Photo of Madonna by chrisweger (CC by 2.0)
Fans of Madonna in Florida are suing the singer and Live Nation in a class-action lawsuit over late concert starting times.
Nate Hollander is the person behind the suit. He says that, in August, he bought tickets to Madonna’s Miami Beach concert on December 17. Originally, it was set to begin at 8:30 p.m., but it has since been changed to 10:30 p.m., which Hollander claims is outrageous for a Tuesday night show in which people have to work the following day.
He further claims that the singer has been habitually late for performances during her current tour, which he says often start hours after their scheduled time.
Because of this, Hollander believes that his tickets have become devalued to the extent that their resale value is less than the $1,025 he paid for 3 tickets, and he insists that Live Nation is refusing to give him a refund. So, he is hoping to get others to join what he hopes will become a class-action suit for breach of contract, which will seek a yet unspecified amount of damages from the singer.
So far, representatives of Madonna have yet to comment on the suit, but the “Material Girl” herself has seemed to make reference to it in a recent appearance in Las Vegas.
During a concert on November 9, Madonna said, “Here’s something you all need to understand… and that is, that the queen is never late.”
Unsurprisingly, this comment did not go over well with some of her fans on Twitter. Some were mad about the change in times for future shows while others complained about her tardiness at past shows. Many were also complaining about the quality of her latest performances.
The late start date in Miami will also affect younger fans of Madonna. In Miami-Dade County, there is an 11:00 p.m. curfew for those 18 years of age and younger, who will now no longer be able to see the show.
While it sucks for fans when an artist does this kind of thing, there is little recourse. The contract of ticket purchases allows for changes by the artist, venue, etc.