Free Lady Gaga concert in Copacabana draws monster crowds
The event at the iconic Brazilian beach is expected to draw 1.6 million people and bring US$100 million into the local economy
The Mother Monster, as she is known, kicked off the show at around 22.10pm with her 2011 song Bloody Mary. Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder to shoulder on the vast stretch of sand.
Lady Gaga performed her classic hits, including Poker Face and Alejandro, switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag.
Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot, armed with snacks and drinks. They spent the day under a blazing sun, while others perched in trees, determined to get a panoramic view.
“Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes, a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019. “It’s surreal to be here.”