The beach and seafront were packed with fans hours before the concert was set to begin. Rio officials expect a boost to economic activity in the city.
American pop icon Lady Gaga is holding a free concert at the iconic Copacabana Beach in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.
The show will be the biggest in the pop star’s career so far.
It was scheduled to start at 9:45 p.m. local time (0045 GMT Sunday).
The beach and seafront were packed with fans hours before the concert was set to begin.
“I got here at 7:40 this morning,” 22-year-old Alisha Duarte told the AFP news agency. “So far, it’s going well. It’ll get more complicated tonight when it’s going to get super crowded, but we’ll survive — Lady Gaga is worth it!”
Boosting economy through concerts
Rio officials have a history of organizing huge concerts on Copacabana Beach.
Last year, a show by Madonna on the same beach drew 1.6 million people from all over Brazil.
The city expects a similarly huge turnout for the Lady Gaga event.
The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity.
Officials estimate the concert to inject about 600 million reais ($100 million, €88.5 million) into the local economy, nearly 30% more than last year’s free Madonna concert.
“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.
Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028.
Source : https://www.dw.com/en/lady-gaga-fans-flock-to-copacabana-for-free-concert/a-72428225