The 45-year-old diva, who always travels with a bumper entourage, is the main attraction at James’s Crown Casino in Melbourne for a New Year’s party.
It is not the pair’s first Crown appearance. In October 2015, they walked the red carpet for the launch of Melco Crown’s $4bn Studio City casino in Macau.
In Melbourne the Hero singer performs for 1200 lucky partygoers in the Palladium Ballroom with her band.
“I can’t wait to get back to Australia, I have so many of my friends and fans there and the country really means so much to me,” says Mariah, who has been dating James since meeting at the Hercules premiere in mid-2015.
“To be heading over for New Year’s Eve with James and to be able to put on a performance at Crown Melbourne – it’s incredibly exciting.”
The Grammy winner has just wrapped up an eight-night concert stand at the Beacon Theatre in New York.
She celebrated by posting this Instagram snap of herself in silky lingerie and dripping in diamonds.
Mariah captioned the picture: “Relaxing after my shows at @beacontheatre. Thanks#Lambs for celebrating the season with me! #AIWFCIY #christmas.”
Beforehand Mariah and James are spending Christmas in the US ski resort town of Aspen with friends such as Today show host Karl Stefanovic.
Mariah is reportedly flying into Australia on December 31 before visiting Sydney and James’s family retreat in the Hunter Valley, Ellerston.
This is their first trip to Australia together as a couple. Mariah will also bring along her four-year-old twins daughter Monroe and son Moroccan who she had with ex-husband Nick Cannon.
James, 48, confirmed he would be in the Crown Casino crowd on New Year’s Eve to cheer on his girlfriend.
“Australia is such a wonderful country and being able to spend some time with James and my family in Melbourne, Sydney and Ellerston makes the trip so special,” adds Mariah.
The trip also gives Mariah the chance for a break from her Las Vegas show, and to dodge a barrage of flak for her role as director and star of the Hallmark Channel’s ‘cheese-fest’ movie, A Christmas Melody.
The legendary diva has her own lighting, plays a character 10 years younger, is rarely in the same frame as her fellow actors, and is mostly shot from the collarbone up.
“I think you were supposed to find Cary’s this-close-to-apathetic nastiness endearing, and luxuriate in her character’s small-town affluence, but the ultimate product was unflattering,” writes website Jezebel.
