How is it possible to have a 'surprise' concert? Specifically Lana del Rey

[BlackAmericanoNoSugar]

I have always assumed that a big concert has a lot of moving parts and needs to be planned way ahead of the concert date. I know that sometimes they tack an extra date onto a venue that they are already in, presumably they warn all the staff/musicians/roadies to keep the date available just in case. Lana del Rey has announced a surprise concert in Dublin on Friday week, tickets went on sale today. She wasn't planning to be in Ireland afaik so her show will have to be packed up and moved over from the UK. DH and I were discussing whether it had been a possibility for a long time but only decided at the last minute (so everybody already had it in their contract to be available) or whether the whole thing was last minute.

Anybody with connections to the business who can enlighten us?

Also DD is very bitter because she will be away on holiday and would have loved to have gone to the concert. Personally I find her a bit dreary, especially Video Games which sounds like a dirge to me.

It's impossible.

So has always been on her tour schedule then?

Just not advertised - it's a handy way of creating some sort of buzz/press about a surprise concert.

It would involve

Musicians
Road Crew
Flights
Transport & Logistics
Equipment
Technicians - light and sound, SFX, AV
Stage design and construction (all linked in with techs)
Security
Catering
Advertising
Venue Hire/licensing
Insurance
Hairdressers
Hotel
Legal
Health & Safety
Finance
PR
Venue staff
Venue Security

Probably been booked in since Glastonbury was agreed.

Oh, and they'll need to buy a very big clock, preferably with an alarm as loud as the chimes of Big Ben...

Surprise shows in Dublin, Amsterdam and Paris? All in the space of a week? I don't buy that one bit - that sort of thing will have been months in the planning.

The only true surprise gigs I have been to have generally been tiny warm up gigs announced a day or two before in things like student unions which require much less plannning.

I expect that the plan was to present it as a reward for fans after an outstanding set at Glastonbury, with all the positive press reports such a performance would result in.

Probably sounded great in the strategy meetings last year.

Trying way too hard to be a diva if you ask me.

I wonder if she'll turn up on time... 😂

pmsl

So if you bought a ticket for this ‘surprise’ gig, what are the chances of Lana actually showing up in time to play her full set? Has she learned her lesson from Glastonbury, or is she still completely unprofessional?

I suspect she was hoping the press would be more like "on the back of a hugely successful Glastonbury gig....."

instead of "in an attempt to make up for...."

A surprise to her fans but nope it would have had to have been planned for ages her end.

Ah I see Mooncup had the same thought!.

They’ll have been in the planning all along, just announced as ‘surprise’ as a PR stunt to garner extra coverage.

Wonder if she’s started on her hair yet?

You'd be stunned at the preparation of a big gig. ALL the tour staff will have been on notice because unsurprisingly the roadies, lighting techs, tour musicians and others have families and other commitments at home and can't just drop them at the last moment!

Everyone has known about this for a long time.