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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial | |
ARTICLE VIEW: | |
Free Madonna concert attracts 1.6 million to Brazil’s Copacabana | |
beach | |
From Reuters | |
Updated: | |
10:51 AM EDT, Sun May 5, 2024 | |
More than a million people thronged Brazil’s Copacabana beach for a | |
free Madonna concert on Saturday, braving the heat to see the end of | |
her . | |
The sand and oceanfront boulevard around Rio de Janeiro’s famed beach | |
were filled for several blocks by a crowd the city estimated at 1.6 | |
million. | |
Many had been there for hours or even days to get a good spot, while | |
richer fans anchored in dozens of boats near the beach and onlookers | |
crowded beachfront apartments. | |
Firefighters sprayed water before the concert, when temperatures | |
exceeded 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), to cool fans | |
gathered near the pop queen’s stage, and drinking water was | |
distributed for free. Temperatures were around 81 F (27 C) during the | |
late night show. | |
Madonna, 65, performed songs such as “Like a Prayer,” “Vogue” | |
and “Express Yourself” for over two hours from 10:45 p.m. as she | |
wound up the greatest hits tour that started late last year. | |
“Rio, here we are, in the most beautiful place in the world, with the | |
ocean, the mountains, Jesus,” Madonna told the crowd, referring to | |
the city’s huge mountaintop Christ the Redeemer statue. “Magic.” | |
Brazilian pop artists Anitta and Pabllo Vittar, as well as younger | |
musicians from samba schools, participated in the show. | |
More than 3,000 police officers were deployed around the concert area, | |
where the Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart have also drawn million-strong | |
crowds. The authorities used a crowd-management strategy similar to | |
their handling of the city’s famous New Year’s Eve celebrations. | |
Brazilian authorities have stepped up their vigilance over heat-related | |
health problems after a young Brazilian fan last year due to heat | |
exhaustion. | |
Rio’s state and city governments said they spent 20 million reais | |
($3.9 million) on the concert, while the rest was financed by private | |
sponsors. The authorities estimate the concert could bring about 300 | |
million reais to Rio’s economy. | |
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