In the aftermath of his now iconic beef with fellow rap titan Drake, Kendrick Lamar has spent most of 2025 reminding us why he’s one of the greatest to do it. From a record-breaking Super Bowl performance to a chart-dominating album homage to West Coast sound, Lamar has celebrated his victory with style, flair, and unapologetic bravado. His triumph culminated in the Grand National Tour, a co-headlining stadium tour alongside SZA packed with energy, hype, and spectacle. The duo has lit up the nation’s largest venues, putting their soul and love for the art on display. As the North American leg of the tour wraps up, here’s a look back at some of the moments that make the Grand National Tour an all-time classic!
A Setlist of Classics
The setlist was a unique duet of both timeless hits and newer, trending records from both artists. Lamar delivered an energetic blend of head-bopping hits such as, “tv off,” “squabble up,” “DNA.,” and, “Backseat Freestyle.” He also dove right back into earnest, community-favorite tracks across all of his eras such as, “Money Trees,” “Alright,” and, “Count Me Out.” SZA followed the same approach, balancing her greatest hits such as, “Good Days,” “Brocken Clocks,” and, “Kill Bill,” with deeply personal songs such as, “Kitchen,” “Snooze,” and, “Crybaby.” No matter the era of the song, each performance was a vibrant display of their artistic passion and chemistry.
Given the two artists’ history of chart-topping collaborations, Lamar and SZA used their joint records to transition between sets seamlessly. To open SZA’s set, Lamar introduced her by performing her deluxe track, “30 for 30,” where their dual verses kept the energy up. When it was Lamar’s time to return to the stage, SZA introduced him with their sultry record, “Doves in the Wind.” The duo then reunited on stage at the same time to perform harmonic favorites like, “All the Stars” from the Black Panther soundtrack and their recent chart-topping hit, “luther.” In an endearing rendition showing the magic of their stage, SZA soulfully sang the hook of Lamar’s track, “LOVE.,” originally sung by Zacari.
Lamar even reinvented some of his classics for live audiences. With Baby Keem absent from the tour, he added a new verse to, “family ties.” He also sang a remixed version of, “m.A.A.d. city,” performed over the instrumental to R&B singer Anita Baker’s, “Sweet Love.” A heartfelt homage to a legendary soul singer that blends old-school with the new.
Visually Stunning Production
The tour’s production was filled with visual spectacles. SZA’s insect-inspired theme, based on her deluxe album LANA, translated into lush, surrealist set designs. Dancers on stilts dressed as praying mantises towered over the stage. SZA herself dramatically rode through the stage on a massive animatronic ant named, “Anthony,” and flew dozens of feet in the air on a harness. A creatively playful display of artistic vision!
Lamar’s visuals were equally as gorgeous. He heavily featured the now-iconic GNX car from his album and music videos as a centerpiece. Behind him, screens displayed cinematic collages and visuals, showing Lamar and longtime business partner, Dave Free’s usual artistic flair. It blended West Coast bravado and abstract imagery to illustrate a cultural symbol that honored the roots of Black artistry.
The duo even included short skits between certain sets and songs. Most notably, some of their skits directly parodied the infamous video of rapper Lil Wayne’s deposition. In the video, Wayne showed little care or respect to the lawyer’s questions and responded with defiance and dryness. Lamar and SZA replicated that same attitude. Many fans interpreted this as a sly jab at Wayne, who had publicly expressed frustration about Lamar being chosen for the Super Bowl over him. Lamar clearly never forgot!
Sold Out Stadiums
Calling the tour a success would be an understatement. It was a cultural and commercial powerhouse that filled seats in nearly every city it visited. With twenty-three North American shows, many venues reported near-capacity or completely sold-out crowds. For instance, both Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles announced full seats and shows, per their official Instagram accounts.
The tour hit the ground running. According to a report by Hot New Hip Hop, the behemoth of a tour opened in Minneapolis to a whopping 47,354 attendees, grossing over $9.1 million in ticket sales. This made Lamar the first ever rapper to surpass $9 million based on a single show, breaking rapper Eminem’s previous record of $8.7 million.
And the record-breaking streak had begun! Hot New Hip Hop also reported that the show at Houston’s NRG Stadium grossed over $9.4 million, and the show at Dallas’s AT&T Stadium added another $2 million to that for a hefty $11.8 million. This single-handedly made Lamar the, “highest-grossing Black man in history for a single live performance,” a record previously championed by The Weeknd.
At Seattle’s Lumen Field, Lamar and SZA opened to a rainy, sold-out venue of 60,941 tickets, raking in a staggering $14.8 million. It was official; this was the highest-grossing night in hip-hop history. Again, it made Lamar the first rapper ever to achieve these heights for a single concert. It also made SZA one of the few Black women artists to co-headline a tour that exceeded $100 million in revenue, a view only seen by Beyoncé and Tina Turner, according to Hot New Hip Hop. It was a tour of milestones that implanted its name in history.
Special Guests
The tour wasn’t short on special guests either, whether in the crowd or on stage! According to Billboard, Lamar came with three surprise guests on certain nights, while SZA graced the fans with four. During their show at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Lamar brought out Playboi Carti for the first-ever performance of, “GOOD CREDIT,” a hit song off Carti’s recent album, MUSIC, featuring Lamar himself.
He also brought out Baby Keem at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium for an electrifying performance of, “family ties.” The stadium erupted in excitement as it marked the first time that the duo appeared on stage together since Tyler, The Creator’s 2023 Camp Flog Gnaw.
As a special gift to his hometown, Lamar brought out LA rapper AZChike on the third night at SoFi Stadium to perform a braggadocious rendition of, “peekaboo.” It was Chike’s first-ever stadium show, an honor that he expressed heartfelt gratitude for on social media.
For SZA, it was producer/rapper Kaytranada who first graced the stage at MetLife Stadium. He performed his remix of Teedra Moses’, “Be Your Girl,” alongside SZA and provided a DJ set at the afterparty for SZA’s pop-up beauty brand, “Not Beauty.”
Lizzo and Justin Bieber both brought the energy on nights one and two at SoFi Stadium, respectively. Lizzo performed a remix of, “Special,” while Bieber performed his and SZA’s remix of, “Snooze.” Another special treat for their West Coast audience!
Just when the West Coast energy seemed to peak, SZA unveiled Doja Cat at Allegiant Stadium. They performed a nostalgic rendition of, “Kiss Me More,” a live throwback to a track that defined the early post-pandemic, TikTok-fueled pop era.
Even offstage, the tour drew in celebrity attention from everywhere! LeBron James, Jamie Foxx, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri, and more were spotted in various crowds.
Diss Tracks and Toronto Madness
Of course, we have to talk about the diss tracks that sent Lamar into this next level of stardom! His lively performances of, “euphoria,” and, “Like That,” were nothing short of a must-see experience, visually stunning and unapologetically boastful.
Surprisingly, both Lamar and SZA performed, “Poetic Justice,” and, “Rich Baby Daddy,”, both tracks featuring past collaborations with Drake. Many fans assumed we’d never see these live performances due to the beef. While they may be another slight diss at Drake, it was a welcome surprise for many!
The duo’s stellar performances, energetic visuals, and amazing production culminated in Lamar’s eventual performance of, “Not Like Us.” Each night, Lamar opened his performance of the track with a reference to his Super Bowl choreography. The ante and roar of the crowd were upped with each now-iconic quotable line that passed. From, “I see dead people,” to the infamous, “a minor,” bar, Lamar always made sure his delivery matched the intensity of the adoring crowd. The track was complemented by striking visuals that paid homage to Black culture, which the song itself seeks to protect.
Nowhere was the tension and anticipation higher than at their two sold-out nights at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Given that it’s Drake’s hometown, the hype only continued to grow. Fans awaited how Lamar would handle being in his rival’s home, and he didn’t disappoint. Toronto attendees on both nights were as unapologetic as Lamar when it came to singing the diss. In a truly awe-struck moment, Toronto concertgoers began a stadium-wide chant begging for Lamar to perform the track again. This, as well as each stop of the tour, was a cultural display showing Lamar’s true reach and a triumphant victory for the Compton kid.
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