Madonna sued by fans for alleged late start on The Celebration Tour date

Madonna is facing a lawsuit from two fans who claim they were left “stranded in the middle of the night” after her 13 December The Celebration Tour show at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center allegedly started over two hours late.

The class action lawsuit, filed on 18 January in a Brooklyn federal court, states that Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden bought tickets for Madonna’s concert “with the understanding that the concert would begin at 8:30 pm as advertised on the tickets and all promotional materials.” However, Madonna did not take the stage until at least 10:30 pm, the Guardian reported.

The suit alleges that the late start affected concertgoers who relied on public transportation or had responsibilities to attend to the next morning. “Many ticketholders who attended concerts on a weeknight had to get up early to go to work and/or take care of their family responsibilities the next day,” the court documents state.

Fellows and Hadden are seeking damages from Madonna, promoter Live Nation, and the Barclays Center for “false advertising, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices.” They argue that the defendants should have notified ticket holders about the delayed start time.

Not the first time Madonna has been sued for alleged lateness

This is not the first time Madonna has faced legal trouble over her punctuality. In 2019, a Florida man sued the singer for arriving late to a Madame X tour date. And in 2020, two other New York fans filed a similar lawsuit. Both cases were later dismissed.

In Attitude’s The Celebration Tour review last year, our reviewer noted: “Sadly, due to a late start and O2 curfews, the five-song-long encore (including ‘Like a Virgin’, ‘Celebration’ and ‘Music’) was cut from proceedings and audiences were rushed out of the arena by security following ‘Rain’. It was a shame for those attending night two, and one can only hope the remaining four nights end less abruptly.”

Madonna’s massive tour kicked off last October at London’s O2 Arena. The Celebration Tour is due to conclude on 26 April in Mexico City, following five sold out dates in the city.

Attitude has contacted Madonna’s management for comment.