Madonna to kickstart next world tour in May

London: Madonna has announced the dates for her latest world tour, which is set to start from Israel on May 29.

The 53-year-old singer will play two dates in the UK, while the tour will also visit South America and Australia, where she has not performed in 20 years. The announcement comes days after the ‘Like A Prayer’ hitmaker performed during half time at the US Super Bowl. A record 111.3 million people tuned in for the game but her 12-minute performance received mixed reviews. According to Nielsen, the company that tracks TV viewing figures, the football game was the most watched show in US history. For Madonna’s upcoming tour, fifty dates have been announced so far. She will visit 26 European cities including Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dublin and Berlin. She will also perform in Canada and the US in August, September and October. Speaking on Graham Norton’s BBC One show last month, the singer said she was planning an extensive tour “because I have to pay the rent”. Her last global outing, with the Sticky And Sweet tour, made 408 million dollars over two years. With dates in 32 countries, it broke the record for the highest grossing tour ever by a solo artist, which had previously been held by the singer’s 2006 Confessions tour. “I do enjoy it, truthfully,” the BBC quoted her as saying on the show. “I enjoy putting the show together. I enjoy the first two weeks, and I enjoy the last two weeks,” she said. Madonna has become known for expensive, elaborate stage shows featuring acrobats, skateboarders, bagpipe players and multiple sets. IANS