Fans Sue Madonna for False Advertising after Starting Shows Late

Life is a mystery and so is the time Madonna starts her shows, according to a new lawsuit.

Madonna may have been hearing fans call her name but she didn’t take the stage at three shows in New York City last month until after 10:30 p.m., more than two hours after the advertised start times of 8:30 p.m., according to two concertgoers who filed a lawsuit against the pop superstar last week.

The lawsuit accuses the Material Girl of failing to provide material information about the actual start times of the shows, which were stops on her ongoing Celebration Tour. The suit also names the Brooklyn venue the Barclays Center and tour promoter Live Nation, which owns and sells tickets through Ticketmaster, as defendants.

The lawsuit states that if concertgoers had known the shows would start after 10:30 p.m., they never would have agreed to purchase the tickets.

Defendants’ actions constitute not just a breach of their contracts with Plaintiffs and the Class Members, but also a wanton exercise in false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices.

The lawsuit alleges that these practices violate New York state laws.

This isn’t the first time the Queen of Pop has had an issue with tardiness, according to the suit.

Madonna has a long history of arriving and starting her concerts late, sometimes several hours late. This history occurred throughout her 2016 Rebel Heart Tour, her 2019-2020 Madame X Tour, and prior tours, where Madonna continuously started her concerts over two hours late.

Madonna and Live Nation were previously sued twice for starting shows on the Madame X Tour as much as three hours late. Both cases were voluntarily dismissed.

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On the afternoon of the first show on Dec. 13, the Barclays Center tweeted out that doors would open at 7:30 p.m. and the show would start at 8:30 p.m. The tweet didn’t mention any opening act.

The tweet linked to the Barclays Center website, where all three shows (Dec. 13, 14 and 16) were advertised to begin at 8:30 p.m. Under “Event Information,” the venue noted that Madonna would be bringing a guest, Bob the Drag Queen, but didn’t specify how he would be featured as part of the show. According to reports, Bob has been opening for Madonna on the Celebration Tour.

Madonna is back in NYC this week, with shows at Madison Square Garden tonight and tomorrow. The start times for both concerts, according to Ticketmaster and MSG, is 8:30 p.m. Whether that means that’s when Bob will walk out or Madonna will emerge or anybody at all remains to be seen.

Live Nation and the Barclays Center did not respond to a request for comment. Madonna could not be reached for comment.

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