Together Again: Legendary pop singer will rekindle her love affair with Kansas City

Janet Jackson and Kansas City seem to have a love affair.

Since the iconic pop singer began headlining concert tours 32 years ago, she has scheduled a stop here for all of them — and fans have bought nearly every ticket available. Now she will bring her Together Again Tour to the T-Mobile Center on May 2.

Jackson, 56, announced earlier this week that her ninth major world tour and first in four years will span 33 cities, starting April 14 at the Hard Rock Live Arena in Hollywood, Florida. With Ludacris opening, she will be celebrating her 50th anniversary in entertainment as well as the 25th anniversary of her “The Velvet Rope” album and the 30th of “Janet.”

“Really can’t wait to see u guys,” she wrote on Twitter and Facebook.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer known for her sexy shows last appeared in Kansas City on Oct. 19, 2017, at the Sprint Center (now T-Mobile), where she also played on Oct. 24, 2008.

The youngest of the singing Jackson siblings previously played to packed houses at Kemper Arena in 1990, 1998 and 2001, as well as at Sandstone (now Azura) Amphitheater in 1994 and Starlight Theatre in 2011. Her Unbreakable Tour date at the Sprint Center in 2016 was postponed because of her pregnancy and evolved into the State of the World Tour.

At that 2017 Sprint Center show, she presented her usual high-energy singing and dancing 10 months after giving birth to her first and only child at the age of 50.

Another of her Kansas City highlights came in 1994, when she participated in the city’s gun buyback program. Each $25 worth of guns earned a concert ticket — while they lasted.

During her 2001 Kemper appearance, her rendition of “Would You Mind” included pulling a fan from the audience, then groping and straddling him before both disappeared through a trap door on the stage floor.

Next year’s concert will feature Jackson’s biggest hits plus new music.

Tickets ($39.95-$499.95) for the May 2 show will go on sale to the general public at 11 a.m. Dec. 16 and will be available at ticketmaster.com or t-mobilecenter.com. Presales for aisle seats, VIP packages and Citi Card members began Dec. 13.

This story was originally published December 12, 2022 at 11:10 AM.