Crowds come to free beach concert in Brazil

Large crowds have been gathered in Rio de Janeiro for a free Lady Gaga concert that starts on Saturday night on Copacabana Beach.

The Brazilian authorities say they expect 1.6 million people to attend the event.

The concert is paid by the city in an attempt to breathe new life into the economy of Rio, and they expect that it can yield $ 100 million (£ 75 million) for the local economy.

Saturday’s performance is part of a promotion tour for the eighth album by Lady Gaga, Mayhem, whose songs Abracadabra and who are with a smile.

Some fans – known as “Little Monsters” of Gaga – started standing in line early in the morning and waited in long rows to gain access to the beach.

There is an enormous safety operation in force, with 5,000 police officers and attendees must go through metal detectors. The authorities also use drones and face recognition cameras to help the police the event.

Lady Gaga is not the first person to play a free concert in Rio. Madonna gave a concert on Copacabana Beach in May 2024, which was also paid by the city.

Many people traveled from the entire country to see the concert.

A man, the 28-year-old Luan Messiah, said he spent all night in a bus from Itanhaem in the neighboring Sao Paulo State.

“I can’t wait until she sings Abracadabra, it’s great to dance, like her early things,” he said.

Alisha Duarte, 22, told AFP News Agency that she stood in line at 0740 in the morning. “Lady Gaga is worth it! It will be super busy, but we will survive,” she said.

Another fan, Paulo Oliveira, explained why people were so enthusiastic about the concert. She “tells us that we can be who we are, that we can be different and that his are cool,” he told Reuters.

It will be an “unforgettable show”, concert visitor Lai Borges told Reuters. “It will be emotional and I’m going to cry a lot,” she said.