Madonna became emotional as she honoured the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting during her concert in Miami, Florida on Tuesday.
The Vogue singer took a moment during her Celebration Tour stop to recognise those affected by the tragedy, during which 49 people were killed and 53 were injured at a gay nightclub in Orlando seven years ago.
"I want to draw attention to that moment because nightclubs and music and dance are what bring us together. They shouldn't be places or things that we do that bring us sadness and tragedy and murder and death and pain and suffering and trauma," Madonna said, according to footage obtained by local outlet WKMG News 6. "But, unfortunately, human beings are still stuck in some kind of a rut."
The pop superstar told the crowd that she would "always stand for the gays" because "the gays have always stood for me" and revealed that she had invited some of the survivors and their family members to her show. She gave a shout-out to some of them and shared their stories.
Admitting she was feeling "very emotional", Madonna continued, "My job is to bring people together, to make people dance, to make people happy, to not judge. This s**t is not supposed to happen. Don't forget about it."
The 65-year-old's voice wavered with emotion as she asked the audience to turn on their phone lights to signify their "ability to shine light in the world and to make a difference".
"Light up this room, so we are all reminded that their lives were not taken in vain," she said, before encouraging her fans to share their light with friends, families, loved ones, "people we don't understand" and "people we think are our enemies".
Madonna then launched into an acoustic rendition of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive.
