05 May 2024

Free Madonna concert draws crowd of 1.6 million to Brazil’s Copacabana b...

  

"Rio, here we are, in the most beautiful place in the world, with the ocean, the mountains, Jesus," Madonna told the crowd, referring to the city's huge mountaintop Christ the Redeemer statue. "Magic."

US pop star Madonna performs onstage during a free concert at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 4, 2024.  Madonna ended her “The Celebration Tour” with a performance attended by some 1.6 million enthusiastic fans. (PHOTO / AFP)

Brazilian pop artists Anitta and Pabllo Vittar, as well as younger musicians from samba schools, participated in the show.

More than 3,000 police officers were deployed around the concert area, where the Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart have also drawn million-strong crowds. The authorities used a crowd-management strategy similar to their handling of the city's famous New Year's Eve celebrations.

An aerial view shows the crowd before US pop star Madonna's free concert at the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 4, 2024. Madonna ended her “The Celebration Tour” with a performance attended by some 1.6 million enthusiastic fans. (PHOTO / AFP)

Brazilian authorities have stepped up their vigilance over heat-related health problems after a young Brazilian fan died at a concert by Taylor Swift last year due to heat exhaustion.

Fans of US pop star Madonna enjoys her rehearsal onstage at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 2, 2024. (PHOTO / AFP)

Rio's state and city governments said they spent 20 million reais ($3.9 million) on the concert, while the rest was financed by private sponsors. The authorities estimate the concert could bring about 300 million reais to Rio's economy.

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