JoJo Siwa’s getting a ton of backlash over her $900 "Dream Guest VIP" package experience ... but she never meant to make fans feel like roadies and turn them into unpaid staffers.

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Sources close to JoJo tell TMZ the VIP tour experience is all about making fans a part of the action and giving them some serious insight into how a tour is put together -- from getting a say in the night’s playlist to gaining backstage access while the crew sets up.

We're told the whole putting fans to work thing was never the plan -- but that's what people online latched onto, and have since been going in on JoJo.

JoJo clearly didn’t see the uproar coming ... excitedly telling "Access Hollywood" earlier this week the VIP experience was all about giving fans an exclusive BTS look -- think testing out the drum kit and the DJ booth, and making sure everything’s ready to rock for the show.

TBF, the package also included some sweet perks -- autographed memorabilia worn by JoJo, a Q&A and meet-and-greet, VIP-only merch, early entry, and pre-show shopping, for example.

But yeah, looks like the damage may be done ... but our JoJo sources assure us the 'JoJo Siwa Live' tour is gonna be an incredible, high-energy blast when it kicks off July 10!