Lady Gaga made history on Saturday night with a record-breaking free concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that drew an estimated 2.1 million fans to Copacabana Beach—marking the largest performance of her career and surpassing Madonna’s 2024 attendance record of 1.6 million.
The event, dubbed “Gagacabana” by fans, served as a stop on the pop icon’s promotional tour for her eighth studio album Mayhem, ahead of her upcoming tour, The Mayhem Ball.
Gaga performed a five-act “gothic opera,” with classic hits like Poker Face, Born This Way and new material such as Abracadabra and Die With a Smile. She appeared in Brazilian-inspired outfits, including nods to the national football team.
The event doubled as a vibrant LGBTQ+ celebration. During Gaga’s performance of her hit, Born This Way, thousands waved rainbow flags.
“Thank you for making history with me,” Gaga told the crowd. “The people of Brazil are the reason why I can shine,” she said, as per The Guardian.
As fireworks shaped like hearts exploded overhead, the star closed the night with an emotional performance of Bad Romance, telling the crowd, “We are monsters, and monsters never die.”
View this post on Instagram
Biggest crowd for any woman in history
The day after her record-breaking concert, Gaga took to social media to thank her fans for helping her make history.
“Nothing could prepare me for the feeling I had during last night’s show—the absolute pride and joy I felt singing for the people of Brazil. The sight of the crowd during my opening songs took my breath away. Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you,” she wrote. “An estimated 2.5 million people came to see me sing, the biggest crowd for any woman in history. I wish I could share this feeling with the whole world,” she added.
View this post on Instagram
The concert was funded by Rio’s city government as part of a larger initiative to boost tourism and economic activity. Officials estimated it will generate around 600 million reais (R1.9 B) for the local economy.
Security was tight, with 5,000 police officers, drones, metal detectors, and facial recognition systems deployed to safeguard the event.
Authorities deal with bomb plot at Gaga’s free concert
Authorities confirmed that a serious threat had been averted during the historical Gaga concert.
Brazilian police said they had foiled a bomb plot intended to target the concert. The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, in coordination with the Justice Ministry, stated that the attack had been orchestrated by a group promoting hate speech and the radicalisation of teenagers.
“The suspects were recruiting participants, including minors, to carry out coordinated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails,” police said, as per Reuters. The Justice Ministry added that the recruiters identified as members of Gaga’s fan base, the “Little Monsters.”
ALSO SEE:
Gwyneth Paltrow swaps restriction for real food: ‘I’m back on bread, pasta and cheese’
Feature Image: Getty
