Gaga concluded the performance by emerging from behind jungle-like scenery dressed in a seashell bikini, big blonde curly wig and took a bow. The singer collaborated with theater director Robert Wilson on the performance. His designed set featured a shimmering white jungle background with letters spelling "Applause" suspended from tree branches. Gaga relegated the performance as a "metaphor" for herself and felt it was "the most physically challenging performance I've done, ever". "Applause" was the final song Gaga performed at London's Roundhouse as part of a show that was broadcast live online on September 1, 2013 for the month-long iTunes Festival. Gaga completed her last look of the show with "a green ringmaster jacket, top hat and sparkly silver boots" and performed the song alongside "an endless supply of supple dancers in gothy fetish wear" who danced behind her on chairs. On September 9, 2013, Gaga performed the song on "Good Morning America" and appeared dressed as multiple characters from "The Wizard of Oz". "Applause" served as the encore during the singer's "Artpop" launch party event, dubbed the ArtRave, held in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York during the early hours of November 11, 2013. The singer was the host of the November 16, 2013 episode of "Saturday Night Live", where she opened the program with a "Chicago"-style performance of "Applause", which subsequently morphed into a rendition of "New York, New York". Later that month, Gaga also performed the song on the television special "Lady Gaga and the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular" as both a solo and a reprise with The Muppets. Another performance took place at the Jingle Bell Ball on December 8, 2013, where she sang "Applause" along with other songs from her discography. Gaga reprised "Applause" at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas in March 2014, where she was joined onstage by her opening acts and friends, the Dirty Pearls, Semi Precious Weapons and Lady Starlight. "Applause" was later included in the setlist of Gaga's Manhattan residency show at Roseland Ballroom. Gaga appeared in a purple sequin studded two-piece with a matching face-mask and green colored wig during the performance. The song was included on the set list of her tour. Following "Bad Romance", Gaga joined her dancers on the catwalks, where she performed a choreographed dance routine in a rave inspired outfit.