Play World Tour


The Play World Tour was the fourth concert tour by Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai. It began on May 22, 2015, at the Taipei Arena in Taipei, Taiwan, and concluded on July 16, 2016, at the Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Spanning one year and two months, the tour covered 23 cities across Asia and North America, with a total of 34 shows. It attracted approximately 600,000 attendees and grossed NT$1.5 billion in ticket sales.

Background and development

On October 29, 2014, Tsai revealed that she would begin planning a new tour following the release of her album Play, emphasizing that the upcoming tour would place a stronger focus on music. On February 15, 2015, she officially announced that the Play World Tour would kick off on May 22 at the Taipei Arena in Taipei, Taiwan. On February 29, 2015, Tsai traveled to Los Angeles for two weeks of dance rehearsals and joined her full production team in early preparations for the tour. Media sources reported that she and her dancers would conduct final rehearsals on a temporary stage in Taiwan during the two weeks leading up to the tour's launch.
On February 31, 2015, Tsai released the official tour poster, photographed by Chen Man, with acclaimed stylist Wyman Wong serving as style consultant. She also revealed that the tour would be produced in collaboration with global entertainment company Live Nation and co-directed by renowned choreographers Travis Payne and Stacy Walker.
According to media reports, the production budget for the tour exceeded NT$100 million. The stage hardware team was sourced globally, and Tsai collaborated with Jet Tone Films to produce five interlude videos. Additionally, Live Nation held three rounds of dancer auditions in Los Angeles, ultimately selecting 12 dancers for the tour. A total of 14 choreographers were invited to create choreography for the tour's musical performances. On June 1, 2015, Tsai held a press conference in Beijing to announce that the tour would also include dates in Mainland China.

Commercial reception

Tickets for the Taipei dates of the tour went on sale at 12:00 PM on April 12, 2015. All 33,000 tickets sold out within just 18 minutes. In response to overwhelming demand, an additional show on May 25 was announced. Tickets for that show went on sale at noon on April 15 and the 11,000 available seats were snapped up in just 6 minutes. On May 24, 2015, Tsai announced two more shows to be held on November 7 and 8 in Taipei. Tickets for these dates were released at 1:30 PM on June 13, and all 22,000 tickets sold out in 17 minutes. Due to continued demand, another show was added for November 6, announced on August 15. Then, on August 28, 2015, yet another show for November 5 was announced. Tickets for both the November 5 and 6 performances went on sale at 11:00 AM on September 5, with all 22,000 tickets selling out in just 13 minutes.

Critical reception

Media personality Kevin Lee praised the concert as exceeding all expectations. From the program content, costumes and styling, to vocal performance, dance skills, and stage design, everything met—and even surpassed—international standards. He noted that Tsai's performance shattered the conventional belief that "a performer who dances well can't sing", showcasing her as a truly versatile artist. Her ability to both sing and dance impressively stood out, particularly during the operatic segment, which left him in awe.
Shau, a columnist for PlayMusic, remarked that Tsai not only demonstrated outstanding vocal abilities but also exuded a more relaxed and magnetic stage presence. On stage, she appeared fearless—at times playful, at times bold. Tsai has become a defining figure in many people's youth, and her allure continues to captivate an ever-growing audience.
Lin Cheng-ping, a reporter for ETtoday, observed that Tsai deliberately moved away from the high-risk stunts featured in her past concert tours, instead focusing on refined dance training and a complete rearrangement of all her songs. He emphasized that Tsai clearly understands that even without acrobatic feats, she can still radiate artistic brilliance on stage.
According to BeautiMode, compared to her previous Myself World Tour and Dancing Forever World Tour, Tsai's performance this time felt more natural and carried an undeniable superstar aura. As the white curtain fell and she appeared in a Medusa-inspired look, her voice and movements immediately captivated the entire audience.

Recording

On January 30, 2018, Tsai released the live video album Play World Tour, which features performances from her concerts held at the Taipei Arena in Taiwan from May 22 to 25, 2015. The release also includes four short documentary films from the We're All Different, Yet the Same series, directed by Hou Chi-jan and Gavin Lin, along with a behind-the-scenes video of the tour. The album was directed by Leo Hsu and post-produced by 3 Aqua Entertainment. According to Warner, the production utilized 26 ground and aerial cameras, and the final edit was crafted from over 400 hours of footage. Tsai personally oversaw the post-production process on three separate occasions.

Set list

  1. "Medusa"
  2. "Real Man"
  3. "Honey Trap"
  4. "Bravo Lover"
  5. "I'm Not Yours"
  6. "Agent J"
  7. "Butterfly"
  8. "Love Love Love"
  9. "Prague Square"
  10. "I Love, I Embrace"
  11. "Exclusive Myth"
  12. "The Great Artist"
  13. "Mr. Q"
  14. "Rewind"
  15. "The Smell of Lemon Grass"
  16. "I Know You're Feeling Blue"
  17. "Sky"
  18. "Butterflies in My Stomach"
  19. "Miss Trouble"
  20. "Queen of the Night Aria"
  21. "Sun Will Never Set"
  22. "Nothing Left to Say"
  23. "You Gotta Know"
  24. "J-Game"
  25. "Fantasy"
  26. "36 Tricks of Love"
  27. "Phony Queen"
  28. "Dr. Jolin"
  29. "Dancing Diva"
  30. "Magic"
  31. "We're All Different, Yet the Same"
  32. "Out on the Street"
  33. "The Spirit of Knight"
  34. "Play"

    Shows

Cancelled dates