Madonna is the epitome of a phoenix rising from adversity (Picture: Live Nation)

‘I think the most controversial thing I have ever done is to stick around.’

Not many stars can say they’ve been at the top of their game for the best part of 40 years, churning out hit after hit and redefining what it means to be a pioneer at every turn.

But then again, there’s only one Madonna.

Last night, the 65-year-old Queen of Pop kicked off her spectacular Celebration Tour concert, just months after suffering a serious health scare that left her questioning if she’d even ‘make it’.

Her own mortality was clearly at the forefront of her mind during the night, as she revealed that one day during her health woes, she’d woken up surrounded by all of her six children.

However, Madonna truly is the epitome of a phoenix rising from adversity, as she sung her heart out and brought an atmosphere of unadulterated joy to London’s O2 that made us feel as though we’d reached the pearly gates of music heaven itself.

Madonna smoothly got through a technical snag (Picture: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Live Nation)

Given Madonna’s tour is literally named Celebration, fans knew that they were in store for a night filled with Madge’s biggest hits – and in that regard, she didn’t disappoint.

RuPaul’s Drag Race star Bob the Drag Queen began the proceedings, sauntering through the hyped crowd on the lower level of the arena dressed in a luxurious Marie Antoinette-esque ensemble, passing Madonna lookalikes left, right and centre.

Having gracefully ascended the stage, Bob announced: ‘It’s not just a show. This is now just a concert. This is not just a party. It’s a celebration!’

And then, the moment everyone had been waiting for, as an ethereal Madonna emerged through the smoke a mere 20 minutes late, a wind machine blowing her hair and her billowing black gown as she sang Nothing Really Matters like an angel.

We can’t lie – there were tears in our eyes.

The star’s entourage of dancers brought perfectly poised choreography to the Celebration Tour (Picture: SplashNews.com)

The beginning of the concert played like a stage production, transporting audience members back to 1980s New York to the early years of Madonna’s career with archival footage, pictures and colourfully-clothed dancers.

The star launched into lively renditions of Everybody and Into The Groove, bouncing around the stage despite wearing a support on her left knee.

However, minutes after the concert kicked off, the popstar suffered a snag, revealing that a technical issue meant that they had to wait for the sound to be restored.

Ever the pro, the singer played off the mishap expertly, turning the show into An Evening With Madonna as she spoke to her fans as though she was in an intimate bar, rather than in an arena in front of thousands on the first night of a 78-stop world tour.

‘It’s so good to be back London. And I’m pretty damn surprised I made it this far. And I mean that on so many levels. Do you get my gist? So many levels. How did I make it this far? Because. Of. You,’ she told her adoring, cheering fans while pointing at them.

‘I’m going to take a little bit of credit too. Anyways, nice to see you again. So nice to have me back, right?’

Finally, the tech aces did their thing, and Madonna was back in business, giving flashes of her twenty-something self as she skipped down the stage, belting out Open Your Heart and bringing stellar group choreography to Holiday with her entourage of dancers.

One of the most moving moments of the entire concert came during the 1986 track Live To Tell, as Madonna stood on a platform that was levitated high up in the air, as black and white photos of people who sadly died during the Aids crisis were projected onto large banners.

The star beautifully and effortlessly weaved powerful messages into the performance throughout the night, calling out homophobia and transphobia, sharing her support for Black Lives Matter and expressing her heartbreak over those suffering as a result of the war between Hamas and Israel.

‘There’s a lot of really crazy things happening in the world that are so, so painful to witness. All of us are suffering, watching what’s happening in Israel and Palestine. It breaks my heart to see children suffering, teenagers suffering, elderly people suffering, all of it is heartbreaking. I’m sure you agree,’ she said.

‘Even though our hearts are broken, our spirits cannot be broken. Are you with me?’

A dancer imitated Madonna in her younger years (Picture: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Live Nation)

Madonna’s fans were certainly with her in every respect, from the important messages she had to share about the world’s suffering to celebrating her incredible legacy.

A snippet of Madonna’s collaboration with Sam Smith, Vulgar, opened up for her 1989 hit Like A Prayer, before she quickly changed into a boxing outfit with Marilyn Monroe-esque hair for Erotica.

As part of the storytelling format of her Celebration concert, there was a dancer with an unnerving-looking plasticky face who was supposed to represent her in her younger years, showing up at various points of the show dressed in some of Madonna’s most iconic looks.

The dancer appeared at one point in the iconic Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra corset while lounging on a bed, as Madonna joined them to simulate a passionate night of love.

The multi-Grammy Award winner stuck close to her roots, continuing to promote bold and beautiful sexuality as she has always done since the start of her stardom, breaking down barriers and taboos when it comes to both women and age.

The popstar was joined by RuPaul’s Drag Race star Bob the Drag Queen at multiple points during the night (Picture: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Live Nation)

In signature Madonna fashion, she locked lips with several of her dancers on the night, while also proving she trusted them wholeheartedly as she danced with them blindfolded for the start of her 2005 floor-filler Hung Up.

Given the magnitude of the Celebration Tour opening night, the popstar decided to make it a fabulous family affair, bringing out several of her children on stage – including daughter Lourdes, who was celebrating her 27th birthday that same day.

One of the most magnificent highlights of the night – which we were waiting for with eager anticipation – was Vogue, which began with the dancers showcasing stunning looks on a rotating stage, as Madonna’s 10-year-old daughter Estere DJed at the centre.

As Bob the Drag Queen compèred a runway, Madonna sat with Lourdes on the end of a catwalk holding up placards to judge the dancers’ struts… before Estere absolutely stole the show with her Voguing skills, blowing all of us away.

Her 17-year-old daughter Mercy James stunned on the ivories as she played on the piano for Bad Girl, while 18-year-old David Banda also strummed on the guitar.

Madonna’s son David Banda played on the guitar while levitated in the air (Picture: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Live Nation)

Going through the decades, Madonna donned a cowboy hat for her 2000s era, singing Don’t Tell Me and Mother and Father, before harking back to her critically-acclaimed performance in the 1996 film Evita with a rendition of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.

After donning a bejewelled, futuristic bodysuit and long blonde wig while soaring back up in the air, Madonna paid homage to the close relationship that she had with Michael Jackson, as silhouetted dancers were projected onto a banner as their 1980s-selves.

Michael’s Billie Jean rang out around the stadium, before the track transitioned into Madonna’s Like a Virgin, and the message: ‘Never can say goodbye’ appeared on the screens, 14 years after he died aged 50 in 2009.

Two hours seemed to speed by as the night drew to a close just after 11pm, ending with an exuberant mash-up of Celebration and Music.

Madonna’s reign as Queen of Pop continues (Picture: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Live Nation)

Surrounded by dancers dressed in some of her most unforgettable looks, Madonna’s energy never faltered from start to finish, as she ended on a high note while wearing an electric blue corset and a long white veil.

Perhaps surprisingly, there was no encore for the star, leaving audience members in a state of startled wonderment as Madonna disappeared from the stage and the lights abruptly came back on, bringing us all back to reality.

For just a few hours, we were utterly absorbed in Madonna’s world of unbridled empowerment.

If we were to take away one lasting message from her Celebration spectacle, it would be this – there’s no stopping her enduring reign as the undisputed Queen of Pop.

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Madonna is the epitome of a phoenix rising from adversity.