A recent incident finds pop star Madonna in a legal battle. She has a class action filed by New York fans Michael Fellowes and Jonathan Hayden, who were upset that her concerts started later than scheduled. The Act accuses Madonna and music giant Live Nation of “falsely advertising, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair and deceptive commercial practices.”Attendees say tickets started at 10:30 pm despite being advertised at 8:30 pm.
Madonna asks court to dismiss lawsuit over late concert start times.
In January, two fans filed a lawsuit against Madonna for starting her concert more than two hours late. They accused her of “false advertising, negligent representation, and unfair and deceptive trade… PIC.TWITTER.COM/OWPOIIOPUJ
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) APRIL 4, 2024
Madonna’s legal team has filed a motion to dismiss the ruling. Supposedly, any reasonable concert-goer—and certainly no Madonna fan—would expect a mainstay in a significant arena concert to be on stage during a ticketed event.
If they had known when Madonna would take the stage, “they wouldn’t have paid for tickets,” the two fans said. They alleged that the delays, which recurred at subsequent Brooklyn demonstrations on December 14 and 16, constituted “false advertising, misrepresentation, deceptive commercial practices, and arbitrary injustice.”
Three December shows were initially scheduled in Brooklyn in July but were rescheduled due to the singer’s illness. This sparked a dispute over starting more than two hours later than advertised. Those suing the plaintiff said they had to “get up early and go to work” the next day.
Madonna’s legal team argues it is not a legitimate injury. Concertgoers are said to be well aware that the actual start time may not coincide precisely with the printed ticket time. Material Girl’s defense stresses that it’s unrealistic to expect specific start times for major local concerts. Therefore, the court is being urged to dismiss the case.
This case is sparking a legal debate with significant implications for the entertainment industry. Should concert start times be legal? Ultimately, the courts will decide whether this is a legitimate legal issue or a nuisance to concertgoers.
Interestingly, one of the plaintiffs even “raved” about the show on social media before the lawsuit was filed, describing it as “fantastic, as always!” This raises questions about the relationship between an artist’s responsibility and fan expectations.
Pending the court’s decision, one can’t help but wonder: Where can the line be drawn between an artist’s creative freedom and a fan’s right to timely performance?
