A global star, a dream city, a legendary beach. Madonna met her fans in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday evening during a monumental and free concert on Copacabana beach.
Shortly before 11:00 p.m. (02:00 GMT Sunday), the “queen of pop”, dressed all in black, appeared on stage, making the crowd capsize with happiness by performing “Nothing Really Matters”, an anthem to resilience.
Some 1.5 million people were expected for the biggest concert of the star’s career. An audience seated on the sand, but also at sea aboard dozens of boats to enjoy a breathtaking view.
With this show announced for days as “historic”, the 65-year-old American popstar closes “The Celebration Tour” in style, toured to the glory of her 40-year career, inventions, brilliance and scandals .
On a splendid autumn day with summer temperatures, fans, often in swimsuits, continued to flock to vibrate as close as possible to the stage, a gigantic stage of more than 800 m2.
Alba and Roxy Rueda, two Argentine sisters aged 48 and 46, bought their plane tickets as soon as the rumor of the concert emerged a few months ago.
“When I was nine years old, my older sister, who died last year, gave me my first walkman with the cassette of +Like a Virgin+”, the hit that launched Madonna. “Since then we have not stopped listening to it. For this reason, coming here is linked for us to our relationship between sisters,” says Alba.
To increase the pressure, several DJs, including Diplo, an American turntable ace, took turns at nightfall to bring joy to “the biggest dance floor in the world”.
Then came the time for the queen to leave her palace, or rather her palace: the legendary Copacabana Palace, a haven of peace and luxury for Hollywood and pop stars for decades, where she has made her family quarters ever since. the beginning of the week.
Madonna walked along a catwalk installed for the occasion, which took her directly to the stage.
The police are present in force, almost on every street in a neighborhood accustomed to delinquency.
– Memories and “Material Girl” –
“Are you ready?” (“Are you ready?”), she had launched on her Instagram account a few hours earlier. She shared three images, two where she brandishes the Brazilian flag and another where she wears the jersey of the national football team, stamped with the number 10 and the letters “Ciccone”, her name in civil status.
After 80 concerts in Europe, North America and Mexico, the Rio show serves as a finale, but also as a snub to destiny, while 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 souvenir sellers have set up on Madonna time and increased their stocks and prices, the atmosphere has been festive in recent days and recalled the lightness of the Rio carnival, yet completed almost three months ago.
“Papa Don’t Preach”, “La Isla Bonita”, “Material Girl”… Impossible to escape the classics of the queen of pop, covered everywhere.
Drag queen Pabllo Vittar, a Brazilian pop star, and a troupe of young people playing carioca funk percussion – the soundtrack of Rio’s favelas – are also due to take the stage on Saturday evening.
The presence of Brazilian singer Anitta, the one who introduced Rio funk to the rest of the world, is also confirmed.
Three planes and 270 tons of equipment landed in the “Wonderful City” with the American star, experienced in high-precision pyrotechnic shows.
The show is a major event for the city of Rio. The concert will generate 293 million reais (53 million euros) for the local economy, calculated the town hall, which contributed 20 million reais to a production cost estimated at 60 million.
