Madonna: “Are You Ready to Dance for Me?” Queen of Pop Stops by The Abbey

Update: Sunday morning:

The 🔥🔥🔥 hot goss in town 🗣️🗣️🗣️ delivered. Madonna made a not so surprise appearance Saturday night at The Abbey in West Hollywood, turning Tristan Schukraft’s birthday party into one of the most talked-about nights in the venue’s 35-year history. It was perhaps one of the best worst kept secrets in town. Seriously. How could it have been anything else?

She arrived in the DJ booth beside producer Stuart Price shortly before 1 a.m., wearing a pink corset and a veil.

“Hello, children, mutha is here to save you,” Madonna said. “Are you ready to dance for me? Come on meet me on the dancefloor. Alright, let’s go gays, come on! Don’t let me down, gays.”

The crowd chanted “Madonna” over and over. She did what Madonna does, she danced and owned the room like only M can. Price spun the new single “I Feel So Free” from the upcoming Confessions II, due July 4. She also performed “Thief of Hearts” and “Hung Up.” The floor went wild for that one. At one point she led the crowd in a chant of “There’s nothing that we cannot do,” finishing with: “Yes, motherfuckers, there’s nothing that we cannot do.”

There was a full-circle moment. Schukraft told the crowd Madonna’s music had been playing at The Abbey since the night it opened in 1991. “Legend,” she said. After she left the booth, Schukraft addressed the crowd: “Madonna owns this dance floor.”

The celebrity turnout was hot and included: boyfriend Akeem Morris, CAA agent Maha Dakhil, Addison Rae (dancing on the edge of the booth in a black cat eye mask), CAA’s Kevin Huvane, Sky Ferreira, Lily Allen, Kali Uchis, Tori Spelling, Cara Delevingne, Bebe Rexha, Julia Fox, Jodie Turner-Smith, Tom Daley, Nadia Lee Cohen, Lola Young, Archie Madekwe, and RuPaul’s Drag Race royalty Gottmik, Symone, Trinity Taylor and Lushious Massacr.

The dance floor was packed and stacked. They were rushing to finish renovations to the space right up until guests arrived. Some pushed toward the booth trying to get closer. Security removed at least one person. A woman poured a drink on a man’s head during an exchange. Madonna appeared not to notice any of it. She’s not new, people. Nothing phases the Queen.

Her set ran about 30 minutes. She closed by wishing Schukraft a happy birthday. “Do we want to pull his pants down and spank him?” she asked. Unfortunately, Triston stayed fully clothed. 

The invite-only event — open bar, photo ops included — was presented by Schukraft’s PrEP company MISTR and billed as “Club Confessions Los Angeles: A Different Identity,” with Price, Romy and Mez Monty on the decks. It was an open secret.

WEHOonline was one of the first to break the rumor Friday. Brian Rosman, The Abbey’s publicist and marketing director, had told WEHOonline: “Tomorrow night we are celebrating Tristan’s birthday and dedicating our new dance floor.” Not a confirmation. Not a denial. 😉

The evening was tied to a broader promotional push. Madonna is rolling out Confessions II through a partnership with Grindr, one of the world’s largest LGBTQ+ platforms. The album drops July 4.

Update:-Saturday afternoon: And now there’s a flyer. MISTR — Tristan Schukraft’s own company — is hosting “Club Confessions Los Angeles: A Different Identity” at The Abbey tonight, April 25, from 9PM to 2AM. Both “Confessions” and “A Different Identity” are Madonna references. Stuart Price is listed on the flyer as one of three DJs. The Abbey will be closed to the public for the private event.

WeHo is cooked! The 🔥🔥🔥 hot goss in town 🗣️🗣️🗣️  has it the Queen of Pop will stop by The Abbey Saturday, April 25 — and she might be bringing company. Producer Stuart Price, her collaborator on the upcoming album Confessions II, is said to be joining her. Tristin Schukraft’s birthday is next week, a source tells WEHOonline the two may be connected.

The visit would mark a notable first: despite The Abbey’s 35-year run as one of the world’s most famous gay bars and a longtime celebrity haunt, there’s no public record of Madonna ever visiting. Which seems strange when you think about it. Elizabeth Taylor was a regular. Lady Gaga celebrated a milestone there. Madonna, a longtime resident of LA, somehow, never made it to Robertson Boulevard. 

WEHOonline reached out to The Abbey for comment or confirmation. Brian Rosman, the venue’s longtime publicist and marketing director, said: “Tomorrow night we are celebrating Tristan’s birthday and dedicating our new dance floor.” Not exactly a confirmation. Not exactly a denial. I’ve known Brian a long time – let’s just say, he’s not new at the game. 🙃😉🤐

Madonna was just at Coachella last weekend, making news with a surprise appearance during Sabrina Carpenter’s headlining set. The appearance made news for two reasons: the performance itself, and what happened after. Indio police say two bags containing vintage costume pieces Madonna wore onstage — items she described as part of her history — went missing after the show. Police said a preliminary investigation suggested the bags may have fallen off a golf cart on a dark road, and that there’s no evidence of intentional theft. The items have not been recovered..