Kiss will bring the year to a close in Dubai with a New Year’s Eve concert of epic proportions. The aptly named KISS 2020 Goodbye show will kick off the band's farewell tour at 9pm, UTC, on December 31. By then, it will be 296 days since Demon, Starchild, Spaceman and Catman performed live. "Get ready to #KISS2020Goodbye and bring the music back as we ring in 2021 in true Kiss fashion,” the 1970s rockers posted on their official Instagram account, alongside a video promoting the show. Presented by Landmarks Live and dubbed the "live virtual event of the year", the concert will be streamed from <span>Atlantis, The Palm</span>. A 250-foot stage will be covered by 50 4K cameras offering 360 degree views. The accompanying pyrotechnics show will, the band hopes, set a new Guinness World Record. KISS 2020 Goodbye will be the biggest production in Kiss's history – quite the feat given the band's 47-year run and well-documented penchant for spectacle. "The best way to shut everybody up and get everybody to enjoy life right now is to make a big resounding noise and shake the heavens with some pyro," bassist Gene Simmons told <em>Rolling Stone</em>. Frontman Paul Stanley added: “For us, size matters. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel; we invented it and it runs real well. We’re just making sure it’s on a scale and a size that does justice not only to the situation we’re in, but that it makes the people watching at home feel like they’re a part of it.” The event represents a sizeable investment, show director Dan Catullo told <em>Rolling Stone</em>. The pyrotechnics alone will cost almost $1 million, while Covid-19 measures put in place to ensure the safety of the event's 400-strong crew will total a further $750,000. The crew will be divided into teams of 25, with members required to remain within their pod groups. Each crew worker will wear a microchipped wristband to help with contact tracing and workers will undergo an estimated 6,000 Covid-19 tests over a 13-day period. Band members Simmons and Stanley have both been vocal online about the importance of socially distancing and wearing masks in recent months, so strict safety precautions were essential. While most of the viewers will enjoy the show from the safety of their homes, a few thousand audience members will be able to take in the action live, from the balconies of their rooms at Atlantis, The Palm. The hotel has confirmed that packages for hotel guests will go on sale on Sunday, November 22. Tickets for the livestream event are available now from www.kissonline.com/nye-2020. Standard livestream tickets are available for $39.99, while livestream deluxe access, which includes unlimited replays over a 72-hour period, are going for $49.99. There are also a series of exclusive and limited edition VIP packages. The Gold VIP Package includes 30 days unlimited live streaming of the show and eight additional limited edition items. The Platinum VIP Package includes 14 additional limited edition items, including a collectible numbered Kiss 2020 Goodbye engraved metal ticket. Catullo also revealed that this will be the first of 10 shows that Landmarks will put on in Dubai. “What a way to put an end to a terrible year and begin a new one,” noted @lynott_FTP_Bass on Twitter, voicing the sentiments of many.
