Miley Cyrus is back on stage—and this time, it is strictly on her own terms. The 33-year-old Grammy-winning icon made her explosive return to live performance on Friday, October 16, kicking off a two-night headlining engagement at the legendary Hollywood Bowl before a sold-out crowd of nearly 18,000 ecstatic fans.
Billed as “Miley: Bass Persuades – Live at the Hollywood Bowl,” the evening served as the singer’s first full-length concert in four years. The show delivered the live debut of six tracks off her brand-new album, Bass Persuades, which soared to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart upon its release last month. Decked out in custom, sleek Saint Laurent ensembles throughout the night, Cyrus took her audience through a retrospective journey across her two-decade career, belting out generational anthems like “We Can’t Stop,” “Wrecking Ball,” “The Climb,” and “Party in the U.S.A.”
Yet beneath the towering vocals and arena-level production, the heart of the night rested on Cyrus’s candid reflection about longevity, mental health, and maintaining personal boundaries in an industry that often demands everything.
“For me, performance can’t be everything, because the curtain closes, the lights go down, and I have to go back home and be happy with who I am,” Cyrus shared during an intimate pause in the set. “I really appreciate you all honoring that, respecting it, celebrating it, supporting me, and encouraging me to find this balance in my life where I can really have everything I’ve ever wanted.”
She reflected further on her journey in pop stardom, looking back at the long road that brought her to the iconic Los Angeles landmark:
“I actually think Sunday, October 18th, marks the 19th anniversary of the first headlining tour I ever did. Some of you might have been there. And, you know, for somebody who likes to keep life fun, jump out of airplanes, and be spontaneous, doing the same thing your entire life can lose its shine if you don’t continue to put that pressure on yourself and polish it to create something beautiful, which is the life I’m living.”
The show was steeped in deep personal sentimental value. Cyrus dedicated a emotional segment of her set to her late, legendary godmother, Dolly Parton, revealing that the only time she had ever experienced Parton performing live in person was on that very same Hollywood Bowl stage.
“Like so many things Dolly did, that I didn’t understand it at the time, sitting here with you all right now, feeling her all around me, knowing that she’s right here beside me everyday, all the time, more than she could be when she was here. I feel her, now more than ever,” Cyrus told the audience. “Knowing that I get to share this story with you all, it makes that night very worth it. This memory is gold to me.”
Following the emotional speech, Cyrus launched into a soulful, chilling acoustic cover of Parton’s timeless classic “Jolene.”
The night also featured thrilling musical collaborations. Early in the set, opening act Model/Actriz joined Cyrus for a duet of “Different Religion.” Later, Cyrus invited Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne onto the venue’s B-stage for a stunning rendition of “Do You Realize??” before treating longtime fans to “Karen Don’t Be Sad”—marking the pair’s first live performance of the song together since 2015.
For the grand finale, Cyrus brought out her fiancé, musician Maxx Morando, to close the regular set with the romantic track “Let’s Get Married” from Bass Persuades, complete with on-stage chemistry mirroring their recent hit music video. Returning for a high-energy encore, Cyrus closed the historic evening with a massive singalong of her record-breaking anthem “Flowers.”
Miley Cyrus’s Hollywood Bowl Setlist:
- “Orbit”
- “Different Religion” (with Model/Actriz)
- “Bass Persuades”
- “Handstand”
- “Something Beautiful”
- “Jolene” (Dolly Parton cover)
- “Walk of Fame”
- “Redlights”
- “Do You Realize??” (The Flaming Lips cover with Wayne Coyne)
- “Karen Don’t Be Sad” (with Wayne Coyne)
- “We Can’t Stop”
- “Wrecking Ball”
- “Snow”
- “Used to Be Young”
- “The Climb”
- “Party in the U.S.A.”
- ENCORE: “Let’s Get Married”
- ENCORE: “Flowers”
