Madonna angers Aussie fans after appearing two and a half hours late for show

Australia has waited 23 years for Madonna to return to their shores, but at her concert in Brisbane this week, they were forced a little longer, as the star was over 2 hours late for the show. The concert on March 16 was scheduled to start at 9pm, but was pushed back to 10.30pm, to the frustration of fans. Then, they were left to wait further, when she did not appear at this time. Angry fans took to Twitter, and spoke to news outlets as they waited for the Queen of Pop, with Nathanael Cooper of the Brisbane Times calling it "breathtakingly arrogant."

Madonna causes outrage at Brisbane #RebelHeartTour turning up three hours late, is this pure disrespect? #9Today https://t.co/4z37raJvZz

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) March 16, 2016

When she finally appeared on stage to perform opening number 'Iconic' it was 11.22pm. She then joked with the audience that she was “hardly ever late.” She added, “It’s you people that get here early that’s the problem. Stay home, do your hair and makeup, have a tequila. Roll yourself a fat one … no, I don’t believe in that shit. Just come late and I won’t have to come early. We’ve got three more shows and we want to fix the problem.” However, the Australian Associated Press reports that when she finally did appear, the crowd were “eating from the palm of her hand from the moment she appeared on stage in a metal cage.” By the time the show ended, public transport had long finished for the night, and fans were informed by promoters that the star would be late the following evening also. There were reports of people receiving refunds, and as a result, fans shared pictures of a half empty arena from last night's show (March 17).

Lots of empty seats #Madonna. Pic taken three minutes ago pic.twitter.com/GVipK976iv — Anthony Sherratt (@AnthonySherratt) March 17, 2016

She caused further controversy during last night's performance after exposing a 17-year-old fan's breast by accident. The Queen of Pop was an hour late for a Manchester show in December, something she blamed on technical difficulties - again, she complained about the audience's impatience. However, the star largely has a reputation for being on time. Her Australian leg of the Rebel Heart Tour has been marked by her personal battles with her son Rocco, to whom she has been dedicating songs, and even crying tears over, during her shows. Madonna has two final shows in Sydney on Saturday and Sunday, which will be filmed for an official film, marking the end of the tour. More stories Madonna hits back at claims she was drunk on stage Madonna chokes up on stage as she dedicates song to recently estranged son Rocco