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L'Orient-Le Jour
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Thwarted terror attack at Lady Gaga's concert in Rio
A bomb attack was thwarted during a mega concert by star Lady Gaga in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, and two people suspected of being involved have been arrested, authorities announced Sunday. About two million people swarmed the iconic Copacabana beach into the early hours to listen to the American diva, according to city officials, under the watch of an impressive security deployment. The civil police of Rio de Janeiro announced in a statement that, in collaboration with the Justice Ministry, they had 'prevented a bomb attack that was supposed to occur during Lady Gaga's show at Copacabana.' The attempted attack had been orchestrated by a group that 'spread hate speech' and promoted the radicalization of adolescents and self-harm on digital platforms, according to police. The assailants designed this plan as a 'collective challenge' to gain notoriety on social media, said the police. The project targeted children, adolescents, and the LGBTQ+ community, a group strongly represented among the hundreds of thousands of Lady Gaga fans in Rio. The 'leader of the group' and 'responsible for the plan' was arrested in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (south) while illegally carrying a firearm. A teenager is also in custody in Rio de Janeiro. As part of Operation 'Fake Monster,' police conducted 13 searches in several cities in the state of Rio de Janeiro, as well as in São Paulo (southeast), Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso (west). They had previously given the figure of 15. 'Those involved recruited participants to promote attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails,' the police further stated. 'Sick with fear' The American singer posted on X after these revelations a message that does not mention the thwarted attack: 'Your heart shines so much, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historic moment with you.' Her fans, affectionately called 'little monsters,' took to social media to express their relief at the police's reaction. 'Thank god. This would have shocked more than two million people,' said the LadyGagaFansTogether account on Instagram. Another fan reacted: 'I am literally sick with fear for her (Lady Gaga) safety.' 'The police acted quietly and without creating panic ... We acted surgically to ensure the crime did not happen,' explained Felipe Curi, a Rio civil police official, as cited in a note from the institution. City authorities, who also hope for economic benefits exceeding $100 million, aim to establish this tradition of the free mega-concert in May to boost tourism during a period considered the low season. Lady Gaga kicked off the evening, perched more than six feet above the stage in a scarlet dress, singing her 2011 hit 'Bloody Mary' to a delirious crowd. The American pop diva, who hadn't performed in Brazil since a tour in 2012, followed with 'Abracadabra,' one of the main tracks from her latest album, 'Mayhem,' released in March. Mid-song, Lady Gaga removed her red dress to reveal another one in the colors of the Brazilian flag.
IOL News
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Two arrested in connection with failed bomb plot at Lady Gaga's mega-concert in Rio de Janeiro
US pop star Lady Gaga performs during her concert at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro Image: STRINGERAFP Brazilian police said Sunday they arrested two people in connection with a foiled plot to bomb Lady Gaga's packed mega-concert in Rio de Janeiro. Rio's civil police force said that together with the ministry of justice it "prevented a bomb attack that would have occurred at Lady Gaga's concert in Copacabana" on Saturday night. Officials said the superstar's huge free gig on the beach, her first concert in Brazil since 2012, drew up to two million people. Writing on X, Rio police said it had arrested an adult who was "responsible for the plot" as well as a teenager in the operation codenamed "Fake Monster" -- a reference to the US pop diva's pet name for her fans, "Little Monsters." It said they had recruited people online to "carry out attacks using improvised explosives" and Molotov cocktails as "a collective challenge" with the aim of "gaining notoriety on social media." The police added that the group behind the alleged plot "spread hate speech" and promoted radicalization and self-harm online. Police carried out raids across Rio de Janeiro state as well as in the states of Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso. "The police acted silently and without creating panic... We acted surgically to prevent the crime from happening," Felipe Curi from Rio De Janeiro's Civil Police said in a statement. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'Scared sick' Lady Gaga's concert was the second million-strong show on Copacabana beach in a year after a huge concert last year by Madonna. Security was tight, with some 5,000 officers, drones and both surveillance and facial recognition cameras deployed. The 39-year-old star's fans reacted with shock to the news of the foiled plot. "THANK GOD. This would have had an impact on over 2 million people," posted the LadyGagaFansTogether Instagram account, which has 307,000 followers. Writing on the same account one fan said he was "scared sick about her (Gaga) being safe at all times." Lady Gaga on Sunday thanked her fans in Brazil on social media for "the biggest crowd for any woman in history." "Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you," she posted on X, formerly Twitter. Nothing could prepare me for the feeling I had during last night's show—the absolute pride and joy I felt singing for the people of Brazil. The sight of the crowd during my opening songs took my breath away. Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I… — Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) May 4, 2025
Express Tribune
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Brazil police foil Lady Gaga gig bomb plot
Lady Gaga performs during the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. PHOTO: File Brazilian police said Sunday they had arrested two people in connection with a foiled plot to attack Lady Gaga's packed mega-concert in Rio de Janeiro. Rio's civil police force said that "together with the ministry of justice" it had "prevented a bomb attack that would have occurred at Lady Gaga's concert in Copacabana" on Saturday night. Officials said the superstar's free gig on the beach drew up to two million people. Writing on X, Rio police said it had arrested an adult who was "responsible for the plot" as well as a teenager in the operation codenamed "Fake Monster" -- a reference to Lady Gaga's pet name for her fans, "Little Monsters." It said those involved had recruited people online to "carry out attacks using improvised explosives" in an attack "aimed at gaining notoriety on social media." Police carried out raids across Rio de Janeiro state as well as in the states of Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso. Lady Gaga's concert was the second million-strong stage show on Copacabana beach in a year after a huge concert last year by Madonna. AFP
Al Jazeera
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Jazeera
Brazil police arrest two suspects over Lady Gaga gig bomb plot
Brazilian police have arrested two people in connection with an alleged plot to detonate explosives at a Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro that drew more than two million people. The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro said on social media on Sunday that it had thwarted a bomb attack that had been planned by the suspects for the free concert, held on the famous Copacabana Beach on Saturday. The police added that an adult 'responsible for the plan' had been arrested along with a teenager in an operation codenamed 'Fake Monster' – a reference to 'Little Monsters', the star's pet name for her fans. The suspects, it said, had recruited people online to 'carry out attacks using improvised explosives' in the aim of 'gaining notoriety on social media'. Police working in coordination with the Justice Ministry carried out raids across Rio de Janeiro state as well as in the states of Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso. Felipe Cury, secretary of the Rio Police, said on Sunday that authorities believed the suspects sought to target Brazil's LGBTQ community as they had 'clearly' stated they were planning an attack 'motivated by sexual orientation'. Rio Police Chief Luiz Lima said the group behind the plot disseminated hate speech and violent content online 'in order to attract more viewers, more participants – most of them teenagers, many of them children'. The show, which Rio City Hall said attracted 2.1 million people, went ahead without disruption even though Brazilian authorities said they had arrested suspects in the hours preceding the event. A spokesperson for Lady Gaga said in a statement that the star and her team had not been aware of safety concerns 'prior to and during the show', only learning about the threat the next morning. The statement added: 'Her team worked closely with law enforcement throughout the planning and execution of the concert and all parties were confident in the safety measures in place.' Security was tight at Saturday's concert, with 5,200 military and police officers deployed to the beach where fans revelled in the pop singer's classic hits like the song Born This Way, which became an LGBTQ anthem after its 2011 release. The free beach concert stood out at a time of exorbitant ticket prices for live music around the world.
The Australian
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Australian
Police foil bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga's record-breaking Rio concert
Brazilian authorities say they have foiled an alleged bomb plot targeting pop star Lady Gaga's free concert on Copacabana Beach, which drew more than two million fans and marked the largest performance of her career. The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro state, in co-ordination with Brazil's Ministry of Justice, said on Sunday that suspects had planned to use improvised explosive devices in an attack aimed at concertgoers, with children, teenagers and members of the LGBTQ+ community among the intended targets. According to a police statement, the operation — codenamed 'Fake Monster' — identified individuals promoting hate speech and the online radicalisation of young people. Authorities said minors had been recruited to participate in co-ordinated attacks, and were being exposed to violent content that encouraged self-harm and other dangerous behaviours as a form of group initiation. Two people have been detained. The alleged ringleader was arrested in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul for illegal possession of a firearm, while a teenager in Rio de Janeiro was taken into custody for possession of child sexual abuse material. Police said the group was using digital platforms to incite hatred, particularly against vulnerable communities, and was actively promoting violent extremism. Lady Gaga's team said they were unaware of any threats before or during the event, learning of the alleged plot only after the fact through media reports. 'We learned about this alleged threat via media reports this morning,' a spokesman for the singer told The Hollywood Reporter. 'Prior to and during the show, there were no known safety concerns, nor any communication from the police or authorities to Lady Gaga regarding any potential risks.' The concert, funded by the Rio de Janeiro city government as part of a campaign to revitalise tourism and boost the local economy, is projected to generate approximately $154 million in economic activity. Attendance surpassed the 1.6 million fans who attended Madonna's free show in the same location last year. With dancers dressed in costumes inspired by Brazil's national football team, Lady Gaga performed songs from her Coachella setlist. 'You waited for more than ten years for me,' she told the crowd through a Portuguese translator, referencing her last performance in Brazil in 2012. Following the record-setting concert in Rio, Lady Gaga is set to bring her Mayhem Ball tour to Australia, with shows scheduled in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for December. Lady Gaga announces first Australian shows in 11 years Geordie Gray Entertainment reporter Geordie Gray is an entertainment reporter based in Sydney. She writes about film, television, music and pop culture. Previously, she was News Editor at The Brag Media and wrote features for Rolling Stone. She did not go to university. wellbeing Ahead of an extensive solo acoustic tour, the award-winning singer-songwriter talks about pacing himself while on the road, admiring Paul McCartney's longevity, overcoming career roadblocks and learning lessons from the early death of his father. Hero Ahead of her first Australian tour with the ACO, Carolina Eyck opens up about the realities of performing from such a young age — and why fans can't get enough of the weird and wonderful world of the theremin.
