Sunday, August 1, 2010

British superstar set for Abu Dhabi show, despite retirement reports
George Michael looks set to perform in the UAE before the end of the year. The singer is lined up to play the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, the hotel confirmed to 7DAYS last night.
“We have definite plans to organise this event probably by the end of this year. However nothing is confirmed and we are yet to decide dates,” said Najla Mahmood, Marketing Coordinator of the hotel.
The news comes despite Michael’s recent announcement that he has retired from live performances.
He played two concerts in London at the end of August, which were part of his ‘25 Live’ tour and billed as “the Final Two”.
He then performed in Denmark, a few days later, in a show called the ‘Final One’.
Afterwards, he said he would leave the “bells and whistles” of large-scale tours behind because he wanted a “quieter life”.
But now, according to a UK newspaper, the star is set to land $2 million for playing an exclusive concert in the UAE capital. The same report said that tickets could cost as much as $400 for the gig.
If the concert does go ahead, it would be a huge coup for the Abu Dhabi venue, which has already played host to Justin Timberlake and Bon Jovi over the last year.
A spokesperson for AEG Live, promoters of both those concerts, said the company had no knowledge of a planned George Michael show. Live Nation, which is bringing Christina Aguilera to the UAE next month, was not reachable for comment.
A two-time Grammy award winner, George Michael has sold over 100 million records worldwide. Recently, he’s made the headlines as much for his personal life as his music. In September he was arrested in London for drug possession but let off with a caution.