Lady Gaga will not get flowers at her opening concert in Melbourne with Marvel Stadium advising gifts of any kind are banned from the venue.
Ahead of the first Mayhem Ball show on Friday, a specific list of Gaga-related accessories have been added to the usual collection of items prohibited by the venue.
Signs requesting your favourite song or a donation for your Christmas celebrations are out, as are banners or flags. The only exception to this rule is Pride flags without a pole.
Red canes or walking sticks, a Gaga-inspired accessory popular among her Little Monsters, cannot be brought to the show unless they are required for accessibility needs.
And the tens of thousands of fans who will rock up to the gig to celebrate the beloved pop star should leave their flowers or stuffed toys at home.
The gift ban is less about Mother Monster not wanting your present versus your presence. It is a necessary health and safety measure.
It has become an increasingly dangerous exercise for reckless fans to throw objects onto stage and hit their favourite stars in the head.
Gaga was almost struck by what appeared to be a stuffed toy during the Toronto stop of the Chromatica Ball tour in 2022 as she performed Hold Your Hand.
And while the total pro narrowly managed to dodge the full impact and did not miss a beat, fans were outraged that Mother Monster had almost copped a blow to the head.
Artists and fans are increasingly calling out the perilous practice as concertgoers lob everything from mobile phones to jewellery at stars in the middle of their performance.
A concert security expert not connected with the Mayhem Ball tour said the bans were essential to protect performers and their tours.
An injury could result in huge costs to the artist and promoter to cancel or postpone shows, and also to fans who have spent thousands on tickets, travel and accommodation.
“A (flower) stem can poke someone in the eye, a thorn can cut and a zipper or a button on a toy can also cause on injury to the face if it connects at force,” the security consultant said.
“Performers in the middle of choreography or blinded by lighting can’t always see a projectile heading towards them and take evasive action.”
American pop star Bebe Rexha dropped to her knees and was rushed offstage for treatment after being struck in the face by a mobile phone thrown at the stage during a New York show in 2023.
She required stitches to a gash above her eyebrow and sported a black eye.
Billie Eilish was momentarily shocked when a bracelet thrown with force struck her face as she sang “What Was I Made For?” at a concert in Arizona last December.
Fans erupted in gasps and boos as Eilish picked up the item and threw it off stage.
“I’ve been getting hit onstage with things for like, literally, six years, I don’t know why this is like new,” Billie told The Hollywood Reporter. “People just get excited and it can be dangerous.”
And only last week, Sabrina Carpenter narrowly missed being hit by a pair of handcuffs thrown at the stage during her Short ‘n’ Sweet tour stop in Los Angeles.
The Espresso star looked understandably frustrated as she picked up the offending item and aggressively hurled it off stage.
Gaga fans may also want to rethink their concert outfit if they are modelling it on her elaborate Mayhem Ball costumes.
Another restriction at Marvel Stadium warns any “props, costumes or accessories worn by patrons must not impede other patrons’ views, include prohibited items, be used as a projectile, deemed a weapon or cause a nuisance or impact other patrons.”
Lady Gaga opens the Australian leg of the Mayhem Ball tour in Melbourne on Friday and Saturday before heading to Brisbane and Sydney.
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