In a striking private spectacle last night (ET), Anthony Pratt hosted an annual Visy Industries cocktail party at his Raheen mansion where Kylie Minogue delivered an intimate set for roughly 250 VIPs and senior political figures. The 57-year-old pop star opened with Spinning Around and is understood to have been paid $3 million for the appearance, a sum that sharpened public attention on the scale and politics of A-list private entertainment in Melbourne.
Kylie Minogue’s setlist and onstage moments
The evening’s programme mixed uptempo hits and a nostalgic ballad. Kylie Minogue opened with Spinning Around and performed Can’t Get You Out of My Head, Better the Devil You Know, On a Night Like This, Padam Padam and The Loco-Motion. She slowed the pace with Especially For You and said the song left her feeling “nostalgic… like driving her Datsun to Nunawading, ” a reference to her early television work. Her wardrobe for the event was a one-shoulder black sequin gown with a white lace panel across the front.
Anthony Pratt and the Raheen spectacle
Guests gathered in the backyard of Raheen for what is billed as an annual Visy Industries cocktail party hosted by packaging billionaire Anthony Pratt, described in the coverage as Melbourne’s richest man. Around 250 VIPs attended, among them the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and the Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan. The host’s presence was visible in sartorial detail: Pratt wore a blue suit and a tie printed with his name. The gathering highlights how private events at major private homes have become sites where culture, money and public office intersect.
Costs, guests and precedents
The reported $3 million payment for the headline act underscored the party’s scale. Past editions of the same event have featured international stars; the 2024 party included a performance by Katy Perry, who was reportedly paid around $1. 5 million. The annual nature of the Visy Industries cocktail party and the choice of high-fee performers have established a pattern of escalating entertainment budgets tied to private philanthropy, corporate hospitality and social signaling. With senior government figures present, the cost and guest list invite scrutiny of the boundaries between private hospitality and public life.
Expert perspectives and political proximity
Kylie Minogue’s own comment about nostalgia was the evening’s only direct remark captured for attendees: she noted the emotive pull of Especially For You and linked it to her early career. The attendance of Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister, and Jacinta Allan, Victorian Premier, pointed to the event’s political visibility; their presence combined with the size of the headline fee frames questions about how cultural cachet is leveraged within elite social settings. The host’s act of photographing the night reinforced the performative dimension of private hospitality.
Facts: the event took place last night (ET) at Raheen; approximately 250 VIPs attended; Kylie Minogue, aged 57, performed a multi-song set and is understood to have been paid $3 million; the host was Anthony Pratt; a prior year featured Katy Perry for a fee around $1. 5 million. These points are documented from the event coverage and remain the record for public discussion.
As private displays of wealth and culture continue to attract public attention, will the pattern of high-fee headline acts at closed-door gatherings change how political figures engage with private hosts like Anthony Pratt?
