On February 13, 2013, after already announcing the postponement of shows in Chicago, Detroit, and Hamilton two days earlier due to an injury,[5] Live Nation and Lady Gaga announced the cancellation of the remaining concert dates due to the singer's development of a labral tear of the right hip caused by strenuous repetitive movements involved in the shows.

[7][8] Upon the release of "Judas", the second single from Born This Way, Lady Gaga confirmed in an interview that she would embark on a concert tour in 2012, in which she would visit Latin American countries for the first time, like Brazil, Chile and Colombia, and would be returning to Mexico.

[9] In November 2011, producer DJ White Shadow asserted that Gaga was "doing [work] for the next round of touring", adding that the singer's main objective in the following year was to continue preparing for the Born This Way Ball, as well as write new songs for her next studio album.

[12][13] The first leg for the Born This Way Ball was announced the following day, revealing that Gaga would perform several concerts in Asia, including in Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea.

"[12] A European leg was announced in March 2012, which consisted of 21 dates over a period of two months, kicking-off in Sofia, Bulgaria, and concluding in Spain.

[16] On their website, The Darkness stated that they were "honoured to announce their addition to the bill as main support for Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball tour 2012.

"[21] The stage was built over a period of several months,[14] and was modeled after a medieval-gothic castle, featuring tall viewing towers, intricate carvings and a large catwalk to interact with the floor audience.

The show began with "Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)", featuring an extended intro in which Gaga performed atop a manually-operated "horse" puppet built exclusively by The Jim Henson Company.

speak for the first time, stating that "alien fugitive Lady Gaga has escaped", and that "Operation: Kill the Bitch" was in order.

Gaga appeared in an alien-like costume for "Government Hooker", in which she pretended to seduce a dancer, dressed in a suit, before "killing" him and leaving the stage.

[29][30] After "Black Jesus + Amen Fashion" and "Bloody Mary", an interlude commenced, and the opening dialogue of the music video of "Born This Way" could be heard[31] For "Bad Romance", Gaga arrived on stage inside of a vessel.

"Heavy Metal Lover" was performed next; Gaga appeared atop the body of a motor-"tricycle" with her arms in two slots, a recreation of her album cover.

The Korea Herald journalist Cho Chung-un opined that Gaga "captivated the audience" with what he described as "innovative and breathtaking stage installations and ideas" during the performance.

[32] Writing for the same publication, Emma Kalka complemented Gaga's wardrobe, and cited several segments, such as her "Americano" performance, as highlights of the concert.

"[34] A writer for MTV noted the elaborate visuals of the show with its "Gothic castle backdrop and myriad costume changes", concluding that it was "clear that Gaga has outdone even her own Monster Ball in terms of spectacle.

gave a positive review of the Singapore concert, describing it as "at times shocking, raunchy, mellow and just plain bizarre.

[39] South African newspaper The Times's Nikita Ramkissoon shared in this praise, writing that she "was really taken by was her natural talent... From arriving on stage on a horse, birthing herself, dancing dripping with sex and magnificence, Black Jesus and legs splayed open on an armchair made of meat, this performance was nothing short of spectacular.

[45] Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang gave it a mixed review, admiring her voice, but saying that "if we are going to talk about content, it is similar [to Madonna's].

Gaga hardly says anything Madonna didn't say 25 years ago" adding that "But I have a feeling that she is a less interesting pop-artist than many of us had hoped for.

"[46] Reviews of the North American leg were mostly positive; in the Vancouver Sun, François Marchand praised the show, stating that "Unlike Madonna, whose latest Vancouver appearance was dominated by violent imagery and a borderline bullying attitude toward her longtime fans, Gaga continued to carry her trademark message of empowerment and self-love".

[48] Rich Lopez from the Dallas Voice praised the show and Gaga's "relentlessness in giving a dynamic performance", saying that "She shocked, she touched, she served diva realness, and like those four fans onstage (as well as the ones who joined her in the "Marry the Night" finale), she made everyone feel special.

There were outrageous outfits, elaborate set pieces, sexy dance numbers, and messages of self-respect and gay rights.

Golfen also added: "That packed arena of screaming fans made it clear that her star wasn't going to be fading away anytime soon.

[53] In response to positive ticket sales in New Zealand and Australia, nine additional concerts were scheduled as part of the Asia-Pacific leg.

[55][56] Additional sellouts and positive commercial results were reported for the successive performances in Hong Kong,[57] as well as in Taipei,[58] Saitama,[a][59] Bangkok,[60] Singapore,[61] Seoul,[62] and Jakarta, with the latter having sold out within two hours.

[65][66] Industry analysts suggested that based on internet searches that an estimated two million people could attempt to purchase a ticket out of the 75,000 that were issued for the London and Manchester dates.

[75] Despite the worldwide commercial success of the tour, it was not very well-received by the South American market, largely due to ticketing and pricing issues, as well as availability.

[77] In Chile, demand was comparatively higher than in the rest of South America; however, tickets for each respective date were not made immediately available.

Gaga's support for LGBT rights, the supposed indecency of her shows, and religious content in her lyrics led some homophobic Christian and Muslim groups in South Korea, the Philippines, and Indonesia to call for the cancellation of the concerts.

[87] Gaga caused more controversy after her performance of June 27 in Melbourne, where she debuted a new song called "Princess Die", about suicide and mental illness.