Harvey Brokers Kylie’s UAE Deal

While newspapers worldwide are speculating how much Kylie Minogue is getting to play the gala opening of Dubai’s Atlantis Palm hotel, Pollstar has learned the deal was brokered by Harvey Goldsmith.

The legendary U.K. promoter is producing the event and negotiated with AEG on behalf of hotel managers Kerzner International Holdings.

“I did the deal for Kylie and then negotiated with AEG because she also wants to do a public concert, which AEG will promote under my auspices,” he explained.

As for the fee, Goldsmith, who was in Milan for the Sept. 16 promotional launch of a Pavarotti tribute show he’s producing in Jordan Oct. 12, said he read “all sorts of figures” in the newspapers and none were close.

Dave Chumbley from Primary Talent, Minogue’s agent, joked about the fee, saying the newspapers had it “on the low side,” but he did confirm he’d negotiated with Goldsmith.

Most of the media is saying the 40-year-old Australian pop queen is getting US$4 million for the Nov. 20 bash, while local tabloid 7Days says the whole evening – a private party thrown for 2,000 celebrities – is expected to cost US$35 million.

The Atlantis Palm is a spectacular building on the coastline of Palm Jumeirah, the largest man-made island in the world, which is shaped like a palm tree.

“Don’t believe all that you read in the papers,” said AEG Live Middle East managing director Thomas Ovesen. However, some stories quoted him saying Minogue’s being paid “an awful lot of money.”

Ovesen said AEG is delighted to be doing the second show, a Nov. 21 appearance in front of a possible 20,000 fans at a sprawling shopping mall at Dubai Festival City.

“Kylie wanted to do a public concert and Harvey approached us to promote it,” Ovesen said. “It’s a commercial show and an addition to her ‘X2008’ tour, which also adds to the feasibility of bringing the production here,” he explained.

So far the tour has resulted in Minogue performing in front of more than half a million fans. It kicked off in Paris in May and will pass through South America before traveling to Dubai in November.