tabloid! can exclusively reveal that Oprah Winfrey, Robert De Niro, Charlize Theron and Denzel Washington will grace the red carpet as they arrive in town for arguably the biggest party Dubai has ever seen. Yes, ever!
Said A-listers will be joined by, among others, Lindsay Lohan and her friend Samantha Ronson, Lily Allen, Mary Kate Olson, Misha Barton, Priyanka Chopra, Janet Jackson and beau Jermaine Dupri, Jessica Simpson's ex-husband Nick Lachey and his current girl Vanessa Minillo, former basketball superstar Michael Jordon, the model Petra Nemcova, and Theron's husband Stuart Townsend.
Haven't received your invite to the opening of Atlantis? You are not alone. But fear not — tabloid! brings you all the gossip, confirmed guest list and advice on how to enjoy the party without an invitation.
The Atlantis Hotel's exclusive opening party on Thursday evening is set to break records as the world's most exclusive private party and will feature singer Kylie Minogue.
The one-night celebration is due to bring the world's first man-made palm island to a complete standstill as the VIP guests are chauffeur-driven to the venue. Palm residents have even been urged to return to villas and apartments by 2pm to avoid being denied entry to their homes.
At a cost of $20million (Dh73 million) the lavish party will play host to around 2,500 celebrity and royal guests and a number of VIPs from the UAE.
And although the specially-designed invites are like gold dust, there is nothing stopping the whole of Dubai enjoying the breathtaking fireworks display expected at midnight.
The guest list:
Lindsay Lohan
Hollywood's most famous party girl has starred in movies including Mean Girls and Herbie: Fully Loaded and no party would be complete without her.
Samantha Ronson
It would be nice to say DJ Samantha Ronson is famous for her string of No 1 hits or her culture-shifting additions to the arts. However, sadly, most of us know her as Lindsay Lohan's girlfriend.
Charlize Theron and Stuart Townsend
The model/actress could literally stop traffic. Unable to dance, she bought a ticket to Los Angeles and after eight months in the city, she was cast in her first film part, a non-speaking role in the direct-to-video film Children of the Corn III.
Lily Allen
She is nearly as famous for her big mouth as she is for taking the charts by storm via the internet and MySpace. One of the hottest female singers in the UK right now, the ballgown-wearing singer has also made a significant splash in America.
Misha Barton
An actress with talent and poise beyond her 21 years, born in London and raised in New York. Mischa Barton has the kind of career most actors can only dream about from humble beginnings in New York Theatre in 1994 where she trained she went on to work side by side with modern day screen icons including Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in Notting Hill and Bruce Willis and Toni Collette in The Sixth Sense.
Priyanka Chopra
Having endured a bad run in the movies things are finally looking up for this svelte Bollywood siren who has this year enjoyed a hit with Dostana.
Robert De Niro
Duh! He's only one of the biggest actors of all time. Starring in Mean Streets and The Godfather: Part II, he dated Carole Mallory and amongst other famous relationships was Ashley Judd.
Oprah Winfrey
Because she's Oprah! The American television host, media mogul, and philanthropist's internationally-syndicated talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show has earned her multiple Emmy Awards and is the highest-rated talk show in the history of television. She was once the world's only black billionaire.
Denzel Washington
Because he's tall, strikingly handsome and a leading man of the silver screen. Although he's appeared in a number of flicks from the Pelican Brief to Crimson Tide, Washington most regrets turning down Brad Pitt's role in Se7en. He won't regret accepting this invite.
Petra Nemcova
The Czechoslovakian-born fashion model and author lost her fiancé, Simon Atlee, in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. She was featured on the cover of the 2003 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and has also modelled for Victoria's Secret, and for many other companies in the women's clothing market.
Mary-Kate Olsen
One half of the famous twin duo, Mary-Kate Olsen and her twin sister Ashley Fuller Olsen are best known for playing the role of Michelle Tanner on the sitcom Full House. Since then, they have continued their "celebrity" through television, film, interviews and most lucrative of all, commercial endorsements.
The 22-year-old mega millionaires have been on Forbes list yearly since 2002, and in 2007 ranked as the eleventh richest women with a fortune estimated at $100 million (Dh367 million).
Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri
With a brother who was great at hogging the headlines Janet is most famous for being the sister of Michael. Ok, so we concede, she's also a pretty amazing singer, American recording artist and entertainer.
Nick Lachey
Because he's hot! Famous for his public marriage to Jessica Simpson Lachey finally saw the light and got out. Of German descent he attended high school with Carmen Electra.
Vanessa Minillo
Because the only thing she's interested in is following in the footsteps of her boyfriend, Nick Lachey's, ex-wife — Jess Simpson — as a reality television star. The media personality and former Miss Teen USA is reportedly in talks to star in her own show but is also pretty famous for partying with Lohan — bring on the carnage, girls.
Michael Jordan
Because he's arguably the most famous basketball star of all time. With nothing left to prove on the court, Jordan, retired from the game after 13 seasons with the Chicago Bulls and six NBA championships, to concentrate on the challenges of raising his three kids.
I've just got nothing to wear!
While some stars might be stressing about what to wear for such a massive event there is one lady who will be taking it in her stride.
Partly due to the fact she'd look fabulous in a black paper bag and partly due to the fact she is having her outfits specially-designed and fitted by Jean-Paul Gaultier, Kylie is sure to look a knockout.
Fireworks
Created by Grucci, the company responsible for the fireworks display at the opening ceremony of this year's Olympic Games in Beijing, the Atlantis display will be visible from space and will feature giant flowers, palm trees and meteors in the UAE national colours.
More than 200 pyrotechnics experts have been working on the project for more than 3,000 hours, which will see rockets launched from 716 individual spots.
To put the display into perspective, 100,000 specially-designed pyrotechnic devices will be fired in comparison to 30,000 at the Beijing Olympics — meaning the show will be just over three times bigger.
Fireworks will be launched from 50 points along the palm's 17km crescent, from more than 400 balconies on the south facade and all rooftop surfaces of Atlantis.
A series of shells will burst at an altitude of 245 metres — which will be visible from space, as well as flowers and palm trees which will open in the sky.
The technically advanced system which will make all this possible is run by 62 computer systems, operated by 1,200 satellite control modules.
Reflected glory
Sweat not, if you have not been invited to the grand opening party of the Atlantis Hotel. All you need to do is book a table in one of the restaurants dotting the Marina stretch and enjoy a slice of action — albeit from a distance.
Hotel: Radisson SAS
Contact: 04-3669111
If you are willing to shell out Dh100, you could enjoy the spectacular view of the fireworks by booking a table at the Tamanya Terrace on Thursday.
Hotel: Habtoor Grand Resort & Spa, Dubai Marina
Contact: 04-3995000
First the good news: Table bookings are still on at the restaurant 25th floor. But the bad news? All the tables near the window are taken. So, if you can make peace with catching the action on the sidelines, grab your phone now.
Hotel: Hilton, Jumeirah
Contact: 04-3182582
The beach-side restaurant Wave Breaker will be easy on your pockets. Book a table right away and enjoy an evening nibbling on finger food while watching the sky light up.
Hotel: Barasti, Le Meridien Mina Seyahi
Contact: 04-3181313 or 04-3181342
This Polynesian bar has gone all out and has made special arrangements on Thursday night. Cough up Dh950 and don your voyeuristic party hats. The offer is inclusive of snack buffet and house beverages.
One of the best places to watch the action may be at sea. Bristol Charters have several boats and catamarans that will take you out to sea to watch the fireworks. There is a 3.7km security area around the Palm — more than enough space to catch the massive display.
The smallest can take 12 people and costs Dh1,950 per hour, with a minimum booking of two hours. A larger boat, with space for 16 people, costs Dh4,400 per hour, for a minumum of three hours. Call Sylvie Vanteighen on 050-4732989.
