Atlantis Hotel's Opening Party Sets New Records

Dubai's Party on the Palm Jumeirah Goes Off with a Bang

Nov 24, 2008

The Atlantis The Palm's opening party saw the world's biggest and most expensive firework display and the most highly paid performance in entertainment history.

The 2,000-strong guest list ran like a who’s who of anyone who is anybody, from popstars to supermodels to royalty. All came to sample the extravagance of the Atlantis Hotel and were treated to a spectacular firework display.

The record-breaking display was around 6-times bigger than that of the Beijing Olympics. Such was the lavish opening party pyrotechnics that organizer Grucci’s of New York are currently seeking inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records for world’s largest and most expensive firework display. This included the release of radio-controlled rockets from the hotel's balconies and 226 floating pontoons covering 40 locations, across approximately 27 miles of water along The Palm’s fronds.

Kylie Minogue's Record Breaking Performance

The $1.5 billion Atlantis The Palm, created by Kerzner International Holdings Limited, celebrated its prime position on the man-made island, Palm Jumeirah by hosting the most expensive private party in the world at a cost of around $20 million, and one-off private beach concert by Kylie Minogue. Miss Minogue broke all records in terms of her 10-song 45-minute performance, earning around $4 million; the highest paid per-minute performance by a singer.

Atlantis Hotel's Celebrity Guestlist

The rich and famous were treated not only to the record-breaking lavish opening party but to free all-expenses paid air tickets and 4 days of accommodation. Dubai royals mixed with A-list celebrities, as guests included actors Robert De Niro, Denzil Washington, Charlize Theron, Janet Jackson, Mischa Barton and Lindsay Lohan. Britain’s Duchess of York –— Sarah Ferguson, Yasmin Le Bon, Dame Shirley Bassey, Agnes Deyn, Rhys Ifans and Richard Branson also attended.

Queen of chat show hosts, Oprah Winfrey initially bagged the exclusive Bridge Suite suspended between the resort's 2 towers. However, when she wsa unable to attend, the hotel's most sought-after suite was awarded to Om Shanti Om leading man, Shahrukh Khan; the most famous film star in the Middle East and who is dubbed the “Tom Cruise of Bollywood.”

Before and after the party, guests could spend their time taking in the resort’s luxurious surroundings, having fun at the huge aquaventurepark, stroking dolphins at the open air Dolphin Bay, riding camels, exploring Dubai's shopping malls and taking in the sights of the United Arab Emirates.

Celebrities Searched at Dubai Airport

However, the United Arab Emirates strict anti-drugs laws did provide some embarrassment for the organizers and their guests. According to the Mail on Sunday article "My Strip Search Trauma at Dubai Airport," of November 23rd, 2008, supermodel Agnes Deyn, singer Lily Allen and actor Rhys Ifans were some of the 100 guests subjected to an intimate strip search on arrival at Dubai airport to make sure that no drugs were being smuggled into the United Arab Emirates.

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