Madonna performs to over a million people at free concert in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO: US pop star Madonna performed a free concert at Brazil’s Copacabana Beach on Saturday (May 4), drawing a crowd of some 1.6 million people who filled the area around the famed beach in Rio de Janeiro for several blocks.

Madonna, 65, performed songs such as “Nothing Really Matters”, Like a Prayer” and “Vogue” for over two hours from 10:45 PM (0145 GMT on Sunday).

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Many had been there for hours or even days to get a good spot, while richer fans anchored in dozens of boats near the beach and onlookers crowded beachfront apartments.

Firefighters sprayed water before the concert, when temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), to cool fans gathered near the pop queen’s stage, and drinking water was distributed for free. Temperatures were around 27 degrees during the late-night show.

“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.

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

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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 Brazilian show marked the end of her greatest hits world tour, “Celebration”, which started in late 2023.