Madonna is “feeling strong” as she preps for Celebration Tour kickoff

Madonna seems to have fully recovered from the illness that caused her to push back the start of her Celebration Tour.

A source tells People that the Queen of Pop “returned to rehearsals last Monday,” adding, “She’s so happy to be back onstage and is feeling strong.”

Noting that Madonna is working with longtime collaborators Jamie King and Stuart Price to create her “most ambitious tour ever,” the source adds, “This is where she thrives. She loves being back in a creative environment.”

The Celebration Tour will start in October with four shows in London followed by a run of European dates that are mapped out through December 6. Her first North American shows will start December 13 with three shows at Brooklyn, New York’s Barclays Center, followed by two shows in Washington, D.C. She’ll resume the tour January 8, 2024, in Boston.

In June, Madonna developed what her manager called “a serious bacterial infection” which sent her to the ICU for several days. While celebrating her birthday in Lisbon, Portugal, in August, she announced, “It’s great to be alive.”