Madonna is hoping to get newly single Britney Spears to join her onstage on her upcoming “Celebration” tour, sources tell Page Six exclusively.
The pop superstars have long been friends and even share the same agent, we’re told, with the pair duetting on “Vogue” at Spears’ ill-fated wedding to her now-estranged husband, Sam Asghari, in June 2022.
Madonna — who celebrated her 65th birthday in Lisbon, Portugal, last week with her six children — is getting back to rehearsals for her tour after being rushed to a New York City intensive care unit earlier this summer.
But she is already making plans for next year after being forced to reschedule her concerts, and we’re told she wants Spears, 41, to appear at one of her five Los Angeles dates in March 2024.
Madonna particularly wants to mark the 20th anniversary of their hit collaboration, “Me Against the Music,” which was released in October 2003.
The stars gave a now-infamous performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in August 2003, during which Madonna shared a kiss with both Spears and Christina Aguilera.
“Madonna originally wanted Britney to join her on tour this year,” a source tells us. “Everything was pushed back because of her illness, but she still wants Britney to join her at the Kia Forum.”
The source tells Page Six that Madonna is extremely healthy following her hospitalization and is getting ready to fly her entire crew over to London next month to prepare for her greatest-hits tour launch on Oct. 14 at the O2 Arena.
“Madonna’s entire tour crew are heading to London in the last week of September to start rehearsing in Brixton. They will also be given access to the O2 a day early on Oct. 13 to set up and do a full dress rehearsal,” the source shares.
“Some of the dance routines have been toned down for [Madonna] so that it’s not so strenuous. She’s focusing more on being the frontrunner rather than trying to keep up with the backing dancers.
“She will still be putting on a great show, but her team’s main concern is ensuring that she’s healthy and can get through the tour from start to finish.”
We’ve reached out to Madonna and Spears’ reps for comment.
Since battling a “serious bacterial infection” during her multi-day hospital stay, the Queen of Pop has spoken candidly about her recovery.
Alongside a video marking her milestone birthday on Aug. 16, Madonna wrote on Instagram that she felt “So Grateful” to “be Alive” and to “Be able to put on [her] dancing shoes” again.