Fans Take Legal Action Against Madonna for Delayed Concert

Two fans of Madonna in New York City have initiated a lawsuit against the pop icon for the delayed start of her concert, asserting that they “had to get up early to go to work” the following day.

The legal action, lodged on Wednesday in a federal court in Brooklyn, was brought by Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden, who purchased tickets for a show on December 13 at the Barclays Center, a part of Madonna’s Celebration tour.

The concert was scheduled to commence at 8.30pm, but the musician, aged 65, didn’t appear on stage until after 10.30pm, as per the lawsuit.

When the two attendees departed past 1am, they were “left stranded in the middle of the night” and faced “limited public transportation, limited ride-sharing, and/or increased public and private transportation costs”.

The lawsuit alleges that the late conclusion of the weekday show also impacted their ability to “take care of their family responsibilities the next day”. Fellows and Hadden are accusing Madonna, Barclays Center, and tour promoter Live Nation of “unconscionable, unfair, and/or deceptive trade practices” due to the postponed start time, which they argue is a breach of contract and “a wanton exercise in false advertising”.

The lawsuit is aiming for class action status for attendees of other late-starting Celebration shows, including Madonna’s subsequent two concerts in New York on December 14 and 16.

In the live music industry, delays are not unusual. Madonna has previously faced similar lawsuits: in 2019, a fan from Florida argued that her tardiness on her Madame X tour was a breach of contract; and again in 2020, in a lawsuit filed by two concertgoers from New York.

Both lawsuits were eventually voluntarily dismissed.