Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
It was the last show of The Celebration Tour, her first retrospective, which kicked off in October in London.
The "Queen of Pop" began the show with her 1998 hit "Nothing Really Matters." Huge cheers rose from the buzzing, tightly packed crowd, pressed up against the barriers. Others held house parties in brightly lighted apartments and hotels overlooking the beachfront. 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."
Madonna performed her classic hits, including "Like A Virgin" and "Hung Up." For the introduction to "Like A Prayer," her head was completely covered in a black cape, a rosary gripped in her hands.
The star paid an emotional tribute to "all the bright lights" lost to AIDS as she sang "Live to Tell," with black and white photos of people who died from the illness flashing behind her.
Later, she was joined on stage by Brazilian artists Anitta and Pabllo Vittar.
Rio spent the last few days readying itself for the performance.
In recent days, the buzz was palpable. Fans milled outside the stately, beachfront Copacabana Palace hotel, where Madonna is staying, hoping to catch a glimpse of the pop star. During the sound check on the stage set up in front of the hotel, they danced on the sand.
By midday Saturday, fans crowded in front of the hotel. A white-bearded man carried a sign saying, "Welcome Madonna you are the best I love you."
Flags with "Madonna" printed against a background of Copacabana's iconic black and white waved sidewalk pattern hung from balconies. The area was packed with street vendors and concert attendees kitted out in themed T-shirts, sweating under a baking sun.
"Since Madonna arrived here, I've been coming every day with this outfit to welcome my idol, my diva, my pop queen," said Rosemary de Oliveira Bohrer, 69, who sported a gold-colored cone bra and a black cap.
"It's going to be an unforgettable show here in Copacabana," said Oliveira Bohrer, a retired civil servant who lives in the area.
Eighteen sound towers were spread along the beach to ensure that all attendees can hear the hits. Her two-hour show started at 10:37 p.m. local time, nearly 50 minutes behind schedule.
"Welcome Queen!" read Heineken ads plastered around the city, the lettering above an image of an upturned bottle cap resembling a crown.
Not only Heineken was looking to capitalize on the excitement. "Like a Virgin" cocktails were being served at bars and restaurants. A store in the downtown area known for selling Carnival costumes completely transformed itself, filling its shelves with Madonna-themed outfits, fans, fanny packs, and even underwear.
The organization of the massive event was reminiscent of New Year's Eve, with millions of people gathering on Copacabana for the show, according to local authorities. This annual event often sees a rise in thefts and muggings, sparking concerns that similar issues might arise during Madonna's performance.
Rio state's security plan involved 3,200 military personnel and 1,500 civilian police officers on standby. In the days leading up to the concert, Brazil's navy inspected boats looking to anchor offshore to catch a glimpse of the show.
Ana Beatriz Soares, a fan present at Copacabana on Saturday, expressed how Madonna has left a lasting impact across the decades.
"Madonna blazed the trail so that today's pop artists could follow in her footsteps. Her influence is undeniable, as she continues to inspire the next generation of pop divas," remarked Soares.
"It's important to remember that Madonna's impact spans over 40 years. That's four decades of pushing boundaries and setting trends in the music industry," she added.
