Opening Night of Madonna: The Celebration Tour - London© GettyImages

Madonna wants judge to dismiss lawsuit submitted by fans

“Defendants failed to provide any notice to the ticketholders that the concerts would start much later than the start time printed on the ticket.”


Daniel Neira - Los Angeles
Senior WriterLos Angeles
APRIL 5, 2024 5:57 PM EDT

Madonna has responded to the class action lawsuit submitted by fans following one of her shows in New York City back in January. The singer filed to dismiss the lawsuit, as attendees complained that the show started past the advertised time.

In her response to the lawsuit, Madonna’s legal team stated that the lawsuit does not constitute legal “injury,” as fans stated that they had to “get up early to go to work” and the concert affected their schedule on the next day.

Taking place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Madonna took the stage at 10:30, and concertgoers Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden filed the lawsuit after the singer was late for two hours, with the original start time advertised as 8:30 p.m.

© GettyImages

“Defendants failed to provide any notice to the ticketholders that the concerts would start much later than the start time printed on the ticket and as advertised,” the two concertgoers stated in the lawsuit, adding that Madonna’s tardiness was a “wanton exercise in false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices.”

© GettyImages

“Nowhere did Defendants advertise that Madonna would take the stage at 8.30 p.m., and no reasonable concertgoers — and certainly no Madonna fan — would expect the headline act at a major arena concert to take the stage at the ticketed event time,” the singer’s legal team responded.

“Rather, a reasonable concertgoer would understand that the venue’s doors will open at or before the ticketed time, one or more opening acts may perform while attendees arrive and make their way to their seats and before the headline act takes the stage, and the headline act will take the stage later in the evening,“ they concluded.