For most 68-year-olds a birthday means a quiet dinner out and an early night – but when it came to Madonna’s celebration she had a rather different idea.
The Queen of Pop delighted locals in a tiny Corfu village made famous by ITV series The Durrells on Sunday as she booked out a local taverna and danced in the streets until 2am.
She was joined by her children and boyfriend Akeem Morris, 30, in Kouramades as she reportedly booked out Atzaro and had an Italian child choir flown in to perform on the night.
The village, which has just 180 residents, was one of the locations used to film the hit ITV series starring Keeley Hawes.
Madonna was later seen blowing out the candles on a white and gold heart-shaped cake decorated with a large eye.
The cake came out as the group danced to the theme from the 1964 film Zorba The Greek song.Â
Her arrival is thought to have been a complete surprise and the star was flanked by security and police as she came into the village.Â
Madonna celebrated her 68th birthday on the Greek island of Corfu on Sunday, blowing out the candles on her white and gold cake with her loved ones
The singer had reportedly booked out local taverna Atzaro and had an Italian child choir flown in to perform during the night
Madonna was joined at the party by her daughters Lourdes Leon, 29, Mercy James, 20, twins Stella and Estere, 13, and her 26-year-old son Rocco Ritchie.Â
Her 30-year-old son David Banda, who she adopted from Malawi in 2008, was not seen in images posted online. Â
Madonna’s trip to Greece also included a visit to the Holy Monastery of Varlaam in Meteora.
The 14th century place of worship sits within a Unesco World Heritage site in central Greece and is perched atop a 373m cliff.
At her party, the pop star wore an ornate Dolce & Gabbana dress paired with a Flower Band headpiece by Julia Clancey before changing into a sheer white dress with gold chains, a shawl and a parasol.
Lourdes, whose father is Carlos Leon, and Rocco, from Madonna’s marriage to Guy Ritchie, were seen taking part in a traditional Greek dance as the celebrations continued into the night.
In a post on Instagram, the singer wrote: ‘It’s My Birthday! Eat, Pray, Love, Drink, Dance, Break plates, Feed Cats!! Thank you G*D!’
The Queen of Pop stunned locals in the tiny village of Kouramades as she danced in the streets with her children and boyfriend Akeem Morris until 2am
The Queen of Pop wore an ornate Dolce & Gabbana dress paired with glittering gold shoesÂ
The star poses with her friends and daughters in the Greek village, which has a population of just 180
Her children Lourdes and Rocco showed off their performing skills as they danced in the street
Also in attendance was the star’s boyfriend Akeem , 30, who has been in a relationship with her since July 2024
The pop star added a dramatic pink floral headband by Julia Clancey to her outfit as she looked to be enjoying herself during the bashÂ
Madonna changed into a second look for the celebrations, wearing a sheer white dress and gold chains with a shawl and parasol
Rocco carried Madonna’s cake, emblazoned with an eye symbol, ready for her to blow out the birthday candles
A cat joined the group for dinner, as Madonna encouraged followers to ‘Feed Cats’ in the caption of her birthday post
Madonna showed off her flawless figure as she enjoyed a cocktail at the celebrations in Greece
Kouramades was used as a filming location for the hit ITV series The Durrells, starring Keeley Hawes
Madonna has just released her latest album Confessions II, a follow-up to her 2005 smash hit Confessions on a Dance Floor.
She emerged as the star with the most nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards yesterday morning with 11, narrowly beating Taylor Swift with nine.
The pair are competing for the top prize of video of the year, with Swift up for The Fate of Ophelia and Madonna for Confessions II (The Film).
One of the songs on the album is The Test, a duet with Lourdes, who has followed in her mother’s footsteps to pursue her own career as a singer.
Madonna sings candidly to her daughter about how she ‘tried to put you on a pedestal,’ although Lourdes herself ‘didn’t ask for all the flashing lights’.
While Madonna and Lourdes are now close and often collaborate together, the pair have touched on their issues in past interviews.
In 2021, Lourdes called her mother a ‘control freak’ and admitted that she paid for her own college tuition and first apartment to escape her.
‘We don’t get any handouts in my family. Obviously, I grew up with extreme privilege. There’s no denying that,’ she explained to Interview magazine.
‘But I think my mom saw all these other kids of famous people, and she was like, “My kids are not going to be like this.”
‘Also, I feel like if your parents pay for things, then it gives them leverage over you. My mom is such a control freak, and she has controlled me my whole life. I needed to be completely independent from her as soon as I graduated high school.’
In a 2019 interview with Vogue, Madonna praised her ‘insanely talented’ eldest child but said that she lacked the same drive that had made her a household name.
Since branching out on her own, Lourdes has found work as a model, a celebrity socialite and as an indie musician.
