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Madonna Starts Tour, Draws Greenie Fire

To not-sold-out house

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 23, 2008 6:18 PM CDT

(Newser) – Madonna kicked off her 51-stop stage show in Cardiff today, a sprawling extravaganza featuring 20 songs, 250 crew members, and $2 million worth of jewelry, the BBC reports. A giant “M” loomed over the stage as Madonna worked through the show’s four sections, titled Pimp, Old School, Gypsy, and Rave. But all that glitz couldn’t buy a sold-out crowd—tickets were still available before the show.

Madonna's extravagance also sparked cries from climate change activists, the Daily Telegraph reports. Carbonfootprint.com has stated that Madonna's tour planes will create 1,080 tons of carbon and her cargo 460 tons. "This is a massive amount of carbon emissions even for a top celebrity icon," said John Buckley of Carbonfootprint.com. "However, these emissions will be swamped by those caused by the crowds of concertgoers."

[Images (5)]

[Videos (1)]

Madonna performs on stage at the premier of her 'Sticky and Sweet' tour at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in Wales, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008. (AP Photo)

In this Sept. 20, 2006 file photo, Madonna performs during her "Confessions Tour" in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye, file)

Madonna performs on stage at the premier of her 'Sticky and Sweet' tour at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in Wales, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008. (AP Photo)

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Madonna Starts Tour, Draws Greenie Fire