Madonna’s free concert draws 1.6 million people to Brazil’s Copacabana beach

Madonna’s free concert draws 1.6 million people to Brazil’s Copacabana beach

More than a million people flocked to Brazil’s Copacabana beach for a free Madonna concert on Saturday, braving the heat to witness the end of her “Celebration” world tour.

The sand and oceanfront streets around Rio de Janeiro’s famous beaches are filled for blocks by what the city estimates are 1.6 million people.

Many have been there for hours or even days to get a good spot, while more affluent fans docked on dozens of boats near the shore and spectators filled beachfront apartments.

Firefighters sprayed water before the concert, when temperatures exceeded 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), to cool fans gathered near the pop queen’s stage, and drinking water was distributed for free. The temperature was around 81 F (27 C) during the late night show.

Madonna, 65, performed songs like “Like a Prayer,” “Vogue” and “Express Yourself” for more than two hours from 10:45 p.m. as he wraps up his greatest hits tour that began late last year.

“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 statue of Christ the Redeemer on top of the city’s large mountain. “Magic.”

Brazilian pop artists Anitta and Pabllo Vittar, as well as young musicians from the samba school, took part in the performance.

More than 3,000 police officers have been deployed around the concert grounds, where the Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart have also drawn crowds of millions. Authorities used crowd management strategies similar to their handling of the city’s famous New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Brazilian authorities have increased their vigilance over heat-related health problems after a young Brazilian fan died at a concert by Taylor Swift last year from heat exhaustion.

Rio’s state and city governments said they spent 20 million reais ($3.9 million) on the concert, while the rest was financed by private sponsors. Authorities estimate the concert could bring about 300 million reais to Rio’s economy.