Madonna in Portugal. “I don’t remember putting on such an expensive show”, says the promoter of the concert at Altice Arena

On the 6th of November, Madonna returns to Portugal for a concert at the Altice Arena, in Lisbon. Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 20th, and their price was determined by the artist herself, tells BLITZ Nuno Braancamp, director of the promoter Ritmos e Blues, which organizes the show.

At Madonna’s concert in Lisbon, next November, how many tickets will be VIP?
In this concert they [os representantes de Madonna] they made the drawing [da sala] and they marked up the ticket prices, so it’s almost all VIP. I’m talking about the chairs, because there are also standing places. All those seats next to the stage, including the very special ones next to the artist, are all VIP. Madonna is an artist who won’t do many shows [nesta digressão], and I think the concert in Lisbon will sell out. Although personally I think the ticket prices are a bit high.

Is it the most expensive show ever at the Altice Arena?
Since we bought Altice Arena, and it’s been 11 years, I don’t remember putting on such expensive shows. In the case of U2, whose concerts were usually marked by themselves and the manager it was who decided the price of the tickets, even so they were never so expensive. Not in a stadium. Neither did the Rolling Stones, who have relatively affordable prices. These Madonna prices are in fact the “top”, even today.

Does this price have to do with the fact that the tour does not have many concerts?
I am convinced that there will be few shows [que a Madonna vai dar nesta digressão]. And therefore it will try to monetize those it will do. If I were the manager I don’t know if I would think the same way, that is, I don’t know if I set prices so high. In Portugal, we don’t have the purchasing power of other European countries, where concerts sell out faster than in Portugal. But it’s Madonna!

In Portugal, is there already a lot of foreign public trying to buy the most expensive tickets?
These are more expensive soon! Or else they try to buy the intermediate ticket, that is, instead of being the 300 euros, they are the 200 euros. But I also ask myself, and I have shows next week, with Michael Bublé, and I ask myself how is it possible for the Portuguese public to have money to go to all these things? But I’m glad it has… I have Michael Bublé practically sold out, Roger Waters practically sold out… I had Justin Bieber completely sold out! [entretanto o canadiano adiou a sua digressão.]

also the Coldplay sold out multiple stadium datesdespite not being organized by R&B, these shows.
It was nonsense! But I knew that, as Coldplay had not come for a long time, it was going to be this crazy. Prosecutors cannot fight each other, because it’s not worth it. There are artists for everyone. It’s not worth starting wars to give more for that artist, because it’s enough for everyone.

Is Roger Waters’ second concert at the Altice Arena almost sold out?
It already is, practically. Two by Roger Waters and two by Michael Bublé. About 200 tickets are missing.