The last time Eminem leapt onto the stage wearing a hockey mask and wielding a chainsaw was about 20 years ago, ruffling feathers in the industry as a white rapper dominating a predominantly black genre and testing music censors with lyrics loaded with shock value.

That time was considered the golden age of reality television and talk shows, whose topics dovetailed with Eminem’s acerbic lyrics about domestic drama and societal dysfunction. This synergy helped turn hits such as The Real Slim Shady and Stan into breakout anthems, making them intrinsic to the soundtrack of the era.

About a quarter of a century later, Eminem is seemingly calling time on the alter-ego Slim Shady, the character partly responsible for those venomous – and in some cases, admittedly hilarious – anthems. His Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix concert at Etihad Park is supposedly part of the farewell tour, which comes on the back of this year’s 12th album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace).

Following a similar performance in October at the United States Grand Prix in Texas, the gig was only the second full-length show of a planned world stadium tour taking place in 2025. Here’s what you need to know before Eminem’s show rolls into a city near you.

Setting the scene

Gotham City meets graveyard serves as the stage design for Eminem’s new tour.

Most of the nine members of Eminem’s backing band, including DJ Alchemist, are silhouetted and stand on elevated platforms flanked by cemetery walls. At the centre, open gates reveal a staircase leading to a coffin emblazoned with “Slim Shady”, from which Eminem emerges to begin the concert.

Each song features its own striking visual backdrop. Highlights include a torn American flag billowing amid a fiery storm during White America, while Rap God offers an interesting juxtaposition between Eminem’s rapid-fire delivery and a stern, aging image of himself.

The side screens provide mostly black-and-white close-up footage of the artist marauding across the stage.

The songs, blending old and new

Eminem performs with Mr Porter at Etihad Park. Photo: Jeremy Deputat

While Eminem’s tours often evolve to include new material in the setlist, the US and Abu Dhabi GP concerts provide a strong insight into the tracks that will set the agenda. When it comes to tracks from The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace), the stomping Lucifer kicks off the show, with supporting MC Mr Porter doing a fine job of singing the soulful chorus originally provided by Sly Piper on the recording. Other new tracks featured include the stirring Temporary and the lead hit single Houdini.

With the 2020 album Music to Be Murdered By released during the pandemic, Eminem’s new tour offers an opportunity to hear choice cuts from the album, including Godzilla and Higher. Meanwhile, the eponymous track from the 2000 Marshall Mathers LP album has also been dusted off after 12 years out of rotation.

The flow of the show

With more than two decades worth of hits and an army of stans, the challenge Eminem has is to create a set that appeals to both the masses and die-hard fans.

Over the past four tours, where Eminem fully transitioned into stadium venues, he has managed to achieve that with a slick show lasting nearly two hours and spanning about 30 songs. The setlist is tightly curated, opening with high-tempo numbers such as Square Dance, Won’t Back Down and Kill You. The back-to-back combination of Godzilla and Rap God is a crowd pleaser, with both tracks showcasing Eminem’s high-speed delivery.

Eminem’s new tour incorporates new and old songs. Reuters

The second half of the show features frequent collaborator Skylar Grey, who joins for the big, emotive anthems such as Stan, Love the Way You Lie, The Monster and Somebody Save Me. The latest addition, Temporary, also creates a stirring moment, with Grey and Eminem performing most of the song sat on a staircase. The show ends with a flurry of hits including My Name Is and The Real Slim Shady before the grand finale.

It’s mostly thrilling stuff, but the drawback to such a tightly-managed approach is that the overall setlist – with the exception of new songs from current albums – has rarely deviated since the 2018 Revival tour.

Is Eminem’s world tour worth attending?

Eminem played to more than 40,000 people at Etihad Park. Photo: Jeremy Deputat

As his Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix gig proved, Eminem is still a beast on the microphone and his chemistry with Mr Porter and Skylar Grey is effortless. His acclaim hasn’t dimmed his hunger or love for the craft, with the star delivering each song with his trademark intensity. He even pays tribute to classic hip-hop acts through his wardrobe – at Etihad Park, his T-shirt featured the cover of American hip-hop duo EPMD’s 1989 classic album Strictly Business.

But despite all the hype surrounding the concept of The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace), the tour – from what we’ve seen so far – rarely engages with the theme. Apart from a faux television news segment announcing the death of Slim Shady, the new stage design, and Eminem’s nostalgic concert presence, much of the show feels like a reprise of previous tours. Time will tell whether this aspect will be explored further during what is shaping up to be one of the biggest musical tours of 2025.