This was Madonna’s biggest concert: 1.6 million people invaded the Copacabana beach

The “queen of pop” started the show with the 1998 hit “Nothing Really Matters”

Madonna gave a free concert on Copacabana beach on Saturday night, transforming Rio de Janeiro’s vast sands into a huge dance floor filled with fans.

It was the last show of the “Celebration Tour”, his first retrospective, which began in October, in London.

The “queen of pop” started the show with the 1998 hit “Nothing Really Matters”.

Huge applause erupted from the crowd, packed against security barriers, while others watched in celebration from brightly lit apartments and hotels overlooking the beach.

Helicopters and drones flew over the area and speedboats and sailboats anchored on the beachfront along the bay.

“Here we are, in the most beautiful place in the world,” Madonna told the crowd.

Pointing to the view of the sea, the mountains and the statue of Christ the Redeemer facing the city, he added: “This place is magical”.

Madonna performed big hits, including “Like a Virgin” and “Hung Up.”

In the introduction to “Like A Prayer,” she covered her face completely with a black veil and held a rosary in her hands.

The singer, 65, paid an emotional tribute to “all the shining lights” who died of AIDS, while singing “Live to Tell”, with black and white photographs of people suffering from the disease, blinking from behind.

Afterwards, she was accompanied on stage by Brazilian artists Anita and Pabllo Vittar.

Rio spent the last few days preparing for the performance.

It is estimated that 1.6 million people attended the concert, according to G1, which cited the city’s tourism agency.

This number is more than 10 times higher than Madonna’s record, recorded in Paris, when, in 1987, 130,000 people attended the concert at Parc de Sceaux.

Madonna’s official website classified the show as the biggest of the singer’s four-decade career.

In recent days, the excitement was noticeable, with admirers gathering in front of the imposing Copacabana Palace hotel, on the seafront, hoping to see the pop star.

During sound tests on the stage set up in front of the hotel, they danced in the sand and at noon on Saturday they gathered in front of the hotel, with posters and flags.