Sometimes it takes a little while to get into the groove. But for some fans, Madonna is taking a little too long. As such, they are suing the Queen of Pop for cherishing her time at the expense of ticket buyers, taking the stage in Washington D.C. two hours later than was advertised.
A trio of fans launched their lawsuit due to Madonna coming on at 10:30 p.m. as opposed to the 8:30 p.m. start time listed on their tickets. As per the claim (obtained by Rolling Stone), the purchasers “had to leave the concerts early prior to the concerts’ conclusion, therefore depriving each of them of the benefit of seeing the complete concert.” According to setlist.fm, each show at the Capital One Arena lasted between 2:10 and 2:15, meaning the concert should have been close to wrapping up by the time Madonna actually took the stage.
But that’s not all the fans are upset about. Also in their filing were allegations that Madonna “maintain[ed] a hot and uncomfortable temperature in the venue during her performance” and that she also “lip sync[ed] much of her performance.” The lawsuit – which cites a breach of contract in addition to other claims – also states, “In essence, Madonna and Live Nation are a consumer’s worst nightmare.” We definitely agree with the second part…
Madonna’s Celebration Tour has been plagued with issues. At one point she had to postpone it due to health issues stemming from a bacterial infection. And this isn’t the first time that ticket buyers have enacted legal action against Madonna for a late start time – one such case came about when (again, according to setlist.fm) one Brooklyn show started at 10:50 p.m.!
Late concert start times – especially for premiere acts – is nothing new. Realistically, you should never expect the advertised start time to be when they take the stage. Still, two hours is absolutely ridiculous and apparently a habit that Madonna can justify, reportedly telling the crowd, “I am sorry I am late no, I am not sorry, it’s who I am… I’m always late.” The Celebration Tour is set to take a bow next month.
What do you think of Madonna starting her concerts two hours after the advertised time? Do you think the concertgoers have a leg to stand on? Drop your thoughts below!