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Madonna concert organizers in Moscow say show will go on

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Madonna will play a concert in Moscow, the organizers of the American diva's show said Friday, dismissing earlier media reports that the show would be cancelled.
MOSCOW, September 1 (RIA Novosti) - Madonna will play a concert in Moscow, the organizers of the American diva's show said Friday, dismissing earlier media reports that the show would be cancelled.

Russian tabloid Zhizn reported Thursday that Madonna, 48, had been informed about possible terrorist attacks in Moscow during her show and had decided to call off her show in the Russian capital even though tens of thousands of tickets had been sold. The Moscow tour date has also disappeared from the schedule on Madonna's official site.

"Madonna's concert will take place September 12 at the large sports arena of the Luzhniki stadium," NCA President Mikhail Shurygin said referring to the sports stadium in southwest Moscow that can seat about 80,000 people.

Shurygin said about 52,000-54,000 fans of the singer would be able to attend. Moscow police chief Vladimir Pronin claimed last week that 100,000 tickets had been told, though industry insiders suggest the figure is closer to 40,000.

The NCA president also denied reports that more tickets had been sold than publicly declared.

Serge Grimaux, director general of Ticketpro, the Czech-based company selling the tickets for the pop icon's concerts in Prague and Moscow, said additional tickets would be printed after the Russia concert was pushed back a day and the number of people wanting to see the concert increased.

The concert, part of Madonna's world tour to promote her 10th studio album, "Confessions on a Dance Floor", had been rescheduled from September 11 to 12 to avoid it clashing with the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

The original venue had been announced as a stage in front of Moscow State University on Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills), which overlook the capital.

Controversy has dogged the tour as religious groups have condemned a section of the show, which features a song in which Madonna is apparently crucified during her concerts on a giant cross studded with small mirrors. Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Muslim community have advised believers to stay away.

Madonna already cancelled her concert in Israel eighteen months ago when Palestinian extremists threatened to kill her and her two children.

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