Madonna to perform at Eurovision in Tel Aviv

Madonna will perform live at the Eurovision grand finale in Tel Aviv on May 18.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN confirmed Monday the report by Yediot Aharonot. The European Broadcasting Union was expected to announce the show on Monday evening.

The cost of bringing the international superstar to Israel will be covered by Israeli-Canadian billionaire Sylvan Adams.

Live Nation, which worked to confirm Madonna’s participation, said the singer will perform two songs at the Eurovision, including one from her upcoming album. Yediot reported that the pop superstar will be arriving in Tel Aviv four days ahead of the show, along with a 60-person staff.

On Monday, Live Nation said that Adams “saw the importance of bringing the iconic singer to Tel Aviv and creating a memorable historic performance.”

Last month, Adams – who brought the Giro D’Italia to Israel last year – said he sees himself as an unofficial ambassador of Israel in the entertainment world.

“It’s a tremendous way to boost tourism,” he said at the INTV conference in Jerusalem. “And I think the more people we bring here, the more people [will] see our true nature, the true beauty of our country and our people, and the freedom and openness and tolerance and safety of our country.”

The appearance of Madonna at the Eurovision has been rumored for months, and negotiations were reportedly ongoing for quite some time. Much of the discussion came down to money, as Madonna reportedly demanded a million dollars to appear. KAN is producing the show with a budget of NIS 120 million – which includes a NIS 70 million loan.

Madonna last performed in the Jewish state in 2012, when she kicked off her world tour in Tel Aviv.

MADONNA POSES BACKSTAGE at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York in August.