Simulation Theory World Tour

The Simulation Theory World Tour^[1] was a world concert tour by English rock band Muse, in support of their eighth studio album, Simulation Theory (2018). The tour began in Houston on 22 February 2019 and ended in Lima on 15 October 2019.^[2] Numerous acts appeared as the opening act, including Tom Morello, Walk the Moon, Nothing But Thieves and SWMRS.^[3]

Simulation Theory World Tour

World tour by Muse
Promotional poster for the tour
Associated album	Simulation Theory
Start date	22 February 2019 (2019-02-22)
End date	15 October 2019 (2019-10-15)
Legs	4
No. of shows	21 in North America 30 in Europe 1 in Asia 7 in Latin America 59 total
Attendance	1,308,531 (55 shows)[citation needed]
Box office	$102.3 million (55 shows)[citation needed]
Muse concert chronology

The tour grossed $102 million, with more than 1.3 million tickets sold, based on 55 reported dates.^{[citation needed]}

Muse – Simulation Theory, a film containing live footage from the shows at The O2 Arena in London from 14–15 September 2019, as well as additional filmed scenes, was released on 17 August 2020 in IMAX cinemas worldwide with a digital download release on 21 August.^[4]

Background

The Simulation Theory World Tour featured a new enhanced experience package that allowed access to an exclusive mixed reality pre-show party, powered by Microsoft. This included three original virtual reality games, inspired by tracks from Simulation Theory. Additional enhanced experience perks included a premium concert ticket, show-specific poster, interactive photo experience with props and memorabilia from the band's latest videos, and more.^[5]

Staging and Production

The staging was similar to The Unsustainable Tour of 2013, with a few differences. It consisted of a main stage, two stage wings and a long catwalk to the B-Stage, where certain songs were played from throughout the show. Behind the stage there was a large LED screen displaying various visuals. During the Metal Medley near the end of the show a large inflatable puppet skeleton called "Murph", similar to ones seen in the music video for "The Dark Side", was featured as if it were towering over the stage. The show also featured 14 dancers performing throughout the show during certain songs – some again linking to the music videos for the album.

The show loosely told the story of being caged in simulations with the world battling back and defeating them with the "creator" at the end of the show. This narrative was expanded upon in the Simulation Theory film with additional scenes.

Setlist

1. "Algorithm" (Alternate Reality version)
2. "Pressure"
3. "Drill Sergeant" + "Psycho"
4. "Break It to Me"
5. "Uprising"
6. "Propaganda"
7. "Plug in Baby"
8. "Pray (High Valyrian)" (Matthew Bellamy cover)
9. "The Dark Side"
10. "Supermassive Black Hole"
11. "Thought Contagion"
12. "Interlude" + "Hysteria"
13. "The 2nd Law: Unsustainable"
14. "Dig Down" (Acoustic Gospel Version)
15. "Madness"
16. "Mercy"
17. "Time is Running Out"
18. "Houston Jam" (drum and bass jam, with "Futurism", "Unnatural Selection" and "Micro Cuts" riffs)
19. "Take a Bow"
20. "Prelude" + "Starlight"

Encore

21. "Algorithm"
22. "Metal Medley" (Extracts from "Stockholm Syndrome", "Assassin", "Reapers", "The Handler", "New Born")
23. "Man with a Harmonica" + "Knights of Cydonia"

Notes

• "Undisclosed Desires" was occasionally played at outdoor gigs from the European Leg onwards, being played after Dig Down.
• "Bliss" was occasionally played at outdoor gigs from the European leg onwards, being played after Hysteria.
• "The Void" was played on the 12, 14 and 15 September 2019, being played after "Dig Down".
• "Showbiz" was played at a few shows at the end of the tour after "Hysteria", mostly due to high fan demand for the song.
• "Metal Medley" was not played at the concert in Buenos Aires on 11 October 2019, due to poor weather.
• "Houston Jam" and "Take a Bow" were both skipped in the Latin American leg of the tour, being only performed in Mexico City.

Personnel

• Matt Bellamy - lead vocals, guitars, piano, synthesizers on "Algorithm"
• Chris Wolstenholme - bass, backing vocals, guitar on "Dig Down (Acoustic Gospel Version)", percussion on "Pray (High Valyrian)", harmonica on "Man with a Harmonica"
• Dominic Howard - electric & acoustic drums, percussion, backing vocals on "Supermassive Black Hole", synthesizers on "Take a Bow"
• Morgan Nicholls - keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals, percussion including cabasa on "Supermassive Black Hole", guitar on "Uprising", "Thought Contagion", "Mercy", & "Starlight"

Shows

List of concerts, showing date, city, country, venue, opening act, tickets sold, number of available tickets and amount of gross revenue

Date	City	Country	Venue	Opening act	Attendance[citation needed]	Revenue[citation needed]
Leg 1 — North America
22 February 2019	Houston	United States	Toyota Center	Walk the Moon	—	—
24 February 2019	Dallas		American Airlines Center		—	—
26 February 2019	Phoenix		Talking Stick Resort Arena		—	—
28 February 2019	Salt Lake City		Vivint Smart Home Arena		—	—
2 March 2019	Las Vegas		Mandalay Bay Events Center		8,084 / 8,084	$656,610
5 March 2019	San Diego		Pechanga Arena		—	—
7 March 2019	Sacramento		Golden 1 Center		5,781 / 14,801	$468,832
9 March 2019	Oakland		Oracle Arena		11,242 / 11,242	$960,794
11 March 2019	Inglewood		The Forum		12,662 / 12,662	$1,096,514
23 March 2019	Austin		Austin 360 Amphitheater		—	—
24 March 2019	Sunrise		BB&T Center		—	—
26 March 2019	Atlanta		State Farm Arena		6,513 / 6,513	$551,203
28 March 2019	Toronto	Canada	Scotiabank Arena		11,352 / 11,352	$682,726
30 March 2019	Montreal		Bell Centre		—	—
31 March 2019	Quebec City		Videotron Centre		—	—
2 April 2019	Washington, D.C.	United States	Capital One Arena	SWMRS	13,516 / 13,516	$1,083,160
4 April 2019	Detroit		Little Caesars Arena	Walk the Moon	9,515 / 12,699	$623,914
7 April 2019	Philadelphia		Wells Fargo Center	SWMRS	10,557 / 10,557	$708,322
8 April 2019	New York		Madison Square Garden	Walk the Moon	12,496 / 12,496	$984,373
10 April 2019	Boston		TD Garden		10,067 / 12,036	$827,792
12 April 2019	Chicago		United Center		—	—
Leg 2 — Europe
26 May 2019	Prague	Czech Republic	Letňany Airport	The Atavists Imodium	32,987 / 35,093	$2,251,588
28 May 2019	Budapest	Hungary	László Papp Sports Arena	Dinosaur Pile-Up	11,271 / 12,386	$868,582
29 May 2019	Graz	Austria	Stadthalle Graz		14,365 / 14,658	$1,029,318
1 June 2019	London	England	London Stadium	Tom Morello Pale Waves	72,721 / 72,721	$6,652,663
5 June 2019	Bristol		Ashton Gate Stadium		23,579 / 23,579	$2,068,648
8 June 2019[a]	Manchester		Etihad Stadium		43,128 / 43,128	$3,732,041
12 June 2019	Riga	Latvia	Arena Riga	Kiefer Sutherland	8,962 / 11,203	$902,904
15 June 2019	Moscow	Russia	Luzhniki Stadium		46,340 / 56,512	$3,683,656
18 June 2019	Helsinki	Finland	Suvilahti	Kiefer Sutherland The Amazons	15,979 / 15,979	$1,407,586
22 June 2019	Kraków	Poland	Tauron Arena	Allusinlove[6]	14,222 / 14,222	$1,182,544
27 June 2019	Nijmegen	Netherlands	Goffertpark	SWMRS Andy Burrows[7]	65,004 / 65,661	$4,276,518
29 June 2019	Cologne	Germany	RheinEnergieStadion	Andy Burrows The Amazons	40,400 / 42,526	$3,113,013
30 June 2019[b]	Werchter	Belgium	Werchter Festivalpark	—	—	—
3 July 2019	Zürich	Switzerland	Hallenstadion	SWMRS	13,300 / 13,300	$1,792,981
5 July 2019	Saint-Denis	France	Stade de France	Weezer Mini Mansions	131,321 / 147,552	$12,225,296
6 July 2019				SWMRS Mini Mansions
9 July 2019	Marseille		Stade Vélodrome		55,330 / 55,330	$4,432,254
12 July 2019	Milan	Italy	San Siro	Mini Mansions The Amazons	89,619 / 103,010	$6,158,308
13 July 2019				Mini Mansions Nic Cester
16 July 2019	Bordeaux	France	Matmut Atlantique		38,613 / 38,613	$3,063,978
20 July 2019	Rome	Italy	Stadio Olimpico		50,385 / 50,385	$3,506,064
24 July 2019	Lisbon	Portugal	Passeio Maritimo de Alges	Miles Kane Mini Mansions	—	—
26 July 2019	Madrid	Spain	Wanda Metropolitano	Mini Mansions Nic Cester	50,719 / 50,719	$4,083,636
7 September 2019	Oslo	Norway	Telenor Arena	Des Rocs[9]	12,666 / 18,357	$937,001
8 September 2019	Copenhagen	Denmark	Royal Arena		—	—
10 September 2019	Berlin	Germany	Mercedes-Benz Arena		12,500 / 13.441	$1,055,850
12 September 2019	Amsterdam	Netherlands	Ziggo Dome		—	—
14 September 2019	London	England	The O2 Arena	Nothing But Thieves	30,600 / 34,773	$3,032,640
15 September 2019
17 September 2019	Birmingham		Arena Birmingham		13,191 / 13,741	$1,192,030
Leg 3 — Asia
21 September 2019	Singapore		Marina Bay Street Circuit	Gwen Stefani Fatboy Slim	—	—
Leg 4 — Latin America
2 October 2019	Mexico City	Mexico	Foro Sol	The Ruse	94,400 / 122,597	$4,968,447
3 October 2019
6 October 2019[c]	Rio de Janeiro	Brazil	Barra Olympic Park	—	—	—
9 October 2019	São Paulo		Ginásio do Ibirapuera[d]	Kaiser Chiefs	8,480 / 8,480	$452,603
11 October 2019	Buenos Aires	Argentina	Hipódromo de Palermo	Airbag Kaiser Chiefs	14,378 / 17,973	$660,211
13 October 2019	Santiago	Chile	Pista Atletica	Kaiser Chiefs	15,701 / 18,692	$1,114,378
15 October 2019	Lima	Peru	Jockey Club del Peru		18,154 / 24,868	$1,447,698
Total[12]					1,308,531[citation needed]	$102,357,939 (55 shows)[citation needed]

Notes

1. Due to a medical emergency, Pale Waves were forced to cut their set short. As a result both Tom Morello and Muse were delayed.^{[citation needed]}
2. The concert on 30 June 2019 at Werchter Festival Park in Werchter was part of Rock Werchter festival.^[8]
3. The concert on 6 October 2019 at Barra Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro was part of Rock in Rio festival.^[10]
4. The concert in São Paulo on 9 October 2019 was originally scheduled in the Allianz Parque but it was moved to the Ginásio do Ibirapuera for undisclosed reasons.^[11]