Madonna to arrive in Israel 2 weeks before concert; producer: "It's as if she is in the process of making 'aliya'"
By YONI COHENMadonna at superbowl 390(photo credit: REUTERS/JEFF HAYNES)
It has been a busy few days for the Queen of Pop with a knockout performance at the Super Bowl half-time show and the release of a new single, “Give Me All Your Luvin.” But now she will focus on Israel, where she will perform on May 29.Details of Madonna’s eagerly awaited show in Ramat Gan to kick off her 2012 World Tour were released on Tuesday morning at a press conference at the city’s National Stadium, where the concert will take place. The iconic singer will launch her world tour in support of her upcoming album MDNA (a pseudoblend of “Madonna”), due to be released in late March.A total of 30,000 tickets will be available at prices ranging from NIS 240 to NIS 490, local producer Shuki Weiss revealed.Weiss was quick to point out that tickets for the show are much cheaper than the last time Madonna performed in Israel at the end of her Sticky & Sweet tour on September 1 and 2, 2009, when the cheapest seats were NIS 490.According to Billboard magazine, that tour grossed $408 million, the highest ever for a solo artist and third-highest of all time.The songstress will perform on a stage designed for her 2012 tour that will be packed up after the Ramat Gan show and taken to the 50 other cities around the world, starting with Abu Dhabi and Istanbul, and continuing on to Europe and North America. The set will include a satellite stage that will protrude 40 meters out into the center of the field where fans will be able to get up close and personal with the pop singer.The stage will be six stories high so that even fans sitting far away will be able to see Madonna, Weiss explained.“Fans can expect to see some of the most state-of-the art sound, lighting and stage production,” he said.The Material Girl will arrive in Israel two weeks before the concert, accompanied by an entourage of more than 300 people, to carry out intensive lastminute rehearsals. While she will visit certain sites and take advantage of being in Israel, Weiss explained that Madonna is taking the show seriously and plans to spend most of her time preparing for the big event.“It isn’t even a regular visit anymore when she comes,” the local producer said. “It’s as if she is the process of making aliya.”Hundreds of foreign journalists will travel to Israel to see the Madonna kick off her world tour and will follow her every step of the way.Even Madonna’s world tour could not escape the media frenzy surrounding a possible strike on Iran.When asked by a journalist how a attack on the Islamic Republic and its consequences would affect the show, Weiss put everyone’s mind at ease: “We live in this county and life goes on. I hope there are no surprises!” he said.A number of travel companies will offer special packages for tourists who want to enjoy the event and a vacation in Israel.While regular tickets are relatively cheap, VIP packages range from NIS 1,500 to NIS 2,900, which will include premium seats, exclusive merchandise and more.Lifetime Legacy members of Madonna’s official fan club, Icon, will receive first access to tickets and VIP packages starting on Tuesday.In Israel, tickets will go on sale on Friday, February 10, and will be available via the Castel ticket agency.
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