Madonna Broke A MAJOR Rule During Her Second Celebration Tour Performance
By Afouda Bamidele on October 17, 2023 at 5:45 AM EDT
Madonna's Celebration Tour has already hit a major snag in its early days! Day two of the singer's comeback tour did not go as planned after the Queen of Pop broke a strict gig curfew.
Over the weekend, the "Vogue" songstress kicked off her Celebration Tour in London at the O2 Arena in Greenwich. During the shows, the Pop cultural icon proved her status as a music icon was far from over at 65. However, it could cost her a hefty fine for going over the scheduled time.
Madonna Might Pay A $365k Fine For Breaking O2 Arena's Strict Rules
Sunday marked the second day of the singer's world tour, but her performances were a far cry from the first day. Unfortunately, the media personality was forced to cut her gig short following technical issues.
On Saturday, Madonna gave the audience a spectacular 140-minute set for the opening night of her Celebration Tour. However, she could not replicate the same results on the second day as she made it to the stage by 9 pm, leaving little room for her to beat the Arena's strict 10:30 pm curfew.
Despite her best efforts to give a memorable performance, the 65-year-old had to cut out beloved hit songs including "Like a Virgin" and "Celebration." Nonetheless, it was not enough to stop her from spending an extra 30 minutes on stage and ending the concert at 11 pm amid warnings that fans might miss the last Tube trains.
As a result, she might be subjected to paying a hefty fine of £300,000 ($364,990) in accordance with Curfew rules drawn up by the arena’s operators and Transport for London. Per The Sun, defaulters are required to pay a fine of £10,000 ($12,166) per minute for every minute exceeded.
However, the "Ray of Light" songstress might dodge the bullet as the Greenwich Council insisted its midnight curfew was not broken. A rep for the council explained they would not be pursuing the matter, saying: “We do not intend to investigate.”
Naturally, concertgoers were heartbroken over the incident with many expressing their displeasure on social media. One upset fan slammed the venue's rigid rules, writing: “How dare the b-----s at the O2 cut Madonna short.”
The Queen Of Pop Honored Beyoncé On The First Day Of Her Celebration World Tour
Regardless of the hiccups, the Billboard Touring Award recipient launched her world tour in true Madonna fashion with a fantastic interlude. Before the iconic singer took the stage to deliver her hit songs, she took a moment to honor a fellow legend, Beyoncé.
The "La Isla Bonita" songstress included a sweet video of the former Destiny's Child member celebrating her legacy in the interlude. As photos of Madonna over the years flashed across the screen, Queen Bey popped up, hailing the 65-year-old as an essential inspiration behind her successful career. In the clip, the "Crazy in Love" artist said:
“I felt like I wanted to follow in the footsteps of Madonna, and be a powerhouse, and have my own Empire.”
The Raising Malawi founder's homage to Beyoncé did not end there, as she also incorporated the Houston native's vocals from "BREAK MY SOUL (Queens Remix)" in her show. Fans may recall that the "Lion King" actress released the remix, which includes elements from Madonna’s 1990 “Vogue” track.
The "Evita" star's tribute to Beyoncé touched the hearts of many, with one social media user claiming: “Madonna is making one thing clear: the only person who she thinks can fill the space she will leave is Beyoncé.” Another remarked, “If it’s one thing queen M is gonna do is not censor s— Queens supporting queens.”
Madonna Revealed She Lost Five Days Worth Of Memories After Bacterial Infection
Apart from celebrating Beyoncé on the first day of her Celebration Tour, the seven-time Grammy winner got candid about the aftermath of her health scare. During her performance, the "Papa Don't Preach" songstress revealed she suffered from memory loss following a severe bacterial infection.
"I didn’t think I would make it, and neither did my doctors. That’s why I woke up with all of my children sitting around me. I forgot five days of my life or my death, I don’t really know where I was," Madonna confessed.
"But the angels were protecting me. And my children were there. And my children always save me, every time," the doting mother added before expressing gratitude to her kids for pulling her through the emotional period. In the entertainer's words:
“If you want to know how I pulled through and how I survived, I thought, I have got to be there for my children. I have to survive for them.”
Madonna's world tour was initially set to start in July. However, the "Material Girl" singer suffered from a bacterial infection that led to her admission to the ICU. The media personality was intubated after she was discovered unconscious in her New York City apartment.
