Welcome 2


Welcome 2 was a concert tour by American musician Prince. Playing over 80 shows, the tour reached North America, Europe, and Australia. Each leg of the tour was branded with the "Welcome 2" title followed by the continent in which the leg was located. The tour marked the singer's first performances in North America in over six years. The show was composed of the singer performing his hits with his band The New Power Generation. Alongside Prince, various musicians performed including Janelle Monáe, Esperanza Spalding, and Cassandra Wilson. The tour placed 39th on Pollstar's "Top 50 Worldwide Tour", earning nearly $20 million.

Background

Prince announced the tour on October 14, 2010 at the famed Apollo Theater in New York City. He stated the tour would begin in Greater New York. He further explained to the audience each show would be different. "Come early, come often. I have a lot of hits... no two shows will be the same". For the tour, Prince played a custom gold Fender Stratocaster, which was auctioned off at the end of the tour. The proceed benefited the Harlem Children's Zone.
The concerts were staged in the round, with the stage shaped like the singer's iconic love symbol. During shows, Prince invited several celebrities to come onstage and "jam out" with him, including Naomi Campbell, Whoopi Goldberg, Jamie Foxx, Alicia Keys, Leighton Meester, Questlove, Sherri Shepherd, Whitney Houston, and Cornel West. He also performed duets with specials guests throughout the shows in North America. For "The Beautiful Ones", Prince was joined onstage by ballet dancer Misty Copeland. During the concert at Madison Square Garden on December 29, 2010, Janelle Monáe performed "If I Was Your Girlfriend" with the singer. During the same show, Cyndi Lauper and Egypt Sherrod performed "Jungle Love".
Following his shows in Greater New York, Prince expanded the tour to include the San Francisco Bay Area and The Carolinas. In April, he announced he would perform a twenty-one night residency show at The Forum in Inglewood, California, during an appearance on Lopez Tonight. Dubbed "Welcome 2 America: 21-Night Stands", the singer performed throughout the months of April and May, including stops in Fresno, San Jose, and Sacramento. As the tour continued, Prince performed at several music festivals in Europe. In the fall of 2011, he announced he would bring his tour to Canada, his first performances in the territory in nearly ten years. In 2012, a tour of Australia received a warm response from spectators.

Opening acts

  • Lalah Hathaway
  • Esperanza Spalding
  • Maceo Parker
  • Cassandra Wilson
  • Graham Central Station
  • Sinbad
  • Janelle Monáe
  • Mint Condition
  • Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
  • Cee Lo Green
  • Sheila E.
  • Anthony Hamilton
  • Chaka Khan

    Setlist

Tour dates

DateCityCountryVenue
January 18, 2011New York CityUnited StatesMadison Square Garden
February 7, 2011New York CityUnited StatesMadison Square Garden
February 21, 2011OaklandUnited StatesOracle Arena
February 23, 2011OaklandUnited StatesOracle Arena
February 24, 2011OaklandUnited StatesOracle Arena
March 21, 2011ColumbiaUnited StatesColonial Life Arena
March 23, 2011RaleighUnited StatesRBC Center
March 24, 2011CharlotteUnited StatesTime Warner Cable Arena
March 26, 2011GreensboroUnited StatesGreensboro Coliseum
March 28, 2011GreenvilleUnited StatesBI-LO Center
March 30, 2011North CharlestonUnited StatesNorth Charleston Coliseum
April 14, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
April 21, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
April 22, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
April 23, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
April 28, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
April 29, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
April 30, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
May 5, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
May 6, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
May 7, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
May 13, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
May 14, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
May 18, 2011FresnoUnited StatesSave Mart Center
May 19, 2011San JoseUnited StatesHP Pavilion
May 21, 2011San JoseUnited StatesHP Pavilion
May 22, 2011SacramentoUnited StatesPower Balance Pavilion
May 27, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
May 28, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
May 29, 2011InglewoodUnited StatesThe Forum
June 24, 2011MontrealCanadaMétropolis
June 25, 2011MontrealCanadaMétropolis
June 30, 2011Saint-DenisFranceStade de France
July 2, 2011GdyniaPolandBabie Doły Airfield
July 3, 2011BeltringEnglandHop Farm Country Park
July 5, 2011GhentBelgiumSint-Pietersplein
July 6, 2011GhentBelgiumSint-Pietersplein
July 8, 2011RotterdamNetherlandsRotterdam Ahoy
July 9, 2011RotterdamNetherlandsRotterdam Ahoy
July 10, 2011RotterdamNetherlandsRotterdam Ahoy
July 13, 2011Esch-sur-AlzetteLuxembourgRockhal
July 15, 2011PerugiaItalyArena Santa Giuliana
July 16, 2011LuccaItalyPiazza Napoleone
July 21, 2011HelsinkiFinlandHartwall Arena
July 24, 2011AmsterdamNetherlandsMelkweg
July 25, 2011AmsterdamNetherlandsMelkweg
July 26, 2011RotterdamNetherlandsRotterdam Ahoy
July 28, 2011CologneGermanyLanxess Arena
July 30, 2011MalahideIrelandMalahide Castle
August 2, 2011OsloNorwayOslo Spektrum
August 3, 2011OsloNorwayOslo Spektrum
August 6, 2011CopenhagenDenmark10 Øren
August 7, 2011CopenhagenDenmark10 Øren
August 9, 2011BudapestHungaryÓbuda Island
August 12, 2011GothenburgSwedenSlottsskogen
August 17, 2011ZürichSwitzerlandHallenstadion
November 25, 2011TorontoCanadaAir Canada Centre
November 26, 2011TorontoCanadaAir Canada Centre
November 30, 2011HalifaxCanadaScotiabank Centre
December 2, 2011MontrealCanadaBell Centre
December 3, 2011OttawaCanadaCanadian Tire Centre
December 5, 2011LondonCanadaBudweiser Gardens
December 8, 2011WinnipegCanadaMTS Centre
December 13, 2011EdmontonCanadaNorthlands Coliseum
December 14, 2011CalgaryCanadaScotiabank Saddledome
December 16, 2011VancouverCanadaRogers Arena
December 17, 2011VictoriaCanadaSave-On-Foods Memorial Centre
December 19, 2011TacomaUnited StatesTacoma Dome

DateCityCountryVenue
May 11, 2012SydneyAustraliaQudos Bank Arena
May 12, 2012SydneyAustraliaQudos Bank Arena
May 14, 2012MelbourneAustraliaRod Laver Arena
May 15, 2012MelbourneAustraliaRod Laver Arena
May 18, 2012BrisbaneAustraliaBrisbane Entertainment Centre
May 22, 2012SydneyAustraliaQudos Bank Arena
May 26, 2012BrisbaneAustraliaBrisbane Entertainment Centre
May 30, 2012MelbourneAustraliaRod Laver Arena
September 24, 2012ChicagoUnited StatesUnited Center
September 25, 2012ChicagoUnited StatesUnited Center
September 26, 2012ChicagoUnited StatesUnited Center

;Festivals and other miscellaneous performances
;Cancellations and rescheduled shows