Free Madonna concert attracts 1.6 million to Brazil’s Copacabana beach. 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 “Celebration” world tour. 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.”
