Kylie sets a date with Dubai

DUBAI // Kylie Minogue has confirmed the date of her second concert in Dubai. The Australian pop singer will perform on Nov 21 before a 20,000-strong crowd at Festival City. The show will follow a 60-minute set the day before to launch the exclusive Atlantis, The Palm resort. The performances are Minogue's first in the Middle East. Tickets will go on sale on Sept 24 and are expected to sell out within a day. "She has a huge fan base here in the UAE," a spokesman said. "It's her first time in the region and she wants to make these shows memorable for many of the fans who may never have seen her in concert before. "She is already working on the set, the costumes and is very excited to be coming." Minogue will play to an audience of 2,000 on Nov 19 at the Atlantis launch party. It will be attended by celebrities including David Beckham, the England footballer, and Spike Lee, the US film director. Other guests will include business leaders, politicians and members of the Dubai Royal Family. The Festival City concert will be the last at the public venue, which is due to be turned into a hotel. It has hosted a string of famous names, including Carlos Santana and Celine Dion. Last month, Minogue wrapped up the first part of her KYLIEX2008 European tour at London's 02 Arena. The KYLIEX2008 tour sold out within hours of tickets going on sale and the former Neighbours actress had to add more dates to the schedule. She has also toured countries including Greece, Russia, Finland and Latvia this year. This second leg of the tour will take her to South America and New Zealand before ending in Australia. Minogue, 40, has recovered from breast cancer, diagnosed in 2005, after intensive treatment. In April this year, her comeback album X secured a top five entry in Billboard's Electro Chart in the US. Visit www.boxofficeme.com for more details.
mswan@thenational.ae