Afterwards, it was announced that Madonna had decided to resume the tour in the summer of 2009, with twenty-seven more concerts, mostly in European markets she had either never played in or visited in several years; the 2009 extension started on July 4 at the O2 Arena in London, England, and concluded on September 2 at the Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv, Israel.

[19] Described as a "rock driven dancetastic journey", in typical Madonna fashion, the show was divided into different thematic acts: Pimp, a homage to 1920s deco and modern-day gangsta pimp; Old School, which referenced the dance vibe of early 1980s downtown New York City, with nods to the work of deceased artist Keith Haring; Gypsy, inspired by the "spirit of Romani folk music and dance", and lastly Rave, an uptempo segment that included Middle Eastern influences.

[24] The stage was smaller than the one for the Confessions Tour; it was T-shaped and included a runway with a conveyor belt that led to a B-stage, and was flanked by two giant pink 'M's, embroidered with $2-million worth of Swarovski crystals.

Video engineer Jason Harvey explained that the screen was "not really meant to be circular"; it was made up of several flat panels that were customized to give it a round shape using "cable ties and a couple small uprights".

Footage would be sent from places such as London, New York and Los Angeles;[27] video backdrops included one with brightly colored, childlike animations in the style Keith Haring, used for the performance of "Into the Groove".

[31] Marilyn Minter's Green Pink Caviar, which showed a giant tongue licking and spitting out neon-colored icing, was used as backdrop for the performance of "Candy Shop" during the 2009 extension.

[37] Created for the Old School segment, Jeremy Scott's outfit was a nod to the singer's early days in 1980s New York, and included custom sneakers decorated with art by Keith Haring.

As the video ended, "Candy Shop" began with Madonna appearing on the M-shaped throne in the Givenchy-designed dress, sitting with her legs spread apart and holding a staff in her hands.

A mashup of "Vogue" and "4 Minutes", and a video interlude of "Die Another Day" ―featuring Madonna as a boxer on screen, and dancers mimicking a boxing match onstage― closed the act.

The act ended with "Music", which sampled Fedde Le Grand's "Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit" (2006) and Indeep's "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" (1982).

"Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" featured Madonna atop a piano, cloaked in a black shroud; she was surrounded by the cylindrical video screen, which showed imagery of waves splashing and rainfall.

"La Isla Bonita" featured the Ukrainian-gypsy group Kolpakov Trio, and incorporated lyrical elements of gypsy song "Lela Pala Tute".

After a brief video featuring a modern take on classic arcade games was played, Madonna returned on stage for the final performance, "Give It 2 Me", which ended with a sing-along of the chorus.

[16] Similarly, Ian Youngs from BBC News opined that Madonna was "proving to fans that she can still cut it on stage at the age of 50", and said the show had the "feel of a giant nightclub - and that is something that some purists didn't like".

[53] On her review of the concert at East Rutherford, Nekesa Mumbi Moody from USA Today referred to Sticky & Sweet as a "show defined by throbbing dance music, tight choreography, spectacular stage sets and stunning visuals", noting that "even the superstar's most cynical critics couldn't walk away from her two-hour extravaganza without [...] being thoroughly wowed".

[55] Production was also applauded by The Patriot Ledger's Jay N. Miller, who called it "world class", and George Varga from SignOn San Diego, who hailed it "eye-popping".

[56][57] According to the Boston Herald's Jed Gottlieb, Sticky & Sweet proved to be "a stage show no one can touch - not JT, not MJ, not Pink Floyd: epic lasers, moving video screens, fast and flawless costume changes, all done with grace and energy".

[58] For the Orlando Sentinel's Matthew Palm, "the one-time Material Girl delivered the goods with an energetic, visually stimulating show that kept the crowd roaring until after midnight".

[25] The Denver Post's Ricardo Baca highlighted "Into the Groove" and "La Isla Bonita" as a "delightful explosion of color" and "the show's brightest, boldest, most daring moment [...] a triumph of reinvention", respectively.

[54] Isabel Albiston from The Daily Telegraph also singled out "La Isla Bonita", the "striking" New York subway train visuals on "Music", and the "high-energy, crowd-pleasing" "Hung Up".

[26][25] Sonia Murray concluded that, "Madonna, The Pop Star of a quarter century now, still put on an impressive stage show, reimagining catalog hits like 'Vogue' and 'Borderline' with new musical vibrance".

On his review of the concert at London's O2 Arena, The Guardian's Alex Macpherson highlighted the Michael Jackson tribute during "Holiday", but criticized the "mundanity" of performances such as "She's Not Me", and the cameos of Kanye West, Britney Spears, and Justin Timberlake; "trying to prove her youthfulness, trendiness and good heart are goals which should be beneath Madonna.

[69] From La Vanguardia, Lourdes López dismissed the Barcelona concert as a "low intensity live show from which more was expected", and criticized Madonna's "irregular" vocals.

The author concluded that, "to criticize Madonna for placing style over substance is missing the point of the Queen Of Pop [...] The music may have come second, but the highest-earning tour of 2008 still sparkles".

[71] On their rankings of Madonna's concert tours, VH1's Christopher Rosa and The Odyssey's Rocco Papa placed Sticky & Sweet in the sixth and seventh position, respectively; the former called it "so damn fun" and "a tireless display of showmanship.

[72][73] It also came in seventh on Billboard's 2024 ranking: "After a first act that didn't quite live up to the lofty standards Madonna had previously set, [Sticky & Sweet] eventually hit its stride.

[96] The "Get Stupid" video caused controversy in the political world, as it showed then-Republican presidential candidate John McCain alongside pictures of Adolf Hitler and Robert Mugabe.

[105] During her concert in Udine, Madonna paid tribute to the deceased technicians with a speech: "Two men lost their lives, which is a great tragedy to me [...] I feel so devastated to be in any way associated with anyone's suffering.

[108] Sky1 acquired the rights to broadcast the tour, which was aired as Madonna: Sticky & Sweet on July 4, 2009; a Live Nation production, it was directed by Nathan Rissman, who had worked with the singer on the documentary I Am Because We Are.

[109] On September 19, DirecTV's Cityvibe aired the special and, one month later, it was broadcast through American network EPIX; executive Mark Greenberg wanted to launch the channel with an "iconic" event that would "set the bar for what we believe our brand should be".