Madonna opens 'Sticky and Sweet' world tour in Britain

U.S. singer Madonna performs with a video of Kanye West behind on the opening night of her "Sticky & Sweet" tour at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff August 23, 2008. Madonna kicks off her "Sticky & Sweet" world tour at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on Saturday, the latest test of her enduring appeal just a week after her 50th birthday. The US star played hits including "Like A Prayer", "Into The Groove" and "Hung Up" at the giant Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales on the first night of the 49-date tour. The show, promoting her latest album "Hard Candy" which has hit number one in 27 countries, was watched by her British film director husband Guy Ritchie and three children and split into four sections. To screams from fans, Madonna took the stage in a one-piece black sequinned outfit by French fashion house Givenchy for the first part, known as "pimp", a homage to gangster chic from the 1920s to now. She then revisited New York in the early 1980s -- where she arrived aged 20 with just 35 dollars in her pocket before hitting the big time -- for the "old school" section of the show featuring songs including "Music" and a dance-off on stage.

Next came "gypsy", inspired by Romanian folk music and dance, and the finale, "rave", influenced by far eastern culture. The show featured eight costume changes, 16 dancers, a 12-piece band and a million pounds (1.3 million euros, 1.9 million dollars) worth of Swarovski crystals. The tour continues in Nice, southern France on August 26 before heading to the rest of Europe, the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. It wraps up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on December 18. Madonna's last tour, 2006's "Confessions", was reportedly the top earning show ever by a female artist, grossing nearly 200 million dollars. The star, who spends much of her time in Britain, celebrated her 50th birthday in low-key style on August 16.
Her eight-year marriage to Ritchie has come under heavy press scrutiny in recent months amid rumours they are about to split, denied by the singer's representatives.