Madonna wrapped up her tour with a free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, drawing an estimated 1.6 million fans, according to Deadline.
The concert marked the conclusion of her retrospective tour, celebrating her four decades in pop music, which she has been touring globally since October last year.
Madonna kicked off the show with her 1998 hit Nothing Really Matters and delighted fans with performances of her classic hits like Like a Virgin, Hung Up, and Like a Prayer. Brazilian artists Anitta and Pabllo Vittar also joined her on stage for special appearances.
According to Rio’s tourism agency, approximately 1.6 million attendees gathered on the famous city beach for the concert, which has hosted major events in the past.
In 2006, the Rolling Stones performed for 1.2 million fans at the same venue, while Rod Stewart set a record for the biggest free rock concert in history in 1994, attracting 4 million people (though some may have been drawn by the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display).
Madonna’s previous largest live concert audience was 1,30,000 fans in Paris in 1987.
Helicopters and drones flew overhead, and motorboats and sailboats anchored off the beach filled the bay.
“Here we are in the most beautiful place in the world,” Madonna, 65, told the crowd.
Pointing out the ocean view, the mountains and the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking the city, she added: “This place is magic. (Agencies)
