New York, NY – Two Madonna fans in New York City are taking legal action against the pop icon, claiming that her recent shows started more than two hours late. The fans state that they would not have purchased tickets had they known the performance would end so late, according to court documents.
The lawsuit, filed by Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden, alleges that Madonna’s show at the Barclays Center in December 2023 was scheduled to begin at 8:30 PM but did not start until after 10:30 PM, concluding around 1:00 AM. The plaintiffs argue that this late start time inconvenienced many ticketholders, who had work and family responsibilities the next day.
In their legal complaint, Fellows and Hadden are suing the concert promoter Live Nation and the Barclays Center for false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices. The court documents also note that Madonna has a history of starting her concerts late, citing examples from previous tours.
This is not the first time Madonna has faced legal action over late starts to her shows. In 2019, a fan filed a lawsuit over a delayed US concert, although the case was voluntarily dismissed a month later. The pop star has also previously addressed her lateness, sharing a post in which she stated, “There’s something that you all need to understand. And that is, that a queen is never late.”
Madonna’s sold-out Celebration tour, which marked the 40th anniversary of her breakout single “Holiday,” included more than 40 songs from her career and played venues in the US, Canada, and Europe. The singer’s health scare last summer, when she was found unconscious in her New York apartment and rushed to the hospital for treatment of a serious bacterial infection, was also noted in the article.
The BBC has contacted Madonna, Live Nation, and the Barclays Center for comment, but as of yet, there has been no response from the parties involved.