More than a million and a half people filled Copacabana beach to watch a free concert by singer Madonna on Saturday, braving the heat to see the end of her “Celebration” world tour.
The sand and seafront promenade next to Rio de Janeiro’s famous beach were occupied for several blocks by a crowd that the city estimated at 1.6 million people.
Many waited hours or even days at the venue to get a good spot, while wealthier fans waited in the dozens of boats anchored next to the beach.
Firefighters sprayed the audience with water before the concert, when temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, to cool off fans gathered near the pop queen’s stage, and free drinking water was distributed. Temperatures were around 27ºC during the night’s show.
Madonna, 65, performed hits such as “Like a Prayer”, “Vogue” and “Express Yourself” for more than two hours, starting at 10:45 pm local time, as she concluded her greatest hits tour, which began at the end of last year .
“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 enormous statue of Christ the Redeemer on top of the mountain. “Magic”.
Madonna had guests such as Anitta and Pabllo Vittar, as well as young musicians from samba schools.
More than 3,000 police officers were deployed to the concert area, a place where the Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart have also given concerts and attracted crowds of millions. Authorities used a crowd management strategy similar to that used in the city’s famous New Year celebrations.
Brazilian authorities have stepped up surveillance of heat-related health problems after, last year, a young Brazilian fan died at a Taylor Swift concert due to heat exhaustion.
The state and city governments of Rio de Janeiro reported that they spent 20 million reais (around 3.66 million euros) on the show, while the rest was financed by private sponsors. Authorities estimate that the concert could bring around 300 million reais (around 55 million euros) to Rio’s economy.
