Those attending any of UK soul artist Adele's concerts as a guest on her current North American tour will not have a completely free ride: all guests at any of her upcoming concerts will be asked to provide a charity donation of $20 at the event.

The news came through late last week in an e-mail from tour promoter Live Nation to members of its subscription VIP ticketing program, Concert Club. In the correspondence, Live Nation announced that those Concert Club members with complimentary tickets to Adele's event at the House of Blues in Boston yesterday, May 15, were required to pay a $20 contribution to Adele's identified charity, the Stillborn & neonatal death charity (SANDS). The group is a UK support organization for those who have lost a child during pregnancy or soon after birth.

In the e-mail, Live Nation denies any involvement with the decision to collect these contributions, attributing the move to the artist herself. Concert Club members who were planning to attend the May 15 concert but did not wish to adhere to this guideline were told to contact the Club and attend a different event for free. A spokesperson for Live Nation did not return a message seeking comment.

In a separate statement, Adele's management clarified that a minimum donation of $20 in cash will be required of all concert guests for each show, including all guests of the promoter or venue. This stipulation does not include those who have paid tickets, but rather those on artist, promoter or venue guest lists.

For those on the artist guest list, donations may be made on behalf of a guest prior to a show, in which case a notation of "Donation Paid" will show next to the guest's name. Adele's tour manager receives all cash donations by the end of each show, along with any guest lists noting who has attended and who has made the donation.

Adele is just beginning a 24-date sweep of the U.S. in support of her second album, entitled "21." She began her run last week with a concert in Washington, DC, and wraps it up in Nashville, TN, on June 20. On this tour she hits major metropolitan areas across the country, such as Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Minneapolis, Denver, Seattle and Los Angeles, also playing three dates across the border in Canada.