Madonna attracts 1.6 million to free concert at Brazil’s Copacabana beach

Around 1.6 million people thronged Brazil’s Copacabana beach for a free Madonna concert on Saturday (May 4), braving the heat to see the end of her “Celebration“ world tour. Firefighters sprayed water before the concert, when temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), to cool fans gathered near the pop queen’s stage, and drinking water was distributed for free. Temperatures were around 27 C (81 F) during the late night show. Rio’s state and city governments said they spent 20 million reais ($3.9 million) on the concert, while the rest was financed by private sponsors. The authorities estimate the concert could bring about 300 million reais to Rio’s economy. (Production: Sebastian Rocandio, Leandra Camera, Leonardo Benassatto, Renato Spyrro, Segio Queiroz)