Two Madonna fans in New York City are suing the pop star for starting her concert late, claiming that they “had to get up early to go to work” the next morning.
In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court, Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden say they bought tickets to a 13 December show at Barclays Center as part of Madonna’s Celebration tour.
The show was advertised to start at 8.30pm, but the 65-year-old musician did not take the stage until after 10.30pm, according to the lawsuit.
By the time the two concertgoers left after 1am, they were “left stranded in the middle of the night” and “confronted with limited public transportation, limited ride-sharing, and/or increased public and private transportation costs”.
The late finish on the weeknight show also affected their ability to “take care of their family responsibilities the next day”, the lawsuit alleges.
Fellows and Hadden are accusing Madonna, Barclays Center, and tour promoter Live Nation of “unconscionable, unfair, and/or deceptive trade practices” for the delayed start time, which the pair argues constitutes a breach of contract and “a wanton exercise in false advertising”.
The suit is seeking class action status for attenders of other Celebration shows which started late, including Madonna’s next two concerts in New York on 14 and 16 December.
Delays are not uncommon in the live music world. Madonna herself has faced similar lawsuits: in 2019, when a Florida fan argued that her lateness on her Madame X tour was a breach of contract; and again in 2020, in a lawsuit filed by two New York concertgoers.
Both lawsuits were later voluntarily dismissed.
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Madonna’s current Celebration tour was rescheduled from last July after the singer was hospitalised for a bacterial infection. The tour continues until its last stop in Mexico in April.
Madonna, Live Nation and Barclays Center have been approached for comment.