Pop star Jennifer Lopez’s concert in Yerevan on 3 August, as part of her Up All Night tour, will be funded by the Armenian state budget. The allocated expenses have raised concerns amongst the local populace.
On Thursday, the Armenian Government formally decided to direct $6 million originally allocated in 2023 to a Snoop Dogg concert to the organisation of Lopez’s Yerevan performance, which was originally announced in April.
Snoop Dogg’s concert never took place due to the Azerbaijani attack on Nagorno-Karabakh that same year, which eventually led to the displacement of the region’s almost entirely Armenian population.
According to an examination of Lopez’s concert budget estimates by RFE/RL, there are large amounts of money included in the expenses, ‘the justification and appropriateness of which raises questions’.
One example was the amount allocated solely for Lopez’s food, which is estimated to cost the Armenian state budget ֏14.4 million ($37,000).
Lopez’s food costs 2.4 times more than the money allocated for her team’s meals, which are estimated to cost ֏6 million ($16,000), while her dressing room staff’s meals are estimated to cost ֏3.8 million ($10,000).
The hotel costs of Lopez and her team amount to $185,000, out of which ֏4 million ($10,000) would be solely for her stay.
In addition, Lopez will be paid ֏1 billion ($2.6 million) for the performance itself.
