Prior to the Jay-Z show’s scheduled start time of 8 p.m. ET on Sunday (July 12) at Yankee Stadium, a group of fans without tickets crashed through the gates for a chance to see him perform, leading to a massive delay to ensure the safety of fans inside the venue. The rapper finally took the stage at 12:18 a.m. and played a set that lasted until nearly 3 a.m. — leading to questions of whether the show broke any local noise ordinances, and if so, whether Jay-Z, promoter Live Nation and/or the venue itself were fined as a result.
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From Coachella to Morgan Wallen‘s Gillette Stadium show last August, big concerts occasionally break local laws like noise ordinances and curfews when they play late into the night, often racking up tens of thousands of dollars in fines. Billboard has not been able to determine if such laws apply to New York’s Yankee Stadium, and if they do, who would have to foot the bill for any possible fines. Representatives from the mayor’s office and Yankee Stadium did not respond to requests for comment, while a Live Nation spokesperson said they were not currently aware of any ordinance violations. (In the video above, Billboard staffers discuss the noise ordinance question and more, including whether angry fans will be eligible for refunds due to the late start.)
New York City’s Noise Code limits the noise level at which businesses can play amplified music during the hours of 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. The requirement states that, at a business’ outer property limits, sound levels cannot exceed 78 decibels between these hours. But Yankee Stadium is owned by the New York City Industrial Development Agency, a city-owned vehicle, which may make obtaining permits and permissions for late shows easier.
Notably, as opposed to businesses like clubs and restaurants, New York City does not have a blanket curfew for concert venues — indoor or outdoor — though outdoor shows at venues like Yankee Stadium tend to end before midnight. At venues like Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, which has been the subject of major legal battles stemming from neighbors’ claims that concerts exceed noise limits, concerts often end by 10 p.m.
In NYC and beyond, sources tell Billboard that a city’s officials are often willing to work with promoters and venues to allow shows to extend past their allotted time. The price for going over varies by city, and union rates for venues also apply — meaning that certain workers will still be paid overtime even if a noise ordinance curfew has been waived.
On June 5, while the Knicks played the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, Chris Lake played the game on the big screen while performing at Under the K Bridge in Brooklyn. After the Knicks won, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office called the venue’s promoter, Bowery Presents, and informed it that it could extend the show 30 minutes past curfew in celebration. As the city owns Yankee Stadium — and was aware of the situation that caused the show to go late — it’s possible that, if there was a noise ordinance in place, officials opted not to enforce a payout.
Oftentimes, the venue or promoter is on the hook for paying the fees — and they can decide to turn off an artist’s mic if they play past curfew (A$AP Rocky experienced this during his performance at Gov Ball 2026, and Lana Del Rey was also cut off at Glastonbury in 2023). For shows that do continue past a given curfew, venues and promoters can decide to have the artist cover any associated costs, though they may not choose to go that route in case it risks damaging a relationship.
Sometimes, it seems, artists don’t care about paying fines as long as they feel it’s worth the payout. The night before fans crashed the gates at Yankee Stadium, A$AP Rocky was wrapping up the final night of the North American leg for his Don’t Be Dumb tour at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and opted to go several minutes over the curfew. Speaking to the crowd, he admitted he was getting charged for that extra time, but said he felt it was worth it due to it being the last night of the tour and for the fact that his family was in attendance.