about… think again. The weather forecast was warning of a heatwave in Paris, and temperatures could rise as high as 42 degrees, which was unheard of. How on earth was I going to manage this? But knowing I would be seeing Madonna again in person made me rise above my worries.

We booked an apartment near Bercy where the FlixBus would drop us off, and we thought we were settled. It wasn’t until the next day that we found out we would be arriving after the apartment’s check-in time, and of course we couldn’t get hold of anyone at the hotel…. No Madonna trip for me is complete without some form of stress.

June 23, 2026

The sun was also scorching in Amsterdam, so it was like a little warm-up for what Paris was going to be like. I grabbed all my things and, as usual, my backpack was way too heavy. I had planned to catch a certain tram, but as always, anxiety made me rush out earlier and catch an earlier tram in the heat of the sun. Originally, we planned to take the 16:30 bus to Paris from Sloterdijk, but when Dave joined me on the tram, he came up with the genius idea of transferring our booking to an earlier bus. Arriving at Sloterdijk, we only had a five-minute wait before boarding the 15:45 bus to Paris. Our Polish driver was a little moody and not very talkative. We took our luggage (Dave was even carrying a cool box with beverages, bread and cheese) to the second row at the front and settled in.

Of course, it was rush hour and we were stuck in traffic almost immediately. Our driver, though, didn’t seem to care much about the rules and used the emergency lane to skip the traffic. During our trip there were many news articles to be published, so we did our best to post everything from our narrow seats with our shaky internet connections. Our driver made only one stop and called it a five-minute stop. In a panic we ran into the store, quickly grabbed a bite to eat (because Dave had forgotten to bring the cheese and a little dry bread only goes so far to satisfy your appetite), and ran back.

We arrived in Paris at around 22:30 and immediately felt the heat as soon as we got off the bus, even at that hour. We planned on taking an Uber to our apartment, which, by the way, had sent us a message stating that it was no problem for us to arrive later as we just had to ring the doorbell. After trying for a while, an Uber came to our rescue and crossed the Seine with us to deliver us to the front door of our apartment.

The receptionist was waiting outside and checked us in, telling us we were on the fifth floor. The higher we got (I took the stairs), the hotter it became, but I was so relieved to be at the apartment… that is, until I opened the door. It was like walking into a sauna; the heat was unbearable. There was no air conditioning and only one fan that provided a slight breeze. I pulled a Monica and hid my ass in the fridge, which was the only place to cool down. A cool ass is always welcome, I guess.

I was afraid this was going to be a very long night, so I wet a cloth to put on my bed in an attempt to cool down while trying to sleep. While Dave fell asleep almost immediately, I couldn’t get to sleep and haunted the sauna-like room for the entire night. I looked out of the window trying to pass the time, but I also made up my mind to book a different hotel in the morning as I couldn’t do this for two nights in a row. Not only that, but tomorrow was going to be the hottest day Paris had seen in years. I couldn’t spend such a day in a room with no air conditioning.

June 24, 2026

Early the next morning, I woke Dave after getting no sleep at all (on my side) and told him I was going to book a different hotel. I settled on ibis budget Paris Porte de Bercy, which was nearby and advertised having air conditioning. After going to the boulangerie for some petit déjeuner, we packed our things and told the receptionist we were checking out. He mumbled something about how we could definitely get some sleep if we just hummed his name while lying down, but we were determined to check out. There was no Uber available, so we decided to walk the 20-minute distance with our heavy luggage. The temperature was already at 39 degrees, but what other choice did we have?

After taking a few mini breaks, we reached the hotel and the air conditioning welcomed us with open arms. Check-in wasn’t until 13:00, but we were told we could rest in some sort of business lounge, so we did. Of course, just as I was finally about to fall asleep, a noise woke me up and when I opened my eyes there were ants crawling everywhere. While Dave was sound asleep again, I decided that sleeping just wasn’t in the cards for me that day. I decided to do some shopping at the shopping centre next door. The temperature was now at 42 degrees and it burned instantly the moment I stepped outside.

When we returned to the hotel and checked in at 13:00, we could finally enter our room and it was like heaven. The temperature was around 22 degrees, the air conditioning worked perfectly, and I was a very happy girl. When I looked out at the view from our hotel room and found it rather bleak, I instantly recognised it. This was the same hotel (and even the same room) I had stayed in during the Drowned World Tour exactly 25 years earlier. Talk about a full-circle moment. We spent the remainder of the afternoon chilling in the cool air before getting ready and arranging another Uber to take us to the Max Linder Panorama cinema in Paris.

The lovely lady who drove us to the Max Linder Panorama cinema chatted with us about everything from Madonna (even putting on her music in the car) to Michael Jackson and French cinema. Upon arriving, we found out there were already around 50 or 60 fans there. Thankfully there was some shade because there certainly wasn’t any wind. We had come prepared with handheld fans, but they provided little to no relief. I noticed two huge promotional posters for Confessions II – The Film had been put up outside and two guards were watching the entrance. The theatre was supposed to open at 19:30, but in true Madonna fashion the doors didn’t open until well over an hour later. People from Madonna’s team and Warner Records France were there with two guest lists: one for VIP guests and one for regular attendees.

The queue moved swiftly and after your name was checked, a wristband was put on your wrist and you could continue into the theatre. Of course, in true Kimberly fashion, my name wasn’t on either of the lists, but things were quickly resolved and we went on to find a spot downstairs in the theatre.

The film poster was projected onto the screen and we found two aisle seats near the centre. Even though there was air conditioning, it was still quite warm inside and the staff knew it, as they handed out free bottles of water to everyone to stay hydrated.

We waited around 30 to 45 minutes before Madonna made her grand entrance. Earlier, people had already cheered when they saw Debi Mazar and Guy Oseary, among others. Madonna was absolutely stunning in a vibrant baby blue dress and, after taking her seat in the centre of the balcony, she greeted everyone downstairs. Gosh, she looked stunning—the picture of perfection.

We settled back into our seats, the lights went off and Confessions II – The Film started playing. The fans cheered from the very first seconds to the very last, which, to me, was a little annoying as it drowned out what was being said in the film. Of course, by now I knew the film by heart as it was already available to watch on YouTube, but seeing it on such a large screen with that sound system was a whole other experience. During the “Danceteria” section, when Madonna sings “Everybody get up and dance,” everybody actually did… and followed it up by clapping along to every beat in the film. I remembered Madonna saying during the taping of Le Grand Journal back in 2015, “Their clapping is confusing me,” so I wondered how she felt about it this time.

When the film finished, Stuart Price was introduced on stage. Three chairs and a small table with some flowers on top had been positioned for the Q&A. Stuart Price made his way down the aisle right next to us and seemed very happy (isn’t he always in a good mood?). The anticipation grew and people around us were starting to get nervous. We could see into the hallway behind the entrance to the theatre where Madonna’s manager was waiting; M was obviously getting a touch-up. Finally, there she was… she walked right up the aisle and straight past us. Gosh, I have seen her up close so many times, have spoken to her, have shaken her hand, she signed my arm, I stood next to her for a photograph, but still, whenever I see her I am amazed by how tiny and fragile she seems, but more importantly how unbelievably stunningly beautiful she is. I know I’ve said it many times before, but no photograph or footage, for that matter, does her justice. She has this huge glowing aura around her and it’s undeniable.

While carefully watching where she put her feet, she walked onto the stage and sat down right next to Stuart Price. I noticed they seemed to have turned the air conditioning off for the Q&A and within minutes I (and everyone else) was dripping with sweat. Madonna, who is known for preferring no air conditioning and liking the heat, was even waving a fan around (she finally got her fan) and commented a few times that Paris was burning.

Lyas was there to host the Q&A. There were a lot of questions and Madonna was very witty and playful in her answers; she was clearly in good spirits and comfortable. They spoke about the film and how it kept growing in length, how it went from nine minutes to over ten pretty quickly, how difficult it was to come up with the transitions between the songs on Confessions II (as it is a continuous mix like the first one), and that she sings in French on one of the songs on the album. She also commented on why people do drugs before having sex because, to her, sex is a drug. She did say she had tried a little bit of everything back in the day and had recently tried poppers on TikTok LIVE, but after the 20-second kick she was like, “That’s it?” She also discussed the track she recorded with her daughter Lola and spoke about “Danceteria.” Stuart and Madonna also described recording “One Step Away,” saying it was basically one take and done very quickly. When Stuart asked the crowd, after Madonna was asked about a tour, whether people wanted to see her perform in arenas or stadiums, people were very adamant that she should not perform in stadiums and were shouting “Bercy!” and other arena-sized options. To which Madonna replied, “What about a rave?”

It was also discussed how the album starts out happy but by the end you’re crying. M explained, “Because it’s a journey you go on.”

At one point, Lyas spoke about a friend in attendance with a Madonna tattoo and wanted to show Madonna. The guy stood up and showed her his arm. However, Madonna couldn’t get a proper look and repeatedly told him to come closer until he was right up on stage. Madonna grabbed his arm, took a look, commented, “It’s quite small,” and then dismissed him. From then on, Lyas asked the attendees if anyone wanted to teach Madonna something she didn’t already know. The mic was handed to a fan who started talking to her about her popularity in Iraq and the fact that he was from Iraq, but there wasn’t actually a question, so M replied with a witty remark asking what the actual question was. She was really funny. Another French fan corrected something she had previously said in French. Another fan asked her why she had made another Confessions album, as she’s known for not wanting to repeat herself. She first said she didn’t understand the question, then stated that doing a sequel is not repeating something; it is a follow-up, it is expanding something. Stuart jokingly commented that he didn’t even know he was working on Confessions II until halfway through. A lot of fans raised their hands wanting to ask questions, but of course time only allows for so much.

Lyas also challenged her by asking a question in French. She was very adamant that he could do so and that she would understand, but in the end he had to ask her again in English. He also asked her to sign his copy of the SEX book, which she did. Madonna also spoke about the last movie she watched, which was the 1981 film Possession starring Isabelle Adjani. She said she did not like the ending. Belle de Jour, starring Catherine Deneuve, is one of her all-time favourite movies. Stuart also commented that Madonna is a definite overthinker. When asked about something she regretted, she said she regretted not learning how to hold a laser on her pussy (as seen in the Confessions film).

Madonna wrapped up the Q&A after well over an hour, even though fans kept wanting to ask questions. She got up and exited the stage, not through the aisle but via the side. Everybody got up and danced their way out of the cinema. It was so hot and crowded that we decided to hang out in the lobby, take another look at the fantastic set-up behind the bar featuring many previously unseen photographs from the Confessions II shoot, and grab some more free water.

When we finally exited the theatre, we were handed a free bonus Confessions II movie poster. If we thought we were done, we were not, as we had to grab another Uber to head to Bus Palladium for Madonna’s official after-party, which she was co-hosting with Charli XCX.

The temperature had gone down just a touch, but it was still incredibly humid. The queue at Bus Palladium was huge. A crowd of influencers, hip people and wannabes were waiting to get in. My name was checked and we were let in. Instead of checking a coat, we handed our bag (with the poster inside) to the lady working at the cloakroom. The club was very small and overcrowded. German DJ HorsegiirL was playing an amazing set. I was already familiar with her through her work with Joost Klein on Farmcore (from his album). I enjoyed the hell out of her set and, even though I had little to no energy left, I danced my ass off. There were so many people there, but everybody was dancing and having a good time. We went for a drink at the bar and, while HorsegiirL finished her set, she was followed by Sebastian. A Madonna x Charli XCX teaser started playing on the screen, followed by music that sounded like Madonna… but also didn’t (if you get what I mean). We wondered whether we were listening to new music. Madonna was in attendance and hanging out upstairs with Lyas, but we decided not to play paparazzi and instead enjoy one of the hottest nights in quite a while.

We got back to our hotel only a few hours before the Uber was due to pick us up to catch our FlixBus back to Amsterdam. But we managed.

With barely four hours of sleep over the past two days, we made it home safely on Thursday. Another Madonna experience richer, another one for the books.

Kimberly van Pinxteren