Madonna, in concert in Rio de Janeiro, sings “Like a Virgin” with 1.5 million people

CONCERT – A mythical beach full of people. Madonna enchanted Rio de Janeiro this Saturday, May 4 during a monumental and free concert on Copacabana beach. More than a million and a half people gathered to watch the two-hour show from the Brazilian beach, or even from boats offshore.

With this concert announced for days like “historical”the 65-year-old American pop star closed her “Celebration Tour”a tour to celebrate his 40-year career, inventions, brilliance and scandals.

On a gigantic stage of more than 800 m2, she reviewed her heyday and the bewildering series of her musical and sartorial metamorphoses, from pop to electronic music including moments of cabaret inspiration. Madonna performed her legendary hits with the crowd, including Like a Virgin, who greatly contributed to making her famous, as you can see in our video at the top of the article.

Flanked by several of her children, accompanying her for music or dance, Madonna was also honored by distinguished guests, against a backdrop of the Brazilian flag. When she played her hit Vogueshe was joined on stage by Brazilian singer Anitta, the one who introduced carioca funk – the soundtrack of Rio’s favelas – to the rest of the world.

Drag queen Pabllo Vittar, a Brazilian pop star, and a troupe of children playing percussion in the city’s famous samba schools, were also there.

Final bouquet

To build up the pressure before the concert, several DJs, including Diplo, an American turntable ace, took turns at nightfall to exult “the largest dance floor in the world”.

Then the time came 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 established her family quarters since the beginning of the week. Madonna walked along a catwalk installed for the occasion, which took her directly to the stage.

For the event, the police were present in force, almost in every street in a neighborhood accustomed to delinquency, but also in the air with helicopters and drones.

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.

Three planes and 270 tons of equipment landed in the “Wonderful city” with the American star, experienced in high-precision pyrotechnic shows. The show was 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.

Also see on The HuffPost: