Wonder World Tour
The Wonder World Tour was the second headlining concert tour by American singer and actress Miley Cyrus, following her joint Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus outing.[1] Launched in support of her second studio album Breakout (2008) and featuring selections from her debut EP The Time of Our Lives (2009), the tour showcased Cyrus's transition from tween idol to young adult performer through a blend of pop, rock, and ballad performances.[2] It commenced on September 14, 2009, at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon, and concluded on December 29, 2009, at The O2 Arena in London, England, encompassing 56 shows across North America (45 dates) and Europe (11 dates). The production, promoted by AEG Live and sponsored by Walmart, was a commercial triumph, grossing $67.1 million from 807,514 tickets sold, averaging $1.2 million per show.[1] The tour's elaborate staging included massive set pieces, such as a block of ice for the opening sequence and a flying red Harley-Davidson motorcycle during "Hoedown Throwdown," alongside ten dancers and frequent costume changes—up to ten in a 90-minute set—that highlighted Cyrus's emerging maturity with outfits like hot pants, tutus, and elegant gowns.[2][3] Typical setlists drew heavily from Breakout (e.g., "Breakout," "7 Things," "Fly on the Wall") and The Time of Our Lives (e.g., "Party in the U.S.A.," "The Climb"), with covers like Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" and limited nods to her Hannah Montana catalog to appeal to a teen audience; opening act Metro Station, featuring Cyrus's brother Trace, supported all dates.[4] Early grosses reported by Billboard included $6.2 million from five U.S. arenas in November 2009 and over $2 million from two nights at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.[5] Critically, the tour received mixed responses, lauded for Cyrus's commanding stage presence and charisma at age 16—described as a "seasoned performer" who avoided overt sexualization—but critiqued for uneven vocals, lackluster ballads like "Obsessed," and material that some felt underwhelmed younger fans expecting more Hannah Montana content.[2][3] Performances emphasized theatrical elements, such as an Aphrodite-inspired emergence in "Bottom of the Ocean" and a "Thriller"-style zombie dance in "Fly on the Wall," marking Cyrus's effort to redefine her image amid her rising film career, including the upcoming The Last Song.[2] The tour also introduced eco-friendly paperless ticketing for select dates, aligning with Cyrus's growing public persona.[6]Background and Development
Background
Following the conclusion of her Best of Both Worlds Tour in early 2008, which primarily promoted her Hannah Montana character, Miley Cyrus sought to advance her career as an independent artist. Her second studio album, Breakout, released on July 22, 2008, by Hollywood Records, served as this pivotal step, featuring original songs not affiliated with the Disney franchise for the first time.[7] The record debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 371,000 copies in its first week and ultimately achieving 1.6 million units sold in the United States.[8] Breakout highlighted Cyrus's maturation, blending pop rock elements with personal lyrics about independence and relationships, a departure from her earlier soundtrack work. The album's lead single, "7 Things," issued on June 17, 2008, reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, underscoring her growing appeal beyond tween audiences.[7] This release solidified her transition, positioning her as a solo performer ready for larger-scale endeavors. On June 3, 2009, Cyrus announced the Wonder World Tour through various media outlets, marking her first headlining arena tour independent of the Hannah Montana branding and directly supporting Breakout.[9] The tour incorporated performances of key tracks from the album, including the second single "Fly on the Wall," released on November 4, 2008, to further promote its themes of self-discovery and breaking free from constraints.Development
The Wonder World Tour was announced on June 3, 2009, coinciding with the launch of Miley Cyrus's collaborative apparel line with designer Max Azria, which was set to debut exclusively at Wal-Mart stores in August.[10][11] The tour, promoted by AEG Live and sponsored by Walmart, was planned as Cyrus's first headlining outing without any Hannah Montana elements, emphasizing her evolution from teen idol to young adult performer through a focus on her solo material from Breakout (2008) and the upcoming EP The Time of Our Lives.[2] To foster a closer connection with audiences, the production team opted to book the tour exclusively in arenas rather than stadiums, allowing for a more intimate scale across 56 dates (45 in North America and 11 in Europe, including the United Kingdom).[12] The tour introduced paperless ticketing, requiring fans to present the credit card used for purchase and photo ID at entry—the first such system for an arena tour—to reduce scalping and promote eco-friendliness. Additionally, $1 from each ticket sale was donated to the City of Hope National Medical Center for cancer research.[9] Choreographer and director Jamal Sims led the staging efforts, with Dondraico Johnson serving as assistant choreographer, developing dynamic routines that blended athletic dance sequences with theatrical elements to suit Cyrus's rock-infused pop style.[13] Rehearsals commenced ahead of the tour's opening on September 14 in Portland, Oregon.[14] The production incorporated elaborate set design divided into seven themed segments, drawing from fantastical and adventurous motifs to align with the tour's "wonder" concept, including video projections, acrobatic displays, and custom props such as a giant birthday cake emerging during the "Let's Get Crazy" performance and space-themed visuals for select numbers.[2][15] Lighting and video content were crafted by Seán Burke, while stage management was overseen by Scott "Stryker" Christensen, ensuring seamless transitions between segments like the opening ice block emergence and motorcycle extensions over the crowd.[16] Wardrobe design by Simone Harouche featured vibrant, fantastical outfits in bold colors and textures, such as hot pants paired with tutus and flowing gowns, to enhance the whimsical, exploratory theme without veering into overly provocative territory.[2]Concert Production
Concert Synopsis
The Wonder World Tour concerts typically lasted approximately 90 minutes and featured around 19 songs performed live, blending high-energy rock, pop, and ballads with elaborate staging.[15][3][17] The show opened with Cyrus emerging from a block of ice or faux frozen glacier, representing a thematic breakout and self-reinvention, as she launched into the title track "Breakout" dressed in a rock-star outfit of black shorts, tank top, and fur vest, joined by 10 dancers in synchronized choreography under intense lighting.[2][18][17] This initial segment quickly escalated into a rock-infused sequence with "Start All Over," "7 Things," and "Kicking and Screaming," characterized by aggressive athletic movements, pyrotechnics from Pyritz Pyrotechnics Group, and Cyrus commanding the stage with superstar poise.[2][19][3] The production then transitioned to a theatrical, visually immersive phase, highlighted by "Bottom of the Ocean," where Cyrus rose Aphrodite-like in an elegant gown amid water projections on massive video screens, fostering intimate dancer interactions that evoked emotional depth.[2][3] This flowed into dynamic aerial elements during "Fly on the Wall," featuring two acrobatic dancers in routines homageing Michael Jackson's "Thriller," amplified by dramatic lighting and projections to heighten the sense of voyeuristic fantasy.[2][3] Midway, the concert incorporated audience-focused engagement through interactive giant screens displaying a preview clip from Cyrus's film The Last Song, segueing into the poignant ballad "When I Look at You" for a reflective pause amid the spectacle.[2][15] The energy rebuilt with upbeat tracks like "Let's Get Crazy" and "The Time of Our Lives," involving elaborate set pieces, frequent costume changes (up to 10), and constant choreography with the dance team to maintain momentum.[3][17] Building to a climactic high, Cyrus delivered a cover of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" while riding a flying red Harley-Davidson motorcycle suspended over the crowd, combining pyrotechnics, cheers, and direct visual interaction to create an exhilarating heroic rush.[2][15][3][17] The encore capped the evening with empowering anthems "See You Again" and "The Climb," reinforcing themes of growth and celebration through vibrant lighting, screen visuals, and sustained dancer synergy for a unified, immersive close.[20][3]Set List
The Wonder World Tour featured a standard set list of around 20 songs, primarily drawn from Miley Cyrus's albums Breakout (2008), Meet Miley Cyrus (2007), and The Time of Our Lives EP (2009), as well as the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack (2009). The repertoire emphasized high-energy pop-rock tracks, emotional ballads, and select covers, with performances structured across seven thematic segments that grouped songs thematically—for example, opening rock anthems like "Breakout" and "Start All Over" launched the show with explosive energy, while mid-concert ballads such as "Bottom of the Ocean" and "Goodbye" occupied more reflective sections.[4][2] A typical set list, based on data from 21 documented shows, proceeded as follows:- Breakout
- Start All Over
- 7 Things
- Kicking and Screaming (Ashlee Simpson cover) [4]
- Bottom of the Ocean
- Fly on the Wall
- Let's Get Crazy
- Hoedown Throwdown
- These Four Walls
- When I Look at You
- Obsessed
- Spotlight
- G.N.O. (Girl’s Night Out)
- I Love Rock 'n' Roll (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts cover) [4]
- Party in the U.S.A.
- Hovering (performed with Trace Cyrus)
- Simple Song
Encore: - See You Again
- The Climb [4][2]