On April 9, 2019, it was announced by local promoters Live Nation Israel that Madonna would perform at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 finale, stating she would "perform two songs, including a new song from her upcoming album". However, on May 14, Eurovision's then-executive supervisor Jon Ola Sand said they hadn't confirmed the singer's appearance as there was no "signed contract". The appearance was officially confirmed two days before the finale. Madonna performed "Future", along with her 1989 single "Like a Prayer", during the event, held on Tel Aviv on May 18. For the performance, Madonna was joined by Quavo and wore a black cape and eyepatch with the letter X while several dancers, who wore gas masks, fell to the ground. Halfway through, Madonna sang a fragment of her song "Dark Ballet". Also featured on the performance, were two dancers with Palestinian and Israeli flags on their backs holding each other. It ended with the phrase "Wake Up" being projected on a black screen, before Madonna fell backwards off the stage, hand-in-hand with Quavo.
The performance caused controversy, as it was seen as a political statement for the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Eurovision organizers said that part of the performance was not an approved part of the act; the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) released a statement saying Eurovision was a non-political event and that Madonna had been made aware. The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), along with other artists such as Roger Waters and Brian Eno, had previously called for a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest in support of Palestine, and even urged Madonna not to perform. Madonna said that she was never going to "stop playing music to suit someone's political agenda", to which the PACBI responded; "artwashing Israel's brutal oppression of Palestinians for a million dollars must be among the most immoral political agendas". Later, the Kan Israel Broadcasting Corporation sued Live Nation over the performance, claiming the singer's representatives had violated the terms of their agreement and "reneged on financial promises". CNN's Holly Thomas expressed that Madonna "didn't do or say much besides create an obtuse spectacle against the backdrop of a frankly terrible song" and "offered her audience no meaningful education of the conflict she alluded to". In addition to the controversy, the singer was criticized for her vocal performance; Netherlands announcer Emma Wortelboer quipped she was "thankful for Madonna's autotune" during the results segment of the competition. One day later, a video of the performance was uploaded to the singer's official YouTube account, this time her vocals were edited.
Madonna included "Future" in the setlist for her 2019−20 Madame X Tour. She played the piano, flanked by a pair of "robotic but sinuous" dancers with red lights on their eyes, while images of "urban and environmental destruction" and the word "warning" were projected on the video screen. Paper's Bradley Stern described the performance as "a more muted piano piece", compared to the "medieval-meets-post-apocalyptic moment on Eurovision". The performance was included on the live album Madame X: Music from the Theater Xperience.
