The Big Steppers Tour was the fourth solo concert tour by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, in support of his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022). It was his first concert tour and second arena-driven tour after the 2017–2018 Damn Tour.[1] Visualized and formatted by PGLang, Lamar announced the tour hours after the release of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. It began on June 23, 2022, in Milan, Italy, and concluded on March 23, 2024, in Mexico City, Mexico, consisting of 103 shows across six continents. 75 of those shows were held in arenas, while 28 were headlining performances at music festivals.

The Big Steppers Tour
World tour by Kendrick Lamar
Location
  • Europe
  • North America
  • South America
  • Oceania
  • Asia
  • Africa
Associated albumMr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Start dateJune 23, 2022
End dateMarch 23, 2024
Legs4
No. of shows103
Supporting acts
Box office$110.8 million (73 shows)
Websiteoklama.com/tour
Kendrick Lamar concert chronology

Described as a form of 21st century hip hop opera,[2] the Big Steppers Tour reflects key themes of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers through its incorporation of minimalist aesthetics and performance art. Narrated by English actor Helen Mirren, the tour follows the album's titular character, Mr. Morale, as he attempts to escape his comfort zone with the assistance of his therapist. Light art, additional props and shadow 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. His stoic performance, concept and high art-inspired stage production were the primary subjects of universal praise.[4] Damien Morris of The 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 with form, content and stagecraft in ways that the culture has not seen before."[5] An accompanying concert film, Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour, was released to Amazon 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 by Travis Scott's Circus Maximus Tour (2023–2024).[9]

Background

edit

On November 12, 2021, American rapper Kendrick 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 the Super 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 for Rolling Loud and Glastonbury Festival.[14][15]

On May 13, immediately following the release of his fifth studio album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Lamar formally announced the Big Steppers Tour by sharing its promotional poster on Twitter, with Baby Keem and Tanna Leone serving as the opening acts.[16][17] On May 19, the tour's promoter Live Nation Entertainment and one of its sponsors Cash 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 in Los Angeles and Ontario, California, Melbourne, Sydney, Amsterdam, Paris, London and Dublin following the sales.[20][21] It was noted in Sounds From Nowhere's review of the European closer at Manchester's AO 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]

Concert synopsis

edit

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 using ventriloquism.[24][25]

After the song ends, Mr. Morale's therapist, voiced by actor Helen Mirren, introduces herself as his guide throughout the performance.[26] She informs him that he's been living in his comfort zone, or box, for over 1,855 days (the period of time between the releases of his fourth and fifth studio albums) and that it was time for him to leave that space. He then performs "N95" with pyrotechnics and "ELEMENT." with his silhouette shown against the lowered curtain. Using the introduction from rapper Kodak 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 moving sunlight. 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 a breakthrough 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 wearing hazmat suits.[31] He is then instructed by Mirren to take a COVID-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 by Tanna 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]

Stage and aesthetic

edit

During the North American leg, Lamar wore custom costumes from Louis 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 from Virgil Abloh's final menswear collection as Louis Vuitton's artistic director before his death in November 2021.[36] Lamar also sported pendants and earrings from Tiffany & Co., sunglasses from Gentle Monster which were designed by Jennie Kim of Blackpink,[37] and a diamond encrusted glove on his right hand. The gloves resembles the one commonly worn by Michael Jackson.[38] For his homecoming performances in Los Angeles, Lamar wore a Taz Arnold designed white suit painted with pink-red graffiti that honored his hometown of Compton.[39] During the European leg, he wore custom costumes designed by Mexican artist Arlette and British-Jamaican designer Martine Rose.[40][41]

 
Stage as seen at the Dallas show.

As the lead creative director, Lamar enlisted his close collaborators Dave 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 included two-stepping that resembles "divine nine step shows."[45]

The minimalist 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 white catwalk and were intentionally designed to resemble a therapist's office.[46] The tour experiments with light art, shadow play, pyrotechnics and additional props throughout the performance.[47]

Critical reception

edit

The Big Steppers Tour was met with widespread acclaim from critics, who praised Lamar's performance, concept and stage production. Taiyo Coates of Variety described the show as "performance art at its pinnacle" and that Lamar proves "yet again that his elevated artistry carves an unobstructed path to hip hop's Mount Rushmore."[48] Chris Kelly of The 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 of Consequence 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 for Complex, 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 some MC'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 of Okayplayer 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 the Los Angeles Times praised how Lamar blended the "meditative" songs on his recent studio album with the "rowdy old bangers" present in his previous 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 of Forbes noted that the last time he personally saw Lamar perform was at a private party for Kobe Bryant's jersey retirement ceremony, where Lamar performed in front of NBA legends such as Bryant, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After watching Lamar's homecoming performance in Los 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 for TikTok 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 at Crypto.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]

Concert film

edit

On October 18, 2022, Lamar and Amazon Studios announced that his second performance at Accor Arena in Paris would be livestreamed through Amazon Music's Twitch channel to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the release of his second studio album Good 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. A director's cut of Lamar's performance was released as a concert film, titled Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour, exclusively to Amazon Prime Video on November 23.[56]

Personnel

edit

Credits adapted from Mike Carson.[57][58]

Production

  • Kendrick Lamar – executive producer, stage designer, show director
  • Dave Free – executive producer, stage designer, show director
  • Mike Carson – stage designer, show director
  • Christian Coffey – tour director
  • Bryan Scheckel – production manager

Choreography

  • Charm La'Donna – head of choreography
  • Cassidy Ratliff – assistant choreographer

Music direction

  • Tony Russell – music director, audio producer
  • Joey Muraoka – playback engineer
  • Christopher Lee – monitor engineer

Lighting

  • Cory Fitzgerald – creative producer, lighting designer
  • Marcus Jessup Jr. – lighting director
  • Sam Paine – lighting programmer
  • Davey Martinez – additional programmer

Camera operation

  • Danny Perdue – media server programmer and operator
  • Damien Gravois – IMAG director
  • Reed Choinski – Steadicam operator

Content and visual effects

  • Amish Dani – content producer
  • Eddie Perez – animator, visual effects artist
  • Chaz Smedley – screen content creator
  • Brandon Delgadillo – content creator
  • Christopher Latouche – animator

Wardrobe

  • Taylor McNeil – stylist (for Lamar)
  • Shannon Stokes – stylist (for dancers)
  • Belle Abuyo – wardrobe supervisor
  • Alexis Avila – wardrobe stylist

Dancers

  • Jaheem "FaceOff" Alleyne
  • Camryn Bridges
  • Jaida Brooks
  • Rob Bynes
  • Christian Davis
  • James Dhaïti
  • Joya Jackson
  • D-Ran Neal
  • Jackie Pipkins
  • Alekz Samone
  • Corey Turner

Set list

edit

This set list is from the concert on August 13, 2022, in Toronto. It is not intended to represent all shows from the tour.[59]

  1. "United in Grief"
  2. "N95"
  3. "ELEMENT."
  4. "Worldwide Steppers"
  5. "Backseat Freestyle"
  6. "Rich Spirit"
  7. "HUMBLE."
  8. "Father Time"
  9. "m.A.A.d city"
  10. "Purple Hearts"
  11. "King Kunta"
  12. "LOYALTY." / Swimming Pools (Drank)"
  13. "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" (Remix)
  14. "Die Hard"
  15. "LUST." / "DNA."
  16. "Count Me Out"
  17. "Money Trees"
  18. "LOVE."
  19. "Alright"
  20. "Mirror"
  21. "Silent Hill"
  22. "Vent" / "Range Brothers" (with Baby Keem)
  23. "Family Ties" (with Baby Keem)
  24. "Crown"
  25. "Mr. Morale" (with Tanna Leone)
  26. "Savior"

Glastonbury Festival

edit

Source: [60]

  1. "United in Grief"
  2. "m.A.A.d city"
  3. "Money Trees"
  4. "Backseat Freestyle"
  5. "Swimming Pools (Drank)"
  6. "Poetic Justice"
  7. "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" (Remix)
  8. "N95"
  9. "Count Me Out"
  10. "King Kunta"
  11. "I"
  12. "Alright"
  13. "Institutionalized"
  14. "The Blacker the Berry"
  15. "DNA."
  16. "ELEMENT."
  17. "Silent Hill"
  18. "LOYALTY."
  19. "HUMBLE."
  20. "LOVE."
  21. "Savior"

Notes

edit
  • During the show in Oklahoma City, Lamar performed the final verse of "Auntie Diaries". The instrumental version of the song was played during the shows in Austin, Houston and Dallas.[61]
  • Starting with the show in Frankfurt, "Range Brothers" was removed from the set list and replaced with "A Life of Pain".[62]

Tour dates

edit
List of 2022 concertsshowing date, city, country, venue, opening acts, tickets sold, number of available tickets and gross revenue[63][64][65][66][67][68]
Date (2022) City Country Venue Opening acts Attendance Revenue
June 23 Milan Italy Ippodromo SNAI San Siro[a]
June 26 Pilton England Worthy Farm[b]
July 19 Oklahoma City United States Paycom Center Baby Keem
Tanna Leone
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 Miami Gardens Hard Rock Stadium[c]
July 27 Tampa Amalie Arena Baby Keem
Tanna Leone
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 Baby Keem
Tanna Leone
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 Baby Keem
Tanna Leone
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
December 1 Perth Australia RAC Arena Baby Keem
Tanna Leone
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
List of 2023 concertsshowing date, city, country, venue, opening acts, tickets sold, number of available tickets and gross revenue
Date (2023) City Country Venue Opening acts Attendance Revenue
June 2, 2023 Barcelona[69] Spain Parc del Fòrum (Primavera Sound Barcelona)
June 7, 2023 Porto Portugal Parque da Cidade do Porto (Primavera Sound Porto)
June 9, 2023 Madrid Spain Arganda del Rey (Primavera Sound Madrid)
June 11, 2023 Queens[70] United States Flushing Meadows–Corona Park (Governors Ball Music Festival)
June 16, 2023 Manchester[71] Great Stage Park (Bonnaroo Music Festival)
June 28, 2023 Roskilde Denmark[72] Darupvej (Roskilde Festival)
June 29, 2023 Gräfenhainichen Germany Ferropolis (Splash!)
June 30, 2023 Rotterdam Netherlands Rotterdam Ahoy (Rolling Loud Rotterdam)
July 1, 2023 Gdynia Poland Gdynia-Kosakowo Airport (Open'er Festival)
July 6, 2023 Liège Belgium Rue de l'Arbre Courte-Joie (Les Ardentes)
July 7, 2023 Frauenfeld Switzerland Grosse Allmend (Openair Frauenfeld)
July 8, 2023 Munich Germany Messe München (Rolling Loud Germany)
July 17, 2023 Verona Italy Verona Arena
July 23, 2023 Paris France Hippodrome de Longchamp (Lollapalooza Paris)
August 4, 2023 Chicago[73] United States Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
August 6, 2023 Montreal[74] Canada Parc Jean-Drapeau (Osheaga Festival)
August 11, 2023 San Francisco[75] United States Golden Gate Park (Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival)
August 19, 2023 Osaka Japan Maishima Sports Island (Summer Sonic Osaka)
August 20, 2023 Chiba Zozo Marine Stadium (Summer Sonic Tokyo)
September 23, 2023 Las Vegas United States Downtown Las Vegas (Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival)
October 6, 2023 Austin Zilker Park (Austin City Limits Music Festival)
October 13, 2023
October 29, 2023 Atlanta Piedmont Park (ONE Music Fest)
November 5, 2023 São Paulo Brazil Allianz Parque (GPWeek)
November 11, 2023 Los Angeles[76] United States Dodger Stadium (Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival)
December 6, 2023 Kigali[77] Rwanda BK Arena (Move Afrika: A Global Citizen Experience)
December 9, 2023 Pretoria South Africa Legends Adventure Farm (Hey Neighbour Festival)
List of 2024 concertsshowing date, city, country, venue, opening acts, tickets sold, number of available tickets and gross revenue
Date (2024) City Country Venue Opening acts Attendance Revenue
March 23, 2024 Mexico City[78] Mexico Parque Bicentenario (Festival Ceremonia)

Cancelled shows

edit
List of cancelled concertsshowing date, city, country, venue, reason for cancellation and reference
Date City Country Venue Reason Ref.
December 17, 2022 Auckland New Zealand Spark Arena Scheduling conflict [79]
March 29, 2024 Monterrey Mexico Parque Fundidora (Pa'l Norte) Logistical conflict [80]

Notes

edit
  1. ^ This concert was part of the Milano Summer Festival.
  2. ^ This concert was part of Glastonbury Festival.
  3. ^ This concert was part of Rolling Loud.
  4. ^ Due to illness, Tanna Leone cancelled his appearance for the Birmingham show.

References

edit
  1. ^ Aswad, Jem (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Unveils 'Big Steppers' Tour Dates". Variety. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  2. ^ Steel, Andrew (November 4, 2022). "Hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar shines brightly on his latest UK arena tour". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  3. ^ Coates, Taiyo (August 5, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's 'The Big Steppers' Tour Takes Performance Art to New Heights: Concert Review". Variety. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  4. ^ Sacher, Andrew (August 7, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's Big Steppers Tour is a work of art (Barclays Center night 2 review)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  5. ^ Morris, Damien (November 5, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar review – the greatest hip-hop show of all time?". The Observer. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  6. ^ Muhammad, Latifah (October 24, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's The Big Steppers Tour in Paris: Stream On-Demand & Shop the Exclusive Merch Collection". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  7. ^ "Kendrick Lamar's Big Steppers Tour Becomes Highest Grossing Rap Tour Ever". American Songwriter. April 27, 2023.
  8. ^ Richards, Will (May 1, 2023). "Kendrick Lamar's 'Big Steppers Tour' is now the highest-grossing rap tour of all time". NME. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  9. ^ Moore, Sam (November 26, 2024). "Travis Scott Makes History With Highest-Grossing Solo Hip Hop Tour Ever". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  10. ^ Lavin, Will (November 13, 2021). "Watch Kendrick Lamar perform career-spanning set at Day N Vegas festival". NME. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  11. ^ Rouhani, Neena (November 13, 2021). "Kendrick Lamar's Day N Vegas Performance Was Art". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  12. ^ Aderoju, Darlene (February 14, 2022). "Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar & Surprise Guest 50 Cent Deliver Epic Super Bowl 2022 Halftime Show". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  13. ^ Moore, Sam (February 16, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar announces new summer headline show in Milan". NME. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  14. ^ Legaspi, Althea (March 2, 2022). "Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Future Lead 2022 Rolling Loud Miami Lineup". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  15. ^ "Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar to headline resurgent Glastonbury". The Guardian. March 4, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  16. ^ Kendrick Lamar [@kendricklamar] (May 13, 2022). "The Big Steppers Tour https://oklama.com/tour" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. ^ Bowenbank, Starr (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Announces The Big Steppers World Tour for 2022: See the Dates". Billboard. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  18. ^ "Kendrick Lamar Announces The Big Steppers Tour". Live Nation Entertainment. May 13, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  19. ^ Saad, Nardine (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar stepping out with Big Steppers in global arena tour with Baby Keem". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  20. ^ "Kendrick Lamar To Headline Four Hometown Shows at L.A.'s Crypto Arena". Grimy Goods. May 25, 2022.
  21. ^ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Announces 2022 Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  22. ^ Cinnamond, Jack (November 18, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar, Baby Keem, Tanna Leone, AO Arena Manchester, 16/11/2022". Sounds From Nowhere. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  23. ^ "Kendrick Lamar Brings The Arty Rebirth Of The Big Steppers Tour To Brooklyn". Stereogum. August 6, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  24. ^ "Kendrick Lamar Thinks Outside the Box on the Big Steppers Tour". Complex. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  25. ^ "Kendrick Lamar's Big Steppers Tour Comes to a Cinematic Close with Fourth Straight Sold-Out Show at Crypto.com Arena". Billboard. September 19, 2022.
  26. ^ "Kendrick Lamar Glasgow review: Hip-hop masterclass narrated by Dame Helen Mirren". The Herald. November 3, 2022.
  27. ^ "I saw Kendrick Lamar in concert and he is not my savior". The FADER. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  28. ^ Levy, Piet (August 19, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's Fiserv Forum show will go down as one of the boldest hip-hop epics Milwaukee's ever seen". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  29. ^ Aswad, Jem (October 23, 2022). "'Khendreek!' — Kendrick Lamar's 'Big Steppers' Tour Mesmerizes Paris: Concert Review". Variety. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  30. ^ Gee, Andre (July 24, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Thinks Outside the Box on the Big Steppers Tour". Complex. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  31. ^ "Concert, choreo-poem, redemption: Kendrick Lamar lifts up Austin on Big Steppers Tour". Austin-American Statesman. July 22, 2022.
  32. ^ "Kendrick Lamar bears all on The Big Steppers Tour". The Post. September 14, 2022.
  33. ^ "Kendrick Lamar delivers the greatest show on Earth (with a little help from Helen Mirren and a ventriloquist's dummy". The Telegraph. October 9, 2022.
  34. ^ Cagina, Claudia Valentina. "Here's What Went Down At Kendrick's 'Big Steppers' Tour Stop In Amsterdam". Complex. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  35. ^ "Kendrick Lamar Reflects on Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers and Nationwide Tour". The Root. August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  36. ^ Tauer, Kristen (February 14, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Wears Custom Louis Vuitton for Super Bowl Halftime Show". WWD. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  37. ^ fas-J [@JENtriplethreat] (July 20, 2022). "Rapper Kendrick Lamar wearing Gentle Monster glasses Jentle Garden JENNIE – LESYEUXDENINI 02 for his first North American "The Bigger Steppers Tour" in Oklahoma" (Tweet). Retrieved August 23, 2022 – via Twitter.
  38. ^ "Kendrick Lamar Brings Theatrics And Symbolism To 'The Big Steppers' Tour In Atlanta". Atlanta Daily World. August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  39. ^ Rouhani, Neena (September 19, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's U.S. Tour Comes to a Cinematic Close with Fourth Straight Sold-Out Show at Crypto.com Arena". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  40. ^ Arlette [@arrlette_] (October 26, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar in full custom outfit by me. Styled by Taylor McNeill 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹. Photography by Greg Noire. Admiration and gratitude to the whole team <33" – via Instagram.
  41. ^ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (November 14, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Has 'Bucket List' Moment With Designer Martine Rose". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  42. ^ "Charm La'Donna On Turning Kendrick Lamar's 'Big Steppers' Into Movement". Complex. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  43. ^ "Tony Russell". Kala Brand Music Co. Retrieved August 26, 2022. He currently serves as the Musical Director and live bass player for Kendrick Lamar.
  44. ^ "Story Art: Kendrick Lamar's Mr Morale and The Big Steppers Tour — Christopher Latouche". christopherlatouche.com. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  45. ^ Rouhani, Neena (September 19, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's U.S. Tour Comes to a Cinematic Close with Fourth Straight Sold-Out Show at Crypto.com Arena". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  46. ^ Olivier, Bobby (August 10, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar electrifies pandemic trauma on 'Big Steppers' tour: review". nj. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  47. ^ Coates, Taiyo (August 5, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's 'The Big Steppers' Tour Takes Performance Art to New Heights: Concert Review". Variety. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  48. ^ Coates, Taiyo (August 5, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's 'The Big Steppers' Tour Takes Performance Art to New Heights: Concert Review". Variety. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  49. ^ "Review | Kendrick Lamar rewrites the rules of the rap show". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  50. ^ "Kendrick Lamar Big Steps Into "King of Rap" Role In Dallas: Review". Consequence. July 24, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  51. ^ "Kendrick Lamar Thinks Outside the Box on the Big Steppers Tour". Complex. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  52. ^ "Kendrick Lamar's Big Steppers Tour Is More Than Just a Rap Show". Okayplayer. August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  53. ^ Wood, Mikael (September 15, 2022). "At arena homecoming, Kendrick Lamar gives the people what they want, on his terms". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  54. ^ Baltin, Steve. "Kendrick Lamar's Fire Burns Bright In Brilliant Los Angeles Homecoming Show". Forbes. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  55. ^ Paul, Larisha (October 18, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar to Livestream Full 'The Big Steppers Tour' Paris Concert on 'Good Kid, m.A.A.d City' 10th Anniversary". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  56. ^ "Kendrick Lamar's The Big Steppers Tour Streaming Live From Paris on October 22 Presented by Amazon Music". press.amazonstudios.com. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  57. ^ Mike Carson [@mikecarson] (December 31, 2022). "The Big Steppers Tour 2022". Retrieved September 1, 2023 – via Instagram.
  58. ^ Carson, Mike. "Kendrick Lamar - The Big Steppers Tour". MikeCarson.TV. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  59. ^ "Kendrick Lamar delights Toronto fans with elegant, energized show | NEXT Magazine". Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  60. ^ "Kendrick Lamar at Glastonbury 2022: setlist, reviews – what did he say about women's rights on Pyramid Stage". National World. June 27, 2022.
  61. ^ Deville, Chris (July 20, 2022). "Watch Kendrick Lamar Debut Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers Songs At OKC Tour Opener". Stereogum. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  62. ^ Jones, Craig (November 4, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar joined by Dame Helen Mirren for Leeds First Direct Arena's best show of the year". Leeds Live. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  63. ^ Rose, Jordan (March 4, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Is Headlining Another Music Festival This Summer". Complex. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  64. ^ "Kendrick Lamar's Big Steppers Tour Is Now The Highest Grossing Rap Tour In History". RockTheBells. April 27, 2023.
  65. ^ "Kendrick Lamar Announces Worldwide Big Steppers Tour". Rolling Stone. May 13, 2022.
  66. ^ "tour". oklama.com. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  67. ^ "Kendrick Lamar announces The Big Steppers 2022 world tour dates". NME. May 13, 2022.
  68. ^ "Australia tour dates for Kendrick Lamar's The Big Steppers tour". The Brag. May 14, 2022.
  69. ^ "Kendrick Lamar live at Primavera Sound: alone and as freakishly singular as ever". Loud and Quiet. June 3, 2023.
  70. ^ "Kendrick Lamar closed out Governors Ball with all power and no frills". BrooklynVegan. June 12, 2023.
  71. ^ "What happened when Kendrick Lamar took Bonnaroo's biggest stage". The Tennessean. June 17, 2023.
  72. ^ "Roskilde 2023: Combustible Kendrick Lamar provides some early festival fireworks". The Copenhagen Post. June 29, 2023.
  73. ^ "Kendrick Lamar performs as a preacher and a poet at Lollapalooza 2023". Chicago Sun-Times. August 5, 2023.
  74. ^ "Kendrick Lamar: Big steps to Osheaga 2023". Cult MTL. August 7, 2023.
  75. ^ Vaziri, Aidin (August 12, 2023). "Outside Lands 2023: Kendrick Lamar highlights personal trauma and hip-hop's evolution". San Francisco Chronicle.
  76. ^ Performance with Baby Keem, billed as the Hillbillies
  77. ^ Willman, Chris (November 3, 2023). "Global Citizen and Kendrick Lamar's pgLang Team Up to Establish First Major Touring Circuit Across African Continent". Variety. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  78. ^ Sánchez, Jorge Emilio (March 24, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar: mensajes de amor y entrega musical en el festival Ceremonia". El Universal (in Spanish). Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  79. ^ Anderson, Ryan (December 6, 2022). "Fans gutted after Kendrick Lamar cancels show due to scheduling conflict". Stuff. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  80. ^ Flores, Griselda (March 30, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Cancels Tecate Pa'l Norte Set Due to 'Unforeseen Circumstances'". Billboard.