Madonna surprised New Year's Eve revellers at New York City’s iconic Stonewall Inn with words of encouragement – and a performance of two songs.
“Let’s take a moment to reflect on how we can bring more love and peace into 2019,” the pop icon said. “In this new year, let’s commit to disarming people with unexpected acts of kindness.
“Let’s be counterintuitive. Share what you know with someone you don’t agree with … Let’s try to be more forgiving. Maybe we will find an opening to let the light come in.”
Madonna, a longtime ally of the LGBT community, arrived just after midnight at the Stonewall Inn with her son David Banda.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of riots at the Greenwich Village bar, the birthplace of the modern fight for LGBT equality.
“If we truly look and we truly take the time to get to know one another, we would find that we all bleed the same colour and we all need to love and be loved,” Madonna said.
“Let’s be giants and carry each other on our shoulders into the new year and into the future of love and understanding.”
With Banda on acoustic guitar, Madonna led the crowd in a singalong of “Like a Prayer” followed by a version of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
Watch part of Madonna’s surprise appearance below: (Warning: Contains language some may find offensive.)