Jennifer Lopez found herself in the middle of intense discussions regarding her upcoming tour, as organizers were considering canceling the shows due to poor ticket sales. Despite concerns about potential embarrassment, the singer, along with her manager, refused to call off the tour. Lopez, who is 54 years old, is set to embark on a series of concerts across North America next month in support of her latest album, This is Me… Now. However, with just a few weeks left until the tour begins, there is still a cause for concern as many seats remain unsold at various venues, as shown on Ticketmaster’s official seat maps. Additionally, tickets are being resold by scalpers for as little as $10. Sources have revealed that Live Nation, the tour promoter, suggested canceling all 30 concert dates, but Lopez and her manager, Benny Medina, were not swayed by the idea.
In just six weeks, Jennifer Lopez, who is 54 years old, will kick off her highly anticipated This Is Me… Live The Greatest Hits tour. Despite receiving advice from Live Nation to cancel the show, the iconic singer is forging ahead with plans to hit the stage once again. (Photo taken during a performance in 2022)
Sources also revealed to DailyMail.com that Jennifer Lopez’s long-time manager Benny Medina, who kickstarted her career back in 1999, was adamant about not canceling the show unless Lopez herself made the decision to do so.
Recently, there was a meeting between Live Nation and JLo’s manager Benny Medina to discuss the possibility of cancelling her tour. However, both Medina and JLo were determined to push forward with the show.
Medina played a key role in encouraging Lopez to create her latest album This Is Me… Now, which focuses on her rekindled romance with Ben Affleck two decades after their split. He believed their love story deserved to be retold and offered to connect her with writers to help bring it to life.
According to sources, there may be a lack of interest in JLo’s tour due to her constant exposure in the media. Her busy schedule, from marriage to album releases and documentaries, may have caused people to lose interest in her story.
Affleck and Matt Damon’s company, Artists Equity, supported the production of the documentary about Lopez and Affleck’s love story, while Lopez herself financed her film This Is Me… Now: A Love Story.
Her former publicist, Rob Shuter, also shared similar thoughts, stating that Lopez’s mistake was assuming that the public still cared about her romance with Affleck.
Snag your tickets to catch Lopez at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on July 6 for just $10 through the resale site Seat Checker. That’s a whopping $26 cheaper than one of her merchandise caps!
An industry insider hinted that the lack of interest in Jennifer Lopez’s tour could be attributed to her being ‘overexposed’ and the waning interest in her romantic storyline with husband Ben Affleck. “Jennifer has always been excellent at marketing and PR, but she made a mistake assuming that people still care about the Bennifer love story,” the source mentioned. “Nobody is really interested in Bennifer anymore as the world has moved on.”
Another source revealed that Live Nation had discussions with Lopez’s manager Benny Medina to avoid the embarrassment of her performing to empty seats. “Live Nation is worried about the low ticket sales and doesn’t want Jennifer to feel humiliated when she sees empty spots in the venues she’s scheduled to perform at,” they explained. Despite the concerns, Lopez’s pride prevents her from canceling, so they have to accept the situation as it is without convincing her otherwise.
A third insider confirmed the discussions that took place, stating that multiple options were considered for the tour, but it was collectively decided by all parties involved (Live Nation, Lopez, and management) to continue as planned. Although some cancellations were made, more dates were added to the tour, and Jennifer is excited to kick off the shows and connect with her fans.
DailyMail.com reached out to representatives for Lopez, Live Nation, and Benny Medina for comment but received no response. Lopez announced her This is Me… Now tour in February, marking her first US tour in five years. In March, she quietly canceled seven dates due to sluggish sales but added more dates in popular cities.
Her outing at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma seemed sparse as less than half of the tickets were sold for the event.
While ticket sales are strong for the first night in New York City, the numbers for the second night on August 17, which also happens to be the tour’s closing night, are not as promising.
A wide selection of resale tickets are available for purchase for the grand opening performance in Orlando, Florida on June 26th through Ticketmaster. Following this, the tour was renamed to This Is Me… Live The Greatest Hits, a move seemingly made to attract more fans rather than focusing solely on her latest album released after a decade.
However, tickets for the July 6 show at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas are being resold for as low as $10 on Seat Checker, which is significantly cheaper than the cost of one of her tour caps titled This is Me Now. The struggle is evident in other cities as well, with tickets selling poorly in Denver, Colorado, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, as rows upon rows of seats remain empty.
Challenges persist for the double nights at the Kaseya Center in Miami on June 28 and 29, as well as her scheduled performances at Madison Square Garden in New York City on August 16 and 17. While tickets for the first nights are selling, the second nights, particularly the closing night on August 17, are struggling with a large number of seats still available.
Furthermore, VIP packages ranging from $651 to $4,198 are also proving difficult to sell. In comparison, other artists like Niall Horan and Billy Joel are close to selling out their performances at MSG arena, with Pearl Jam already selling out two consecutive shows in September.
On the bright side, there are a few locations where tickets are selling quickly, such as Lopez’s upcoming shows in Newark, New Jersey, and Canada’s Toronto and Montreal in early August, where entire sections of seating have been filled up.
The initial promotional poster for Lopez’s upcoming tour “This is Me… Now” was eventually revised, resulting in the cancellation of seven concert dates.
According to official seat maps on Ticketmaster, there are still blocks of seating available at certain venues despite the updated title.
It was reported by sources that Lopez may have been influenced by the successful tours of her competitors Taylor Swift and Madonna in the past two years.
An insider exclusively shared with DailyMail.com that Lopez admired how Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Madonna’s Celebration Tour reflected their entire careers, and she hopes to offer her fans a similar journey through her life.
It is not surprising that Lopez drew inspiration from Taylor Swift, whose Eras Tour grossed over $1 billion, making it the highest-grossing tour of all time with a 44-song setlist spanning 3.5 hours.
Madonna’s Celebration Tour, which celebrated her four-decade career, made $77 million in ticket sales with a record-breaking final show in Rio de Janeiro that attracted 1.6 million fans.
Brand expert Hayley Knight suggested that Lopez’s struggle with ticket sales could be due to a poor marketing strategy, and the rebranding was an attempt to generate more buzz and engagement for the tour.
Knight emphasized that the main goal of Lopez’s rebranding was to create conversation and interest around the tour, even though it may not necessarily lead to increased ticket sales.
At the Met Gala on Monday, as captured in this photo, Lopez, serving as a co-chair for the iconic fashion event, faced criticism for allegedly disregarding a reporter in a condescending manner.
One TikToker affectionately referred to Jennifer Lopez as ‘Jenny from the Block’ while reminiscing about her 2002 hit track that celebrates her roots. However, despite the success of her latest album bearing the same title, she feels that the focus on her past hits undermines her confidence. Unlike artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, Lopez may lack a dedicated fan base, with most of her followers being more casual listeners who may not eagerly attend her live performances. Even her presence at the prestigious Met Gala didn’t shield her from criticism, as she was labeled ‘rude and dismissive’ due to her response to a reporter’s question about her outfit. In a TikTok video shared by USA Today Senior News Editor Anika Reed, Lopez’s brief reply of ‘Schiaparelli’ as she ascended the Met Gala steps sparked controversy online, with some social media users accusing her of treating the reporter disrespectfully.
One user lovingly referred to Lopez as “our down-to-earth Jenny from the Block,” a clear nod to her popular 2002 hit song that emphasizes her commitment to staying true to her roots amidst her immense success and wealth.
Reed, the reporter, humorously described the quick exchange with Lopez in her caption, jokingly mentioning that Lopez only provided a brief mention of her custom Schiaparelli Haute Couture gown by designer Daniel Roseberry.
Making a comeback after a five-year break, This Is Me… Live The Greatest Hits is Lopez’s return to the music scene following her successful 2019 tour that raked in over $50 million in ticket sales.
Although her latest album entered the Billboard 200 at number 38, it marks the first time Lopez missed out on breaking into the top 20. Similarly, the album also fell short in the UK Album Chart, debuting disappointingly at number 55.
