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Although she was only due to make her entry at the Israelimetropolis's Ramat Gan stadium at 1745 GMT, excited fans werealready pouring through the gates when they opened some four hoursearlier, with all 32,000 tickets sold out. What promised to be an eye-popping extravaganza marked the start ofthe 53-year-old Queen of Pop's ninth world tour and her first sinceher "Sticky and Sweet" outing in 2008/2009. From Israel, she is to move on to Abu Dhabi and then to Europe andthe Americas before ending in early 2013 in Australia, where shehas not performed in more than 20 years. Kicking off her latest tour in Israel was a natural choice for theCatholic-born singer, who over the past decade has become deeplyinvolved in the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah. Since then, she has been back to the Jewish state several times, onboth public and private visits, last performing here in 2009 . The set will include 20 songs, most of them from her new album, butwith a showing for some of her best-known hits from the 80sincluding "Like a Virgin", Material Girl" and "Papa Don't Preach." Turning heads at one of the main entrances was 41-year-old CocoaChandelier. Six-feet tall -- "without the heels" -- and with aboufant easily adding another foot, she said she had never missed asingle of Madonna's concerts. "It's quite appropriate that it's starting here in Israel. She hasadopted this culture and religion," Chandelier told AFP, dressed incopious quantities of fluorescent plastic beads and earrings tomatch. "That's why we've come all the way from Hawaii -- to support her." Israeli fan Carmit Zindani, 32, beamed: "There is simply nothingbigger than Madonna starting her world tour here in the Holy Land.She is one of us." There was speculation she might perform a mashup of "ExpressYourself" with Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" which was released lastyear, sparking criticism it was uncannily similar to Madonna's 1989hit. Earlier this week, a video of Madonna rehearsing popped up onYouTube showing what appeared to be Madonna singing her own song,then cutting into the Lady Gaga version during the chorus. Officials said her two older children -- 15-year-old Lourdes, and12-year-old Rocco -- would also take part in the show. "This show is epic and bigger than anything she?s done before.There are many more costume changes. We?re taking 700 shoes on theroad," her costume designer and stylist Arianne Phillips told theWWD website. "Madonna changes outfits seven or eight times and the dancerschange 10 to 15 times, depending on the dancer," she said. The first full dress rehearsal reportedly took place on Mondaynight, with the ever-controversial songstress pointing a gun at thecrowd, as her dancers writhed around with machineguns and rifles. Four years ago, she was criticised by anti-gun groups aftersporting a pair of Chanel shoes with heels shaped like pistols. Although Thursday evening's 35,000-capacity show was completelysold out, a day ahead of the performance, the diminutive divabriefly met with members of the Palestinian-Israeli Peace NGO Forumand handed them 600 tickets. "We spoke to her for a few minutes and we asked if she would sayanything about peace," Peace Now's Yariv Oppenheimer told AFP,saying it was the forum's first-ever contact with the petitesinger, who has largely steered clear of getting involved withissues linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "She told us: I will say much more than a word about it." Since she arrived in Israel late on Friday on an El Al flight fromNew York, Madonna has reportedly spent much of time rehearsing,praying or attending Kabbalah events. Her partner Brahim Zaibat, a French-Algerian model in his 20s, alsoflew in with her, as did her four children, Lourdes, Rocco, Davidand Mercy, with pictures of them enjoying the beach splashed acrossthe newspapers. More than 4,000 fans have flown into Israel to attend the concert,with each paying from $62 (50 euros) for a ticket up to $620 for aVIP package. Ahead of her arrival, the Material Girl asked for the stadium toinclude sleeping accommodation for her and her family, a games areafor her kids and a lounge in which she will be interviewed by US TVhost Conan O'Brian, who has flown in specially, Israel's Haaretznewspaper reported. The Tel Aviv show is reported to have cost $3.9 million (3.1million euros). As for the outfits, Madge has reportedly signed up a list ofdesigners including Jean Paul Gaultier, Jeremy Scott, AlexanderWang, Dolce & Gabbana, Fausto Puglisi and J Brand. She will also be wearing Prada and Miu Miu shoes, as well asfootwear and lingerie from her Truth or Dare line, with hersignature conical bra also set to make an appearance. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Chocolate Packaging Boxes , China Pizza Packaging Boxes for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Personalized Paper Bag.
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