Lady Gaga delivered a monumental free concert on Saturday night at Copacabana Beach, performing for an estimated 2.1 million fans in what became the largest show of her career.
“Tonight, we’re making history... Thank you for being part of it,” she told the ecstatic crowd.
Taking the stage around 10:10 p.m. local time, Gaga opened with her 2011 hit "Bloody Mary." The beach erupted with excitement as fans danced and sang along, packed shoulder-to-shoulder on the iconic stretch of sand.
She performed fan favorites like “Poker Face” and “Alejandro,” donning multiple outfits throughout the night, including one inspired by the Brazilian flag.
Many fans had staked out their spots early, arriving at dawn equipped with food and drinks, while some climbed trees for a better view. Among them was 27-year-old designer Manoela Dobes, who wore a dress featuring a photo from when she met Gaga in 2019. “This is the best day of my life,” she said.
The concert followed in the footsteps of last year’s massive Madonna show on the same beach and is part of a broader effort by Rio’s City Hall to attract visitors during the post-Carnival, pre-Saint John’s Day season.
According to city officials, the event is expected to inject around 600 million reais (roughly $106 million) into the local economy by boosting hotel stays, restaurant spending, and retail activity. The plan is to hold similar beach concerts every May through at least 2028.
Lady Gaga arrived in Rio early Tuesday, and excitement has been building ever since. Metro staff danced to her song “LoveGame” in a promotional video, and a free exhibit about her career quickly sold out.
While the majority of attendees were locals, many traveled from other parts of Brazil and abroad. Over 500,000 tourists arrived in Rio ahead of the show—more than double the original estimate.
Ingrid Serrano, a 30-year-old engineer from Colombia, came specifically for the concert. Wearing a shirt showcasing Gaga’s bold fashion choices, she said, “She represents complete freedom—being yourself without shame.”
Copacabana Beach has hosted record-breaking crowds before, including Madonna’s 2023 concert and a Rod Stewart performance in 1994 that drew 4 million people, the largest free rock concert ever according to Guinness World Records.
To accommodate the massive crowd, organizers installed 16 sound towers along the beach. Security included over 3,000 military personnel, 1,500 police officers, and 400 firefighters.
Among the crowd were longtime fans like Ricardo Filho, 25, who remembered Gaga’s last-minute cancellation in 2017 due to health reasons. “It was worth the wait,” he said. “She’s the best artist in the world.”