Madonna's biggest concert draws an estimated 1.6 million people to Rio's Copacabana Beach

Madonna A free concert was held at Copacabana Beach on Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast sandy beach into a gigantic dance floor filled with thousands of fans.

It was the final show of her first retrospective, the Celebration Tour, which began in London in October.

The “Queen of Pop” opened the show with her 1998 hit “Nothing Really Matters.” There was a loud cheer from the tightly packed crowd that crowded the fence. Some held home parties in bright apartments or hotels overlooking the beachfront. Helicopters and drones flew overhead, and the bay was filled with motorboats and yachts anchored on the shore.

Madonna, 65, told the crowd: “This is the most beautiful place in the world.” She added, pointing to the seascape, mountains and Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking the city. “This place is magical.”

Madonna performed classic hits such as “Like a Virgin” and “Hung Up.” In the intro to “Like A Prayer”, her head was completely covered by a black cloak and a rosary was clutched in her hands.

While flashing black-and-white photos of people who have died from AIDS in the background, she sang “Live to Tell'' and paid a moving tribute to “all the bright lights'' lost to AIDS.

They were then joined on stage by Brazilian artists Anitta and Pablo Vittal.

Rio has spent the past few days preparing for his performance.

An estimated 1.6 million people attended the show, G1 reported, citing Rio City Hall's tourism office. This is more than 10 times the attendance record of 130,000 for Madonna at Paris' Parc des Saux in 1987. Madonna's official website advertised the show as the biggest ever in her 40-year career.

The topic has been clear over the past few days. Fans gathered outside Madonna's stately seaside Copacabana Palace Hotel to catch a glimpse of the pop star. During the sound check on the stage set up in front of the hotel, she danced on the sand.

By noon Saturday, fans were packed in front of the hotel. The white-bearded man held a placard that read: “Welcome Madonna, you are the best, we love you.”

A flag with the word “Madonna” printed on it hangs from a balcony against the backdrop of Copacabana's iconic black and white sidewalk wave pattern. The area was crowded with street vendors and concert attendees wearing themed T-shirts and sweating under the hot sun.

“Ever since Madonna came here, I've been wearing this outfit every day to greet my idol, diva, pop queen,” said Rosemarie de Oliveira Boler, wearing a gold-colored cone bra and black cap. 69) said.

“It's going to be an unforgettable show here in Copacabana,” said Oliveira Bohler, a former civil servant who lives in the area.

Eighteen sound towers were placed along the beach to ensure all participants could hear the hits. Her two-hour show began at 10:37 p.m. local time, nearly 50 minutes behind schedule.

City Hall produced a report in April that estimated the concerts would inject 293 million reais ($57 million) into the local economy. Copacabana's hotel occupancy rate is expected to reach 98%, according to Rio's hotel association. The platform said in a statement that fans from all over Brazil, as well as Argentina and France, searched for Airbnb over the weekend. Rio International Airport expected 170 additional flights from 27 destinations from May 1 to May 6, according to a statement from Rio City Hall.

Alessandro Augusto, 53, who arrived by plane from Brazil's Ceará state, about 2,500 kilometers from Rio, said, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Madonna, even though we don't know if she will come back.''

“Welcome Queen!” read the Heineken advertisements posted all over town. Above the letters is a picture of an upturned bottle cap resembling a crown.

Heineken wasn't the only company looking to profit from the excitement. “Like a Virgin” cocktails were available at bars and restaurants. A downtown district store known for selling carnival costumes has undergone a complete makeover, stocking its shelves with Madonna-themed costumes, fans, fanny packs and even underwear.

Local authorities said the structure of the massive event was similar to New Year's Eve, when millions of people gather for the Copacabana fireworks display. Widespread theft and robbery are common occurrences at this annual event, and there were concerns that such problems would occur at Madonna's show as well.

Rio state's security plan included keeping 3,200 military personnel and 1,500 civilian police officers on standby. Prior to the concert, the Brazilian Navy inspected vessels wishing to locate offshore to watch the show.

Copacabana Beach has hosted many large-scale concerts in the past, including Rod Stewart's 1994 New Year's Eve show, which drew more than 4 million fans, according to Guinness World Records, and was the largest concert ever. It was the largest free rock concert ever. But many of those spectators were there to watch Rio's fireworks show, which compares to the Rolling Stones in 2006, when 1.2 million people flocked to the sandy beaches, according to Rio's military police and the newspaper Folha de São Paulo. may be more appropriate. It was reported at the time.

Fan Ana Beatriz Soares, who was at Copacabana on Saturday, said Madonna has made a mark for decades.

“For today's pop artists to be able to walk, Madonna had to run. That's why she's important, because she's an inspiration to today's pop divas,” Soares said. said.

“And that was 40 years ago. Not 40 days or 40 months. 40 years,” she said.

Summarize this content to 100 words Madonna A free concert was held at Copacabana Beach on Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast sandy beach into a gigantic dance floor filled with thousands of fans. It was the final show of her first retrospective, the Celebration Tour, which began in London in October. The “Queen of Pop” opened the show with her 1998 hit “Nothing Really Matters.” There was a loud cheer from the tightly packed crowd that crowded the fence. Some held home parties in bright apartments or hotels overlooking the beachfront. Helicopters and drones flew overhead, and the bay was filled with motorboats and yachts anchored on the shore.

Madonna, 65, told the crowd: “This is the most beautiful place in the world.” She added, pointing to the seascape, mountains and Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking the city. “This place is magical.”Madonna performed classic hits such as “Like a Virgin” and “Hung Up.” In the intro to “Like A Prayer”, her head was completely covered by a black cloak and a rosary was clutched in her hands.

Madonna will perform the final show of her Celebration Tour on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Silvia Izquierdo/AP

While flashing black-and-white photos of people who have died from AIDS in the background, she sang “Live to Tell'' and paid a moving tribute to “all the bright lights'' lost to AIDS.

They were then joined on stage by Brazilian artists Anitta and Pablo Vittal. Rio has spent the past few days preparing for his performance.An estimated 1.6 million people attended the show, G1 reported, citing Rio City Hall's tourism office. This is more than 10 times the attendance record of 130,000 for Madonna at Paris' Parc des Saux in 1987. Madonna's official website advertised the show as the biggest ever in her 40-year career.The topic has been clear over the past few days. Fans gathered outside Madonna's stately seaside Copacabana Palace Hotel to catch a glimpse of the pop star. During the sound check on the stage set up in front of the hotel, she danced on the sand.

By noon Saturday, fans were packed in front of the hotel. The white-bearded man held a placard that read: “Welcome Madonna, you are the best, we love you.”A flag with the word “Madonna” printed on it hangs from a balcony against the backdrop of Copacabana's iconic black and white sidewalk wave pattern. The area was crowded with street vendors and concert attendees wearing themed T-shirts and sweating under the hot sun.

Madonna will perform the final show of her Celebration Tour on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Bruna Prado/Associated Press

“Ever since Madonna came here, I've been wearing this outfit every day to greet my idol, diva, pop queen,” said Rosemarie de Oliveira Boler, wearing a gold-colored cone bra and black cap. 69) said.”It's going to be an unforgettable show here in Copacabana,” said Oliveira Bohler, a former civil servant who lives in the area. Eighteen sound towers were placed along the beach to ensure all participants could hear the hits. Her two-hour show began at 10:37 p.m. local time, nearly 50 minutes behind schedule. City Hall produced a report in April that estimated the concerts would inject 293 million reais ($57 million) into the local economy. Copacabana's hotel occupancy rate is expected to reach 98%, according to Rio's hotel association. The platform said in a statement that fans from all over Brazil, as well as Argentina and France, searched for Airbnb over the weekend. Rio International Airport expected 170 additional flights from 27 destinations from May 1 to May 6, according to a statement from Rio City Hall. Alessandro Augusto, 53, who arrived by plane from Brazil's Ceará state, about 2,500 kilometers from Rio, said, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Madonna, even though we don't know if she will come back.''

Fans wait for the start of Madonna's final show on The Celebration Tour on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, May 4, 2024.

Bruna Prado/Associated Press

“Welcome Queen!” read the Heineken advertisements posted all over town. Above the letters is a picture of an upturned bottle cap resembling a crown.

Heineken wasn't the only company looking to profit from the excitement. “Like a Virgin” cocktails were available at bars and restaurants. A downtown district store known for selling carnival costumes has undergone a complete makeover, stocking its shelves with Madonna-themed costumes, fans, fanny packs and even underwear.Local authorities said the structure of the massive event was similar to New Year's Eve, when millions of people gather for the Copacabana fireworks display. Widespread theft and robbery are common occurrences at this annual event, and there were concerns that such problems would occur at Madonna's show as well.Rio state's security plan included keeping 3,200 military personnel and 1,500 civilian police officers on standby. Prior to the concert, the Brazilian Navy inspected vessels wishing to locate offshore to watch the show.Copacabana Beach has hosted many large-scale concerts in the past, including Rod Stewart's 1994 New Year's Eve show, which drew more than 4 million fans, according to Guinness World Records, and was the largest concert ever. It was the largest free rock concert ever. But many of those spectators were there to watch Rio's fireworks show, which compares to the Rolling Stones in 2006, when 1.2 million people flocked to the sandy beaches, according to Rio's military police and the newspaper Folha de São Paulo. may be more appropriate. It was reported at the time.Fan Ana Beatriz Soares, who was at Copacabana on Saturday, said Madonna has made a mark for decades. “For today's pop artists to be able to walk, Madonna had to run. That's why she's important, because she's an inspiration to today's pop divas,” Soares said. said. “And that was 40 years ago. Not 40 days or 40 months. 40 years,” she said.

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/madonna-rio-de-janeiro-copacabana-beach-biggest-concert/ Madonna's biggest concert draws an estimated 1.6 million people to Rio's Copacabana Beach