Fans Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden made the claim after December 13’s concert at the Barclays Center did not begin until after 22:30, despite being scheduled to start at 20:30. The show did not finish until after 1am, with the pair claiming further late start times for the two other Barclays Center shows.
The lawsuit accused Madonna, promoter Live Nation and Barclays Center of breaching contracts with ticket buyers and of “false advertising, negligent representation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices”. The pair said they would not have purchased tickets if they had known how late the concert would finish.
According to reports, the new filing from Madonna’s representatives said: “Plaintiffs speculate that ticket-holders who left the venue after 1am might have had trouble getting a ride home or might have needed to wake up early the next day for work. That is not a cognizable injury.”
Following the claim, Live Nation and Madonna’s representatives said in a statement that the late start time was down to a technical issue encountered during soundcheck.
As per the BBC, the statement said: “The shows opened in North America at Barclays in Brooklyn as planned, with the exception of a technical issue December 13 during soundcheck.
“This caused a delay that was well documented in press reports at the time.”
The concerts were part of Madonna’s ‘Celebration Tour’, which began in October.