Entertainment
Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives sold out for Music in Paradise 10th anniversary celebration with Jimmy Barnes and friends
Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives’ long-term partner, Music in Paradise will present their 10th anniversary celebration event, ‘Stranded in the Maldives’ 1-11 September 2024. Seven intimate shows featuring Australian icons, Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss, Kate Ceberano, Troy Cassar-Daley and Mahalia Barnes will entertain a sell-out crowd of 250 guests at the private island paradise.
There is no better place to be ‘Stranded in the Maldives than Kandooma on a 10-night holiday in paradise. Combine that with the big names who will perform, and guests are in for a great celebration. Party goers will enjoy seven exclusive and intimate sunset/evening shows over the ten nights with a few nights off for guests and performers to mix it up and enjoy all the great activities at the award-winning resort.
‘Stranded in the Maldives’ at Kandooma is unlike any other experience, with guests meeting these Aussie music legends and having the opportunity for an autograph and a professional photo.
“Kandooma has a long-standing relationship with the team at Music in Paradise and we congratulate them on their tenth anniversary of successful music events on the island. We can’t wait to see Jimmy, Ian, Kate, Troy and Mahalia all return to the island in September to perform to a sell-out crowd,” said Mark Eletr, General Manager, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives and secret Jimmy Barnes groupie.
“For those lucky enough to have confirmed their bookings, they are in for a 10-night stay like no other. The Music in Paradise team is very deliberate in their decision to cap numbers to ensure the intimate atmosphere, accessibility to the performers and a beach party vibe where guests can let their hair down with their music icons.”
“Nothing compares to chatting with someone over a sunset cocktail you’ve idolised as a performer for decades. I grew up listening to the music of Cold Chisel, and I’m just quietly, very excited to be welcoming these guys back to Kandooma. Their last visit was incredible fun and we can’t wait to see them again,” he added.
The ‘Stranded in the Maldives’ 10th Anniversary lineup includes performances from:
JIMMY BARNES, a Scottish-Australian rock singer-songwriter. His career as the lead vocalist for the rock band Cold Chisel (which he joined at 16 years of age in 1973) and as a solo performer (from 1984) has made him one of the most popular and best-selling, Australian music artists of all time. In 1984 his debut solo album, Bodyswerve, topped the charts, as did his album two years later, Working Class Man. His number-one hits continued through the late eighties and into the nineties with Freight Train Heart, the live set Barne storming, Two Fires, Flesh and Wood and Soul Deep. Throughout his career, Jimmy Barnes has won five Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards including his induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2017 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the performing arts and through support for not-for-profits and children with disabilities.
IAN MOSS enjoys the status of Australia’s best guitarist. Primarily recognised as an axe man of unusual tenacity and sweet melodic sensibility, Ian has distinctive soulful, bluesy vocals. In 1973 he answered a shop window ad and joined the band that would go on to achieve legendary status in Australia, as Cold Chisel. Following the band’s Last Stand tour in December 1983, Ian Moss evolved into a solo artist. In 1989 he released Tucker’s Daughter, a song he wrote in collaboration with Don Walker, which sat in the Top 10 for 11 weeks and hit number one for two weeks. His second solo single, Telephone Booth, was released in June 1989 which also hit the Top 10.
KATE CEBERANO is the first Australian woman to be inducted into the Australian Songwriters Association (ASA) Hall of Fame. She has had 28 albums: 13 Platinum, and eight Gold. There is no shortage of awards and accolades with three ARIA awards and three Countdown awards. Kate has fronted the seminal band I’m Talking on their epic Australian Made tour alongside INXS, Barnesy & the Divinyls, starred in JC Superstar with Farnham, hosted her own hit TV show Kate & Friends, and won Dancing With The Stars. Kate is an electrifying performer, who joins the pantheon of acts who have had Top 10 albums across five decades.
TROY CASSAR-DALEY a proud Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung man, comes from a long line of storytellers and has been making music for 30+ years and has released 11 studio albums. Imbuing a passion to pen stories about Australia and what lies at its heart has been a driving force in his career. He has been awarded a record-breaking 40 Golden Guitars, five ARIAs including 2021 Country Album of the Year with The World Today, three APRA Song of the Year awards, nine Deadlys (Australian Indigenous Artist Awards), four CMAA Entertainer of the Year awards and two National Indigenous Music Awards. Troy has achieved a staggering 34 number-one chart singles with his songs being recognised as being the soundtrack to the everyday triumphs, struggles and good times for Australians from small towns to big cities.
MAHALIA BARNES has been around music her entire life. She credits her exposure to music from Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Sam Cooke to Ike and Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder, for helping to shape her into the powerhouse soul and blues vocalist she is today. Mahalia and her band, The Soul Mates, have released three full length albums as well as several EPs and they consistently play to capacity crowds around Australia. They have toured supporting artists such as Bruce Springsteen, The Roots, Mavis Staples, Joe Bonamassa, Bryan Adams, Tom Jones and more. Mahalia has also recorded and toured with the likes of Joe Bonamassa, Liam Gallagher, George Benson, Robert Jon + The Wreck, Cold Chisel, Jimmy Barnes and Lachy Doley, to name a few.
Located in the South Male atoll just 40 minutes from the airport by boat, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives is a beautiful, natural island paradise. White sand beaches, swaying coconut palms and turquoise waters form the backdrop for leisure pursuits and some of the best scuba diving in the Maldives. Guests can choose from Garden and Beach Villas, two-storey Beach Houses and the popular Overwater Villas. Families are well catered for with a choice of 2- and 3-bed villas and the Kandoo Kids’ Club with its fun activities programme. Six food and beverage outlets ensure healthy appetites are satisfied and the flavours of the Maldives are explored. Guests seeking time out and relaxation will enjoy sun-loungers and hammocks dotted around the island. Kandooma Spa by COMO Shambhala offers a tranquil escape for body and mind.
More information about “Stranded in the Maldives” in September 2024 is available at: https://www.musicinparadise.com.au/event/stranded-in-the-maldives-with-jimmy-barnes/
Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort will host Your Paradise Maldives from 11 to 16 May 2026, as the boutique, destination-led Your Paradise music festival makes its Maldives debut with a curated roster of global electronic tastemakers. Marking the resort’s inaugural music festival, the award-winning Avani+ Fares Maldives sets the stage for a lifestyle-led escape that pairs sun-soaked sets with easy-going island living.
Designed around the island’s natural rhythm, Your Paradise – with past editions in Fiji and a strong international following – will unfold across a series of open-air stages and social spaces, shifting from golden-hour sets by the lagoon to pop-up beach parties and after-dark sessions with seamless transitions from day to night.
The phase one line-up features Ayybo, Arielle Free, Coco & Breezy, Double Touch, Jordan Brando & William Kiss, Low Steppa, Melé, Niiko x Swae, Sarah Story, Sasha Spielberg, Tom & Collins and Tori Levett, with further names to be announced. Delivering everything from feel-good house through to deeper club sounds, the festival is a limited-ticket experience with dedicated travel packages available.
Set on the natural island of Fares on the western edge of Baa Atoll’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort is ideal for festival crews, solo travellers and couples, with a mix of Beach Pool Villas and Over Water Villas, plus Two and Four-Bedroom Pavilions for groups of up to eight. For those going all in, the resort also offers two 287 sqm Two-Bedroom Overwater Pool Residences and a 368 sqm Three-Bedroom Overwater Pool Residence, each with an oversized terrace, infinity pool and seamless indoor-outdoor dining made for a private after-party. For sundowners with a local twist, the resort’s Ambaa Adventure sees a traditional dhoni cruise the lagoon, delivering handcrafted cocktails and mocktails direct to guests’ overwater pool decks.
Between sets, guests can lean into island life with watersports, diving and snorkelling on the house reef, then reset with sunrise yoga and meditation at AvaniFit and post-party recovery at AvaniSpa. The resort also offers easy access to the atoll’s marine highlights, including Hanifaru Bay, one of the world’s most celebrated manta ray hotspots.
Avani+ Fares has built strong momentum since opening in 2023, named Best Beach Resort 2025 at the TTM Awards, following its Best Dive Resort win in 2024, with General Manager Judd Rabbidge recognised as Resort Manager of the Year 2025 at the Global Hospitality ON Awards.
Rates for Your Paradise Maldives start from USD 2,599 per person, with solo, couple and group packages available. Each package includes five nights at Avani+ Fares Maldives on a half board basis, main stage performances and exclusive parties, as well as group yoga and meditation sessions. For more information and to book, visit www.avanihotels.com/en/fares-maldives, email fares@avanihotels.com or call +960 660 1660.
Entertainment
Hulhumalé’ set for New Year festivities as Visit Maldives and partners launch preparations
Visit Maldives Corporation, together with the Ministry of Tourism & Environment and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), has commenced planning for New Year celebrations in Hulhumalé’, building on the success and positive public response of last year’s festivities.
The celebrations are expected to feature signature elements that resonated strongly with the public in 2024, including a special Drone Show, Fireworks, Food stalls, and cultural experiences designed for both locals and visitors. The initiative, running from 30 December 2025 to 1 January 2026, aims to once again create a vibrant, inclusive, and family-friendly atmosphere to welcome the New Year.
At this stage, planning is ongoing and further details regarding the programme, dates, and activations will be announced in due course.
The New Year celebrations are being developed as a joint initiative by Visit Maldives, the Ministry of Tourism & Environment, and HDC.
Organisers are also in discussions with potential partners and sponsors and welcome expressions of interest from organisations keen to be part of this national celebration.
Entertainment
Award-winning singer Nicole Scherzinger to appear at One&Only Reethi Rah’s New Year’s Eve celebrations
One&Only Reethi Rah, the all-villa resort in the Maldives, has announced the international star and award-winning singer Nicole Scherzinger will make an exclusive live appearance during the resort’s iconic New Year’s Eve celebrations, welcoming guests into 2026 with a special musical performance as part of the countdown.
Renowned for her magnetic stage presence and powerhouse vocals, Nicole Scherzinger originally rose to fame as a member of one of the best-selling female groups of all time, the Pussycat Dolls, before pursuing her career as a solo musician, a judge on various television shows, and a stage actress in theatrical work such as in Cats and Sunset Boulevard. Throughout her career, Scherzinger has received numerous nominations and awards, including the 2024 Laurence Olivier Award and the 2025 Tony Award, both for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in Sunset Boulevard.
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Indian Ocean, the resort’s annual New Year’s Eve celebrations take place on 31st December 2025 at the Believe Ball, the Festive program’s main event featuring a refined beachside cocktail reception before unfolding into a joyous evening of epicurean discovery and thrilling entertainment. As the year draws to a close, Scherzinger will take the stage for a highlight live performance as part of the countdown, bringing the New Year’s celebrations to new heights with glamour, energy, and musical prowess.
“We are thrilled and honoured to welcome Nicole Scherzinger to One&Only Reethi Rah for our New Year’s Eve celebrations,” said Jan Tibaldi, General Manager of the resort. “Her global appeal, extraordinary talent, and dynamic energy make her the perfect artist to be part of our most iconic evening of the year, setting the scene for a remarkable welcome to 2026.”
The Festive season at One&Only Reethi Rah invites guests to embrace the spirit of the season with this year’s theme of Believe, centered on celebrating the joy, wonder, and magic of the holidays. From Christmas family traditions and world-class culinary experiences to quiet moments of deep wellbeing and exciting sports tournaments, the resort’s Festive program promises an array of unforgettable moments designed to delight guests of all ages and interests. Scherzinger’s special live appearance will be the highlight of the program, culminating with an exciting countdown to welcome the New Year.
The Festive season at One&Only Reethi Rah commences on 20th December 2025 with the traditional Tree Lighting Ceremony & Cocktail and ends on 13th January 2026 with the Orthodox New Year Gala Dinner.
Reservations and pre-bookings are recommended for most of the Festive events. For inquiries and bookings, please contact the VIP Services team at reethirah.festive@oneandonlyreethirah.com. For bookings, please call +960 664 8800 or contact the Reservations team at reservations@oneandonlyreethirah.com.
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