Madonna on stage during the historic concert on Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, May 4, 2024.
©Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP
Queen of Pop
The 65-year-old American pop star delivered the biggest concert of her career, at the end of her Celebration Tour, on the legendary Copacabana beach, this Saturday, May 4.
On Saturday evening, May 4, Madonna met her fans in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the legendary Copacabana beach, for a monumental and free concert. Around 11 p.m., the “queen of pop”, dressed all in black, appeared on stage, making the crowd capsize with happiness by performing Nothing Really Mattersa hymn to resilience.
Nearly 1.5 million people attended the biggest concert of the star’s career. The public was seated on the sand, but also at sea, on dozens of boats, to enjoy a breathtaking view. This show had been announced for days as “historic”. The American pop star thus closed in style The Celebration Tourfilmed to celebrate his 40-year career, inventions, brilliance and scandals.
On a splendid autumn day with summer temperatures, fans continued to flock to vibrate as close as possible to the stage, a gigantic stage of more than 800 square meters. To increase the pressure, several DJs, including Diplo, took turns at nightfall to bring joy to “the biggest dance floor in the world”, before the queen of pop finally joined the stage.
After 80 concerts in Europe, North America and Mexico, the Rio show was the finale of this world tour. It also thumbs its nose at destiny when a serious bacterial infection had landed the singer in intensive care in June 2023 and panicked fans around the world.
Opposite the Copacabana Palace and along the beach where the souvenir sellers set out on Madonna time, the atmosphere was festive in recent days and recalled the lightness of the Rio carnival, which ended almost three months ago. La Isla Bonita, Papa Don’t Preach, Material Girl… It was impossible to escape the Queen of Pop’s classics.
Three planes and 270 tons of equipment had landed in Rio de Janeiro with the American star. The concert is expected to generate 293 million reais (53 million euros) for the local economy, calculated the town hall, which contributed 20 million reais to a production with a total cost estimated at 60 million.
To ensure security, the police were present in force, almost on every street.
