Anthony Albanese and Joe Biden have taken their relationship to a “higher level” with a face-to-face meeting in the Oval Office and a private dinner of pasta and ice cream with their partners.

A state dinner at the White House in honour of the prime minister will follow on Thursday morning (AEDT), with 350 invitees treated to a curated sit-down meal.

The lavish state dinner ends Albanese’s four-day trip to the United States on invitation from President Biden.

However First Lady Jill Biden announced last-minute changes had been made to scrap a live performance by pop band The B-52s after questions about it being “tone deaf” amid the Middle East conflict.

The group, famous for hit song Love Shack, was due to be the star act entertaining guests on the South Lawn.

Instead, instrumental music will now be played by the Marine band and Army and Air Force Strolling Strings, and The B-52s will attend as guests.

“While we had initially planned for those legendary B-52s to perform their iconic dance and party music, we are now in a time when so many are facing sorrow and pain,” said Biden, not specifically mentioning the war between Israel and Hamas.

The five-star feast, curated by top US chef Katie Button, will include roasted beet salad and butternut squash soup, short ribs braised with sarsaparilla, green and gold vegetables, and a hazelnut and chocolate mousse cake.

Guests from politics, business and entertainment will attend the black-tie event but the official list has not been released.

Names that have been floated include Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys, Senior Australian of the Year Tom Calma (a Voice campaigner) and 2023 Australian of the Year Taryn Brumfitt, a body image advocate.

The event will be held in a special pavilion that was being built on the White House lawn, with decor in shades of green, pink, blue and orange to evoke Australia’s springtime.

Overnight Wednesday (AEDT), Albanese and partner Jodie Haydon were formally welcomed to the White House with a 19-gun salute at an arrival ceremony with the Bidens, Vice-President Kamala Harris and senior US government officials.

Albanese arrived as a military band played and 4000 guests watched from the South Lawn.

After a one-on-one in the Oval Office followed by bilateral talks with US cabinet secretaries, Albanese and Biden held a joint press conference.

Biden described Australia as “an anchor to peace and prosperity” while standing by Albanese at the White House.

The leaders talked up the close relationship between the two countries and the president thanked Albanese for his “personal friendship”.

Albanese said the relationship had been growing and would continue to increase to a “higher level”.

He said it was the ninth meeting between the two leaders since he was elected prime minister in May 2022.

Tweet from @AlboMP

The two leaders said they would work together on supporting economic development among Pacific island nations, a key arena as the US seeks the upper hand in the region.

They plan to invest in building maritime infrastructure and laying undersea cables to strengthen internet connectivity.

They also want to have US companies launch space missions from Australia, and Microsoft announced it would spend $US3 billion on cybersecurity, cloud computing and artificial intelligence there.

The initiatives come on top of a previously announced defence arrangement in which the US will sell and build nuclear-powered submarines for Australia.

The collaboration, which also involves the United Kingdom, is known as AUKUS, an acronym for the three countries’ names.

-with AAP