Madonna Stages Career's Biggest Concert: Rio Show Draws 1.6 Million Fans
On the evening of May 5, Madonna held her final concert as part of her Celebration music tour. The event took place on Copacabana Beach in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, attracting approximately 1.6 million fans, setting a record for the artist's performances. Madonna's 65-year-old concert lasted about two hours, according to Reuters.
Many of Madonna's fans arrived at the beach hours before the concert, with some even days in advance to secure prime spots. Additionally, many people watched the concert from yachts in the ocean and apartments in nearby buildings.
"Rio, here we are, in the most beautiful place in the world, with the ocean, mountains, and Christ. It's pure magic!" Madonna exclaimed to the crowd, referencing the giant Christ the Redeemer statue atop a nearby mountain.
To ensure order around the concert venue, over 3,000 police officers were deployed. Authorities employed crowd management strategies similar to those used during Rio de Janeiro's famous New Year's Eve celebrations, which also typically draw over a million people.
Reportedly, the Rio de Janeiro government spent around 20 million reais ($4 million) to organize the concert, with private sponsors covering the remaining costs. According to government estimates, the event could bring approximately 300 million reais ($59 million) to the city.
Such large concerts on Copacabana Beach are not new. In 2006, the Rolling Stones performed there before an audience of 1.2 million fans, and in 1994, Rod Stewart held the largest rock concert in history there, drawing up to 4 million people.
In related news, The Gaze reported that in the Swedish city of Malmö, where this year's Eurovision Song Contest is taking place, an exhibition honouring the Swedish band ABBA, who won the song contest in 1974, has opened.
The exhibition marks the 50th anniversary of ABBA's victory at the contest and will run until May 12, coinciding with the end of Eurovision. It features exhibits from the Stockholm ABBA museum, including Dolce & Gabbana costumes from the ABBA Voyage digital concert and decorations from the Mamma Mia! The Party event.
Among the exhibits are black leather boots worn by Benny Andersson during his Eurovision performance. Additionally, the exhibition showcases the original recording of "Waterloo."