Lady Gaga's free concert boosts Rio's economy
Lady Gaga gave a free concert in front of two million fans who had poured onto Copacabana beach for the biggest show of her career.
'Tonight, we're making history... thank you for making history with me,' Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd.
Rio's City Hall said in a recent report that the show should inject at least $106 million (£80 million) into Rio's economy. Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028.
Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday. The city has been caught up in Gaga-mania since, as it geared up to welcome the pop singer for her first show in the country since 2012.
Rio's metro employees danced to Lady Gaga's 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for Saturday in a video. A free exhibition celebrating her career had sold out.
While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio, the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors. More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show, over double the initial forecast, according to data from the local bus station and airport, Rio's City Hall said in a statement on Friday.
The Mother Monster, as she is known, kicked off the show at around 22:10pm local time 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. Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show.
Lady Gaga performed her 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.'
Madonna also turned Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor last year.
The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Year's Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John's Day celebrations in June.
'It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season, filling hotels and increasing spending in bars, restaurants, and retail, generating jobs and income for the population,' said Osmar Lima, the city's secretary of economic development, in a statement released by Rio City Hall's tourism department last month.
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