Over a million fans gathered at Brazil’s acclaimed Copacabana beach to witness the climax of Madonna’s Celebration world tour on a Saturday. The city of Rio de Janeiro estimated a crowd totalling approximately 1.6 million, spreading along the beach and further into several blocks of the waterfront avenue.
Affluent fans observed from their mooring boats nearby, while others camped for hours, even days, to secure an favourable view. Hundreds more watched from apartments overlooking the beach. Firefighting crews were on hand, hydrating overly heated fans near the stage area with water sprays, since the temperature was over 30 degrees Celsius ahead of the concert. Free drinking water was also circulated. During the night time performance, the weather was slightly cooler, at around 27 degrees.
At 10:45pm local time, 65-year-old Madonna took to the stage for over two hours, delivering classics such as Like a Prayer, Vogue and Express Yourself. Her greatest hits tour had commenced late the previous year. She warmly addressed the exuberant crowd, citing the beauty of Brazil, complimenting the scenery, the ocean, the mountains and the statue of Christ the Redeemer.
Notable Brazilian pop figures Anitta and Pabllo Vittar added vibrancy to the show, alongside talented youngsters from samba schools.
Protective security measures were enforced by over 3,000 law enforcement officers. Crowd-handling strategies were used, akin to those implemented during Rio’s famous New Year’s Eve festivities. Such precautions were intensified following a death incident from heat exhaustion at the Taylor Swift concert last year.
Funding for the Madonna concert was conjointly supported by the state and city governments of Rio, investing 20 million reais (equivalent to €3.6 million) whereas private sponsors footed the rest. Rio can anticipate an economic boost of about 300 million reais from the concert, according to official estimates.
Copyright: Thomson Reuters 2024