A concert tour (or simply tour ) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often, concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific tour with a particular album or product. Especially in the popular music world, such tours can become large-scale enterprises that last for several months or even years, are seen by hundreds of thousands or millions of people, and bring in millions of dollars in ticket revenues. A performer who embarks on a concert tour is called a touring artist .
97-465: The Femme Fatale Tour was the eighth concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears . It was launched in support of her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale (2011). It was officially announced in March 2011, initially with dates for North American venues revealed. The tour was originally planned as a co-headlining tour with Enrique Iglesias , but he canceled only hours after the announcement. The show
194-498: A subpoena at a federal court to obtain personal details from YouTube of the user who uploaded the video, including the IP address , e-mail address and any other relevant information to identify the person. Although it is common for major music labels to send takedown requests to YouTube, it is thought to be the first time the RIAA filed legal action against the video hosting site in order to obtain
291-431: A bigger, a brighter, a more spectacular show." She stated that as much as her set was about the music, she wanted to put more theater on stage, saying, "my goal [is] to truly put on a show and incorporate theater and dance." The hair and make-up was done by Marco Berardini, who was inspired by European women such as Brigitte Bardot . "It's the epitome of a strong woman. I wanted to bring out that strength and sexiness for all
388-547: A co-headlining tour with Enrique Iglesias , starting in June 2011. Hours after the announcement, it was reported by Billboard that Iglesias had pulled out of the tour. Ray Wedell of Billboard speculated that the reason may have been that Spears was deemed by news outlets as the headliner, while Iglesias was considered the opening act . The first twenty-six North American dates were also announced on March 29, 2011. The opening acts were announced on April 12, 2011. Spears stated, "This
485-403: A concert incident. In June 2013, Live Nation was charged with violating Ontario health and safety laws following a 2012 stage collapse at a Radiohead concert that killed one crew member. A 2019 inquest returned a verdict of accidental death . A British inquest later that year found that inadequate technical advice and construction techniques had caused the death. On October 1, 2017,
582-497: A concert promotion firm and ticketing company, reached an agreement to merge. The new company received regulatory approval and was named Live Nation Entertainment. Michael Rapino , then CEO of Live Nation, became the new company's CEO, while Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff was named executive chairman. The merger was approved first in Norway and Turkey in 2009. The United Kingdom's Competition Commission provisionally ruled against
679-884: A controlling interest in BottleRock Napa Valley Music Festival, Salt Lake City-based concert promoter United Concerts, and CT Touring. In 2021, Live Nation acquired a majority stake in streaming entertainment company Veeps. In 2013, the company acquired the New Orleans Voodoo Music + Arts Experience . Live Nation later acquired C3 Presents in Austin, Texas (2014), Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee (2015), Knoxville-based AC Entertainment (2016), Red Mountain Entertainment (2018), and Emporium Presents. In October 2019, Live Nation acquired
776-675: A controlling interest in Israeli promoter Blue Stone Entertainment and the United Kingdom 's Cuffe & Taylor. In May 2018, Live Nation Entertainment also acquired a majority stake in Brazil 's Rock in Rio festival, including from previous stakeholder SFX Entertainment , which was involved in a failed attempt at a U.S. version of the event in Las Vegas , with its founder Roberto Medina continuing to manage
873-460: A decade. Spears has named the Femme Fatale Tour as the "best" show of her career. The tour, divided in five segments, portrays a story in which Spears is a secret agent, who is chased by a stalker named Tormento Lancie (played by Rudolf Martin ). The first section features her escaping from prison, along with other female inmates. The second segment displays upbeat dance numbers, and ends with
970-472: A great artist in every way and I'm really happy for her. I think she has a distinct sound when she raps. It really stands out and sets her apart from everyone else. I'm happy she's able to be on tour with me because that's just amazing." —Spears talking about Nicki Minaj. After Minaj was announced as the opening act in April 2011, she said on Ryan Seacrest's radio show she was looking forward to creating "a new,
1067-481: A gross of $ 68.7 million. 697,957 tickets were sold worldwide, with an average attendance of 8,724 (some venues were considerably larger), paying an average of $ 98.43. In an interview on Ryan Seacrest 's radio show on March 4, 2011, Spears stated she would tour the United States in the "early summer" in support of Femme Fatale . On March 29, 2011, following her performances on Good Morning America , she announced
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#17328527837721164-1211: A majority stake in David Grutman 's Groot Hospitality, which includes several nightclubs and restaurants in the Miami metropolitan area , including the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel's LIV nightclub. In 2018, the company acquired majority stakes in Wisconsin -based Frank Productions. In 2012, the company announced a partnership with Creativeman Productions, based in Tokyo , Japan. In August 2015, Live Nation announced it would form Live Nation Germany, in partnership with German promoter Marek Lieberberg . Live Nation Germany would also have oversight over Live Nation events in Austria and Switzerland . In February 2016, Live Nation acquired Canada's largest independent concert promoter, Union Events. The following month in March 2016, Live Nation acquired Big Concerts International, South Africa's leading concert promoter. In 2017, Live Nation purchased
1261-554: A medley of " ...Baby One More Time " and " S&M ", while her next number "Trouble for Me" features Spears and her dancers performing in the B-stage. Accompanied by her female dancers, Spears performs " I'm a Slave 4 U " with gay soft porn in the backdrops, and subsequently a cover of Madonna 's " Burning Up " sitting atop a giant silver guitar. She then brings several fans onstage for a performance of " I Wanna Go ". She performs " Womanizer " with her dancers dressed as policemen and thanks
1358-776: A new form of theatrical entertainment, a fusion of song, performance art, innovative stage craft, and state-of-the-art technology. She managed to popularize the Las Vegas residency as a desirable way for top artists to essentially tour in place, letting their fans come to them. American singer Lady Gaga , who cancelled the 2018 European leg of her Joanne World Tour , signed for a Las Vegas residency to help manage her fibromyalgia illness, which can be exacerbated by touring. The 2015 study by charity Help Musicians found that over 60% of musicians suffered from depression or other psychological issues, with touring an issue for 71% of respondents. Live Nation Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.
1455-421: A partnership with deal-of-the-day website Groupon . A spokesperson explained, "Offering a deal on Groupon is not a reflection of the quality or status or sales of a show" but rather "segmented marketing and a way to reach new and additional consumers." A staff editor for VH1 noted that as of June 16, 2011, 18,000 tickets were sold at discounted prices through Groupon for fifteen of the first twenty-four dates of
1552-612: A performance inspired by Marilyn Monroe . The third section features an Egyptian theme, with fireworks and acrobatics. The fourth segment displays energetic routines and motorcycle costumes. The encore begins with a video interlude of Spears capturing the stalker, and is followed by two performances in which she defeats a group of ninjas . The Femme Fatale Tour received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Some described it as Spears' most entertaining show and praised her performance, while others criticized her dancing and lack of audience interaction. The tour, in total, grossed $ 6.2 million in
1649-531: A pink convertible Mini Cooper -like car and her dancers wearing colorful outfits. This is followed by a segment in which Spears and her dancers select a male member from the audience. She then bursts into "Lace and Leather" and performs sensually for him. After a costume change, Spears goes into the song " If U Seek Amy " while wearing a white skirt over a fan, recalling Marilyn Monroe 's iconic scene in The Seven Year Itch (1955). A video interlude in which
1746-538: A purple couch while her male dancers climb metallic structures. She wears a golden cape for a snake charming number of " Boys " (The Co-Ed Remix). After climbing into a swing, she starts singing " Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know ", while an acrobat hangs from it. Another video interlude follows, featuring Spears changing clothes and choosing between different passports inside a hotel room. The show’s final segment features Spears and her dancers dressed in motorcycle gear to perform
1843-437: A sparkling, black bodysuit with LED lights built-into it. On April 30, 2011, a video of Spears rehearsing "How I Roll" from Femme Fatale with her dancers surfaced online. On May 11, 2011, Sabi spoke to MTV News at a St. Bernard Project dinner, hosted by Spears, stating that she would join her during the performances of "(Drop Dead) Beautiful" at select dates, such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York City. On June 7, 2011,
1940-453: A tour are denoted in different ways, dependent on the artist and type of tour, but the most common means of separating legs are dates (especially if there is a long break at some point), countries and/or continents, or different opening acts. In the largest concert tours, it has become more common for different legs to employ separate touring production crews and equipment, local to each geographical region. Concert tours are often administered on
2037-456: A video surfaced online of Spears seeing the stage for the first time, along with a soundcheck of the audio, and staging for " Hold It Against Me ". According to Jocelyn Vena of MTV, the stage "has it all: lights, video screens, a funky neon-colored floor, lasers, lifts and giant butterfly wings." In an interview with Entertainment Tonight on June 8, 2011, Spears said about the show, "I'm really excited. I'm probably going to be extra nervous
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#17328527837722134-713: A wider audience." 238 tickets were sold through Groupon within minutes of the offer, and 5,000 tickets were sold for the UK shows by the time the offer expired. The move divided opinions in the music industry of the United Kingdom: festival organizer Melvin Benn said that discounted tickets work "particularly well for an awful lot of concerts. It's definitely emerging. In tough economic times people will look at varying ways of pricing their tickets." Independent promoter John Rostrum called it "very short-term" and "incredibly damaging for shows because in
2231-477: Is Taylor Swift 's Eras Tour , with $ 2.089 billion earned from 125 shows. In 2024, Coldplay 's Music of the Spheres World Tour became the second tour to gross $ 1 billion in revenue. In third place is Elton John 's Farewell Yellow Brick Road , with a total gross of $ 939 million from 2018–2023. On fourth place is Ed Sheeran 's ÷ Tour , with a gross of $ 776.2 million. On fifth place
2328-400: Is U2 's 360° Tour , with $ 736.4 million. Global touring revenue reported to Billboard Boxscore exceeded $ 5.5 billion in 2016. Due to the collapse of record sales in the 21st century, concert tours have become a major source of income for recording artists. Besides the tickets, touring also generates money from the sales of merchandise and meet-and-greet packages. However,
2425-443: Is a concert tour intended to signal the retirement of a singer, the disbanding of a band, or the end of a show's run. Many of the tours end up not being the last tour, with frequent regroupings, or revivals of shows. Luciano Pavarotti 's 2004 tour and Kenny Rogers 's 2015–2017 tour are examples of farewell tours which were the last to be staged before their deaths. As of October 2024, the highest-grossing concert tour of all time
2522-439: Is a peculiar thing, it doesn't suit me particularly well. I'm a real homebody and I get so much joy in the small things." A concert residency concept is offered as an alternative to performers who just need to stay in one venue and the fans come to see them. The concept has been revitalized in the 21st century by Canadian superstar Céline Dion with the success of her A New Day... residency (2003–2007). Her residency introduced
2619-437: Is a retrospective of her career to that point, where each act of the concert represents one of her albums . In another case, artists embark on a concert tour to celebrate the anniversary of their past albums, such as U2 's 2017 tour to mark the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree (1987) and Janet Jackson 's 2019 tour to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). A farewell tour
2716-407: Is accompanied by her back-up dancers in white and silver costumes. "Up N' Down" features Spears and her female dancers performing inside cages, with male dancers pursuing them dressed as policemen. After walking to the B-stage in a conveyor belt , Spears puts on a white trench coat and a satin fedora to perform " 3 ". She then goes into " Piece of Me " while floating above the stage on a platform. This
2813-406: Is an American multinational entertainment company that was founded in 2010 following the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster . It promotes, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment internationally. It also owns and operates entertainment venues and manages the careers of music artists. The company has faced widespread criticism over its central role in the consolidation of
2910-444: Is followed by a video intermission that contains the beginning of the music video for " My Prerogative ", and in which a stalker reveals that Spears is a secret agent . The next section begins with Spears in a pink latex and lace jacket emerging from inside a speaker to perform " Big Fat Bass ", while will.i.am appears in the backdrops. She removes the jacket to reveal a nude leotard for the performance of "How I Roll", which features
3007-494: Is included within its concerts division and also includes Front Line Management and Roc Nation . Live Nation Entertainment owns and operates hundreds of venues globally. The company sells tickets to live events through Ticketmaster . The company has faced various lawsuits alleging ticket price fixing , hidden fees and anti-competitive practices . In May 2022, Representative for New Jersey's 9th congressional district Bill Pascrell stated that he had issued letters to
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3104-540: Is proximity to a global celebrity." Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph gave the show one star out of five, and called it "the saddest, laziest, dullest and most tawdry pop concert I have ever witnessed." He added that "the most amazing thing about the whole second-rate spectacle was that thousands of people, having forked out around £50 a head for tickets, practically raised the roof, cheering every dismal dance move, roaring for lip-synched vocals and lustily applauding limp erotica." Live Nation announced in early May 2011
3201-578: Is the Femme Fatale tour and I'm thrilled to have Nicki Minaj , Jessie and the Toy Boys , and Nervo join me and get everyone on the dance floor. Can't wait to take the Femme Fatales on the road." Tickets for select markets went on sale on April 30, 2011 via Ticketmaster and tour promoter Live Nation 's websites. In May 2011, it was announced that Spears would headline Summerfest on July 9, 2011, at
3298-405: Is weak and misguided, and Britney's star power, so blinding on tours past, is remarkably dim." Alexis Petridis of The Guardian gave the show two stars out of five, saying that "there's a suspicion that the kind of person who goes to see Britney Spears live isn't really there for the music or her sparkling personality: tonight she seems as dead-eyed and distant as ever. What they're interested in
3395-571: The Los Angeles Times stated that "the Femme Fatale tour gets its drama by largely erasing — or at least tweaking — the past. [...] Spears manipulates pop's virgin–whore complex better than just about anyone, and her seamless sweep from lasciviously grinding on an awestruck dude from the audience to the earnest balladry of 'Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know' [...] felt true to the sweep of her career — she learned that she can control
3492-558: The BBC that BBC Worldwide had attained distribution rights of the show outside the United States. The 2D version will be available for broadcast from Christmas Eve 2011, with the 3D version available in February 2012. The special premiered on November 12, 2011 at 20:00 EST (01:00 UTC). It received mixed reviews from critics: some praised the special and the impressive stage, while others criticized Spears' dancing. The DVD and Blu-ray were released in
3589-660: The Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice calling for Live Nation to be unwound and broken up, citing its safety record and other factors. These calls were repeated in November 2022 after the Taylor Swift ( The Eras Tour ) Ticketmaster controversy . On August 2, 2023, Dynamic Ticket Systems, LLC. sued Ticketmaster and Live Nation for patent infringement. Destiny's Child manager Mathew Knowles unsuccessfully sued Live Nation in 2011, asserting that
3686-627: The Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island . In 2021, Live Nation announced a joint venture with Duke Concept, a concert promoter specialising in African artists, in which Duke Concept handles production and logistics with Live Nation providing support and a network of venues, for touring Afrobeat artists. In 2013, Live Nation announced a joint venture with Insomniac Events , a promoter focused on electronic dance music . The company continued to invest in music festivals and promoters in 2017, purchasing
3783-543: The Governors Ball Music Festival . In 2017, Live Nation announced New York City-based promotion company Mercury East in partnership with Michael Swier, a founder of The Bowery Presents , since acquired by AEG . The deal brought former "indie" clubs Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom under the Live Nation umbrella, along with other Live Nation-owned venues including Irving Plaza , Gramercy Theatre , and
3880-569: The Marcus Amphitheater in Milwaukee , Wisconsin . She previously headlined the festival on July 8, 2000, during her Oops!... I Did It Again Tour , and had to cancel her performance during The Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004 due to a knee injury. Summerfest entertainment director Bob Babisch said, "It's going to be a great dance party. [...] This is going to be the biggest production we've ever put in
3977-781: The Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting left 58 people dead and hundreds more injured. It is the deadliest mass shooting in US history. The shooter fired at attendees from the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay . The victims settled for $ 800 million and received their settlements four years after the shooting. In November 2021, a crowd crushing incident occurred at Astroworld Festival —a Live Nation-promoted concert in Houston organized and headlined by rapper Travis Scott —which resulted in 10 fatalities and nearly 5,000 injuries. Live Nation, Scott, and other parties involved have been named in over 387 lawsuits related to
Femme Fatale Tour - Misplaced Pages Continue
4074-596: The Toronto shows, in August 2011, in 2-D and 3-D. The special, titled Britney Spears Live: The Femme Fatale Tour , aired on Epix in the United States. BBC Worldwide acquired the rights to both the 2-D and 3-D versions outside the United States. According to Pollstar , the 39 dates in North America grossed $ 38.3 million, with 423,017 tickets sold. Internationally, the tour was the eleventh highest-grossing tour of 2011, with
4171-539: The U.S. Department of Justice announced it was suing Live Nation Entertainment over what it alleges are anti-competitive practices. The DOJ was joined in the lawsuit by 29 states and the District of Columbia. Live Nation has been linked to at least 200 deaths and 750 injuries at its events in seven countries since 2006. From 2016 to 2019, they had also been cited for at least ten OSHA violations, fined for several more serious incidents, and sued civilly at least once for
4268-579: The United States Department of Justice launched an investigation following allegations by AEG that Live Nation pressured them into using Ticketmaster and intentionally avoided booking acts for AEG venues. Live Nation stated that decisions in selecting venues were not punitive, and were instead based on size and management. In 2020, Live Nation was hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic , with essentially all concerts and sporting events around
4365-516: The Femme Fatale Tour was the eleventh highest-grossing tour of 2011, with a gross of $ 68.7 million. 697,957 fans attended the shows worldwide, with an average attendance of 8,724, paying an average of $ 98.43. In July 2011, a high-quality recording of the Las Vegas show was uploaded to YouTube . On July 14, 2011, the vice president of Online Anti-Piracy from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Marc McDevitt, requested
4462-554: The Marcus Amphitheatre. There's a thrust that goes out on the stage about 80 feet, and it's about 80 feet wide, and there's all kinds of things flying in and out." The European tour dates were announced on her official website on June 5, 2011. On July 25, 2011, Spears announced through her Ustream page at 18:00 EST (23:00 UTC ) a South American leg of the tour. Accompanied by two of her dancers — one translating in Spanish and
4559-563: The Toronto shows at the Air Canada Centre would be taped to air on the Epix television channel, and for release on DVD. Within minutes of her announcement, traffic to EPIX social sites doubled and Britney Spears became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter. The show, initially titled Britney Spears: Femme Fatale , was shot in 2D and 3D by 3ality Digital . On September 9, 2011, it was announced by
4656-641: The United States on November 21, 2011. The DVD was released in the United Kingdom on November 28, 2011. During the concert in Lima , Peru, the song " I Wanna Go " was professionally filmed by Coca-Cola as part of the competition "Dance with Britney Spears." The following set list is representative of the show on June 22, 2011. It is not representative of all concerts for the duration of the tour. Encore Notes Concert tour Different segments of longer concert tours are known as "legs". The different legs of
4753-405: The ability for class action status to be certified. Wu found in August 2023 that Live Nation's rule changes to potentially be "fundamentally unfair", and that New Era had "unchecked power" to group cases together as part of the bellwether arbitration process, and that New Era's limits could not reasonably allow plaintiffs to prove their case. Furthermore, Wu found that Live Nation offerings were often
4850-404: The arbitration rules in order to gain “outsized settlement leverage” with Live Nation, citing the large fees that would have been charged to Live Nation if JAMS were to stay as arbitrator. Ultimately, federal judge George H. Wu , who was overseeing the proposed class action, ruled that the changing of arbitrators unilaterally made the entire arbitration agreement unconscionable, and kept in place
4947-454: The audience. The encore starts with a video interlude of "Scary". The video ends with Spears finally capturing the stalker while wearing a kimono. She reappears to perform a martial arts -inspired version of " Toxic ", in which she defeats a group of ninjas . At the end of the song, she goes below the stage and returns wearing a black sparkly bodysuit for " Till the World Ends ". Halfway through
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#17328527837725044-779: The best way possible. Instead, there was just good dance music." Carla Meyer of The Sacramento Bee stated that "Though Spears performed like a pro throughout the show, hitting all her marks, she had shown hesitancy in her movements — natural for the first stop on a tour. But that hesitancy vanished when she put on the denim. She seemed at ease." Shaunna Murphy of Entertainment Weekly criticized "Britney's complete lack of verbal audience interaction [...] and her obviously diminished dancing ability" but also added that "with her slim waist, her dangerously toned legs, and most importantly her engaged, wide-eyed smile, [Spears] looked happy to be there with us—the crucial element that has been missing from so many Britney shows of late." August Brown of
5141-423: The company changed its arbitration provider and rules from JAMS to a startup, New Era ADR, who had rules and procedures much friendlier to Live Nation. In Skot Heckman et al v. Live Nation , an antitrust case based on Live Nation's inflated ticket prices, the initial filings described New Era's rules and procedures as abusive and " Kafkaesque ", and Live Nation's switch from JAMS to New Era as unfair since they made
5238-431: The company had spread false information about his business dealings with Beyoncé . In May 2024, the company confirmed rumours of a 1.3 TB data leak, at subsidiary Ticketmaster, whose potential impact may extend to over 500 million of their customers, making it one of the world's biggest digital security breaches. The leak was attributed to the malicious efforts of ShinyHunters , a hacker group who allegedly targeted
5335-431: The company's Snowflake (cloud-based) infrastructure. The incident led to a class action lawsuit. In August of 2024, Irelands's consumer watchdog ruled out an investigation into ticket pricing "after some tickets jumped in price by over 400 per cent on Ticketmaster within minutes" and failures of their website during sales of upcoming concerts for the band Oasis to be performed in August of 2025. On May 23, 2024,
5432-475: The day before. We've been working hard for, like, two months now, and everything's coming together really good. [...] [The show] can be kind of [grueling], especially when you're onstage and you're on your eighth number, you get really winded and you're like, 'How can I do the rest of the show?' But I've been training for a while and I actually — before I come to rehearsals — I've been working out and stuff like that so I won't have that predicament." "She's
5529-501: The decision to switch arbitration providers unilaterally and without sufficient notice. A prior filing also alleged that Live Nation had a hand in writing New Era's rules. Live Nation's switch to New Era and its rules were primarily based on its friendlier terms to Live Nation and its requirement that in instances where multiple related cases were filed into a "bellwether" arbitration system, where three cases would be decided in an expedited fashion and if settlements could not be reached after
5626-883: The festival's operations, and providing consulting to Live Nation. In April 2020, it was disclosed that Saudi Arabia 's Public Investment Fund (PIF) recently acquired a 5.7% stake in Live Nation, as of April 28, 2020, the investment was valued at just shy of $ 500 million. The transaction, performed on the open market, made the PIF Live Nation's third-largest shareholder. On April 25, 2022, Live Nation acquired Philippines -based promoter Music Management International (MMI) to create its local branch. Live Nation Entertainment's business segments are concerts, ticketing, and sponsorship and advertising. The company promotes and operates live music events and manages artists under its concerts division Live Nation Concerts . Live Nation Entertainment's artist management arm, called Artist Nation,
5723-458: The first ten shows, and was included on Pollstar ’s Top 100 North American Tours list. An unofficial, high-quality recording of the Las Vegas show was leaked onto YouTube in July 2011; it was removed after the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) threatened legal action against the site, in order to obtain information on the uploader. 3ality Digital filmed a special of the tour during
5820-586: The future when a show goes on sale people will sit back and go, 'I won't buy until the week before'". The October 30, 2011 concert in Birmingham was her first in the English Midlands since The Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004. A week before the show, the venue's box office told the Leicester Mercury that the concert was "probably about half-full. There's good availability". In December 2011, the Femme Fatale Tour
5917-553: The girls on tour", he said. He applied Spears with makeup and designed it to "be a little bit neutral so that it could work with anything." As for the hair, it was changed at every show to fit the vibe of the city. For example, at the Uniondale show on August 2, 2011, Spears sported wavy hair, inspired by Sarah Jessica Parker and the street style of New York women. BuzzFeed reported that 23 18-wheeler trucks arrived at each venue at 5 a.m. on show day. It took 7 hours to unload and build
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#17328527837726014-662: The incident, which in January 2022 were combined down into a single case. In December 2021, the United States Congress House Oversight Committee announced a bipartisan investigation into Live Nation's role in the incident. In February 2022, the family of Drakeo the Ruler filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Live Nation in the Los Angeles County Superior Court , after the rapper
6111-451: The interests of all of the other claimants, current and future, whom would be bound by rulings from the bellwether proceedings. Live Nation counter argued that New Era's rules were valid and that a simple rule change should not prohibit the arbitration clause from being enforced, and that the bellwether procedures should be used in order so that claims get decided quickly; Live Nation's attorneys further alleged that plaintiffs only sued over
6208-428: The live events industry, allegations that it proactively engages in anti-competitive practices , poor handling of the ticket sale process for highly popular events, and injuries and deaths that have occurred at many of its events. As of early 2023, Live Nation's annual shareholders report says the company has controlling interests in 338 venues globally and believes itself to be "the largest live entertainment company in
6305-434: The local level by concert promoters or by performing arts presenters . Usually, small concert tours are managed by a road manager whereas large concert tours are managed by a tour manager . The main challenge in concert tours is how to move the performance's logistics from one venue to another venue, especially for a transcontinental tour. Tour logistics should be very organized and everything has to happen on time and in
6402-655: The merger, but reversed its decision on December 22, 2009. The merger was opposed in the U.S. by some regulators, artists, fans, and competing firms, who argued it would reduce competition in the industry and increase ticket costs. Rock musician Bruce Springsteen was a vocal opponent of the merger at the time. On January 25, 2010, the U.S. Justice Department approved the merger pending certain conditions. Ticketmaster had to sell ownership of its self-ticketing company, Paciolan , and license its software to Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which would allow it to compete "head-to-head" with Ticketmaster for business. AEG
6499-537: The narrative by vanishing into a club's heat or into literal thin air." Matt Kivel of Variety commented, "Though visually impressive, the show lacked a truly engaging human quality. Spears moved with an almost mechanical detachment, lightly shifting through dance routines without fully letting her body release itself. With her voice heavily processed and laden with backing tracks, she appeared onstage as some strange blend of Michael Jackson , Madonna and Kraftwerk 's Ralf and Florian ." However, Jam! Canoe considered
6596-417: The old songs, because that's what they are used to. So it's just about finding the balance, and how many songs I wanna incorporate from the past and from the present." The costume design was done by Zaldy Goco, and the outfits were created to fit the different personas of Spears throughout the show. He also commented that the inspiration for the costumes was "Britney herself [...] She's a very sexy girl." Among
6693-616: The other in Portuguese ;— she also apologized for not touring in the region during The Circus Starring Britney Spears in 2009. A notice following the stream announced the first two dates in Brazil and ten more dates to be announced in the near future. This would mark Spears’ first concert in Brazil in ten years, since her 2001 performance at Rock in Rio . During the following days, concerts in countries such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Perú were also announced. On September 26, 2011, it
6790-425: The outfits that Goco previewed to Extra , prior to the beginning of the tour, were a pink latex jacket, a nude bodysuit, a Marilyn Monroe-inspired, white flowing dress, several gladiator-inspired, gold-mirrored outfits, pink-chrome-studded leather and denim, as well as a " Toxic "-inspired catsuit. For the finale, she was revealed to wear a kimono , with an anime version of herself silk-screened on one sleeve, over
6887-461: The performance, Nicki Minaj appears on the backdrops rapping her verse of The Femme Fatale Remix of the song. She also joined Spears to perform the verse in select cities. After the song changes back to the original version, Spears starts flying on a platform with giant angel wings. The show ends with Spears and her dancers thanking the audience, as confetti falls and the "Femme Fatale" sign is lowered onstage. Barry Walters from Rolling Stone called
6984-416: The personal details of an uploader. The case was closed after a week; according to a copyright lawyer, it is most likely that the subpoena was granted by the court and that YouTube agreed to hand over the personal details that were requested. The video was removed from YouTube, but copies of the full concert can still be found on the site. On August 12, 2011, Spears announced through her Twitter account that
7081-410: The right order as planned. Autoweek magazine estimated 30 to 50 trucks were required by Taylor Swift 's The 1989 World Tour to bring all the stage, sound equipment, instruments, props, and clothes. When Beyoncé visited the United Kingdom with her 2016 The Formation World Tour , it took seven Boeing 747 air freighters and a fleet of more than 70 trucks to get her stage set and other gear to
7178-754: The show "possibly her flashiest, fastest moving, and most entertaining production yet", and added that the night belonged to Spears, as "she managed to prove that she's still progressing as a showgirl. Not only that, she's doing it better than even diehard defenders would’ve predicted. At 29, the pop star whose career seemed in danger of ending just a couple years ago has shown that she's back – hopefully this time to stay." Evelyn McDonnell of Spin said that "the idol America loves to hate went all out. Her body perpetually moved, she sang steadfastly into her headset (okay, she's got plenty of digital support, but she doesn't merely lip-sync ), and she shimmied through an endless parade of outfits. [...] Having been knocked down by
7275-517: The show was "best described as Janet Jackson -like." Steve Palopoli of Metro Silicon Valley said, "Musically, the show is heavy on the hits, although considering Britney as a musical phenomenon is like asking which of Madonna's albums is best. She's a cultural phenomenon, obviously, and the only edicts that seem to have been handed down in regards to the music is 'no lip-synching' (she definitely doesn't) and 'bigger and louder whenever possible.'" Shirley Halperin of The Hollywood Reporter stated it
7372-406: The show was created by Jamie King, and was inspired by the concept of the femme fatale and femme fatales throughout the ages. Rudolph stated that the idea for the show was to have Spears as an "international woman of mystery". The setlist was composed mostly of songs from Femme Fatale , but also included her most popular hits from her earlier albums; as Spears explained, "The fans really like a lot of
7469-413: The show – this is the funnest show I've done in my career." After a neon sign reading "Femme Fatale" is lifted from the stage, the show begins with a video introduction in which Spears is arrested by the police after a chasing sequence. As she says " I'm not that innocent ", the video screens part and she appears standing on a metallic throne in a silver costume to perform " Hold It Against Me ". She
7566-478: The show. It just pumps you up." She also talked about the performance of "Till the World Ends", saying that "at the end of the show, the last song [Minaj] comes on every once in awhile [ sic ]. Not every show, but it's usually special when she does it." In an interview with Glamour in October 2011, Spears said: "I seriously think it's the best tour I've done so far. [...] right now I’m really excited about
7663-428: The stage. Unlike most tours who built the stage from the bottom up, the stage was built from the ceiling down. The tour comprised 140 workers, 125 crew members, 14 tour buses, 16 dancers and 2 band members. In July 2011, Spears told MTV News she was having "a blast" on the tour, commenting, "The shows have been equally amazing. The crowds have been so good each night and that gives you the adrenaline you need to get through
7760-450: The stalker talks about femme fatales throughout history introduces the third section of the show. Spears returns to the stage wearing a golden outfit and performs an Egyptian-inspired version of " Gimme More ", which includes the use of pyrotechnics. In her next number " (Drop Dead) Beautiful " Spears is surrounded by her dancers carrying picture frames, and includes an appearance by Sabi in select cities. She then sings "He About to Lose Me" on
7857-434: The suit to continue, ruling that "the fact that defendants knew security would be needed for the event, supports the finding that the performing artists’ safety was a concern for defendants and foreseeable to defendants." An antitrust class action lawsuit filed by four customers of Ticketmaster in 2023 alleged that two years earlier, when Live Nation was about to be faced with large amounts of demands for arbitration, that
7954-512: The tabloid press and the public repeatedly in recent years, Spears is now desperately seeking our attention. And she earns it. Haters go home." Kelley L. Carter of MTV commented that "the Spears that captivated the audience at the Staples Center [...] was the old, fun-loving, free-wheeling Spears — with a sexy, showgirl twist. There wasn't much pretense, though those glamazon outfits blinded in
8051-487: The three cases were decided, that the result of the three cases would apply to the rest of the cases automatically. New Era's rules further included limiting filings to ten pages, briefs to five pages, prohibitions on Discovery , and a maximum of 10 documents as evidence, which the plaintiffs described as “absurd” and which would severely hinder the probability impossible for bellwether claimants to meet antitrust pleading standards in their individual cases – let alone to protect
8148-426: The tour due to scheduling conflicts with his own reality series. In a video interview posted on Spears's official website, she said, "The Femme Fatale Tour will hopefully just be outrageously spectacular. I'm just hoping that the choreographers will come up with just the most outrageous things, and I'm really excited. This is the most excited I've been about a project in a really long time, so I can't wait." The script of
8245-499: The tour's ambition was more outsized than its actual draw." The Femme Fatale Tour was ranked at number fifty-five by Pollstar on the Top 100 North American Tours list, grossing $ 6.2 million in the first ten shows. On July 22, 2011, the shows in Atlanta and Nashville ranked Spears at number ten on Billboard' s Hot Tours list, with a combined gross of $ 1,563,934. On September 22, 2011, the tour
8342-583: The tour, including 1,800 at opening night in Sacramento . The Groupon deals for shows in Seattle , Winnipeg , Saint Paul , and Atlanta actually expired before all available discounted tickets were sold. The editor also stated that "the shows look to be under-attended in smaller cities, even as, in metropolitan areas like Greater New York City , new shows have been added. It remains to be seen whether this could have been remedied by better price optimization, or whether
8439-444: The touring business suffered in the early 2020s because of the COVID-19 pandemic . Pollstar estimated the total lost revenue for the industry in 2020 at more than $ 30 billion. The mobility of concert tours requires a lot of costs, time, and energy. It is very common for musicians to not see family members for over a year during their touring. British singer Adele expressed her unhappiness of concert tours, saying "Touring
8536-577: The venues. The logistics phase of that tour did not include transportation of the backstage staff, musicians, performers, and the singer herself. The majority of concert tours are part of a promotional campaign to support an album release. Hence, new songs from the respective album are included on its tour's setlist . Some tours are known as "greatest hits tours" or "reunion tour" without any new material or specific album release, such as Fleetwood Mac 's 2009 Unleashed tour and No Doubt 's 2009 Summer Tour . Taylor Swift 's The Eras Tour (2023–2024)
8633-464: The world on hold. The company has been sued as it has been reluctant to offer full refunds to customers, though it has since amended its refund rules to address those complaints. On February 25, 2021, Live Nation released its full-year 2020 financial results, of which the company saw revenues fall by 84%. In 2016, Live Nation acquired Founders Entertainment, the New York City -based parent company of
8730-495: The world," "the largest producer of live music concerts in the world," "the world’s leading live entertainment ticketing sales and marketing company," and "one of" the world's biggest artist management companies and music advertising networks for corporate brands. In May 2024, the Justice Department and a coalition of states sued to break up Live Nation over antitrust violations. In 2009, Live Nation and Ticketmaster ,
8827-466: Was "entertaining", but Spears "doesn’t quite have that spring in her dance step anymore and who requires a constant barrage of visual distractions while she mostly lip-synchs along to her hits". Jim Harrington of the Oakland Tribune deemed the show as "a mess pretty much from start to finish. The theatrics are awkward and confusing, the dance routines are numbingly bland and old-hat, the song selection
8924-504: Was announced that Spears would perform on the first day of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix . In March 2011, Spears's manager Larry Rudolph told MTV News that the tour would have a "post-apocalyptic vibe", and commented that " Till the World Ends " "keeps becoming a theme for us." He also confirmed Jamie King as the tour director and Brian Friedman as the choreographer. The following month, Friedman announced that he had pulled out of
9021-402: Was given the option after five years to buy the software, replace it with something else, or partner with another ticketing company. Additionally, Live Nation Entertainment was placed under a 10-year court order prohibiting it from retaliating against venues that choose to accept competing ticket contracts. In 2017, Live Nation Entertainment reported revenue of $ 10.3 billion. In April 2018,
9118-430: Was inspired by the concept of the " femme fatale " and iconic femmes fatales throughout the ages. The setlist was mostly composed of songs from the album Femme Fatale , although Spears also performed hits from her previous albums for her fans. Zaldy Goco designed the costumes. In July 2011, Spears announced her plans of a South American leg on the tour, in territories she either had never been to or had not played for over
9215-503: Was killed in a homicide that occurred backstage at the Once Upon a Time in LA music festival at BMO Stadium . The suit claimed that Live Nation had negligently failed to employ proper and effective security measures at the event. Live Nation sought a motion to dismiss the suit, arguing that the incident was rare and "unforeseen". In January 2023, judge Yolanda Orozc rejected the motion and allowed
9312-409: Was number 19 on Billboard ' s Top 25 Tours of 2011. The magazine counted for 39 of the tour's dates (14 of which were sold out) with an overall gross of $ 37.1 million and 396,000 tickets sold. According to Pollstar , in North America, the tour was the fourteenth highest-grossing tour of 2011, with $ 38.3 million in ticket sales and 423,017 people attending at an average of 9,196 per show. Worldwide,
9409-501: Was ranked at number six on the Top 20 Concert Tours list from Pollstar . It had an average gross of $ 940,165 per city, and an average ticket price of $ 84.19 during the shows in North America. Groupon and Travelzoo offered discounted tickets for the shows in London, Manchester and Birmingham . Rene Freling from Travelzoo explained that "promoters are thinking, instead of shows being 90% sold out, they'd rather have it full and promote it to
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