In Rio, Madonna closed her “The Celebration Tour” with a “historic” concert

On the legendary crowded Copacabana beach, the 65-year-old American popstar reviewed her forty-year career and the astonishing series of her musical and sartorial metamorphoses.

Hits (a lot), sex (a lot too), religious symbols, incessant outfit changes, skillful choreography: Madonna enchanted Rio de Janeiro, Saturday May 4, during a monumental and free concert on the legendary beach of Copacabana. How many were there for the biggest show of the star’s career? Hundreds of thousands of fans? A million ? Or a million and a half, the figure mentioned in advance? Impossible to say. But the immense beach was packed with people and the crowds were fervent. Dozens of boats had also approached the shore to enjoy a breathtaking view.

A gigantic stage of 800 m2

Shortly before 11 p.m., the “queen of pop”dressed all in black, appeared on stage performing Nothing Really Mattersa hymn to resilience. “Here we are, Rio, the most beautiful place in the world!” : the diva delighted the Brazilian public for more than two hours. On a gigantic stage of more than 800 m2, she then reviewed her heyday and the bewildering series of her musical and sartorial metamorphoses, from pop to electronic music including moments of cabaret inspiration.

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 Vogue, she 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.

In the audience, fans from different generations talked about Madonna’s place in their lives. Alba and Roxy Rueda, two Argentine sisters aged 48 and 46, bought their plane tickets as soon as word 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.

An atmosphere reminiscent of carnival

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.

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

Along Copacabana beach, where souvenir sellers have joined the Madonna hour and increased their stocks and prices, the atmosphere has been festive in recent days and recalled the lightness of the Rio carnival, although it has since ended almost three months. 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.

Madonna’s show represents a major event for the city of Rio. The concert will generate 53 million euros for the local economy, calculated the town hall, which contributed 20 million reais to a production cost estimated at 60 million.