Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro turned into a historic stage on Saturday, May 3, as Lady Gaga performed for an estimated 2.5 million fans, the largest crowd ever for a female artist. The free concert was the pop star’s first show in Brazil in a decade, and it surpassed Madonna’s previous record. Gaga even acknowledged the historic moment during the show.

In several fan-made videos from the concert, the 39-year-old singer, as quoted by Variety, told the crowd at Copacabana Beach, “Your freedom is so vast … your joy, your love, your spirit. May it be heard around the world tonight! Two and a half million people." At some other point during her performance, she even said, “Tonight, we’re making history," adding, “Thank you for making history with me… The people of Brazil are the reason why I can shine."

The Abracadabra singer kicked off her historic show with the 2011 song Bloody Mary and further wowed her fans with high-energy performances on hits like Poker Face, Alejandro, Paparazzi and more. Gaga also performed on the tracks from her latest album, Mayhem.

Before Gaga’s historic show, Madonna held the record for the largest crowd at a female artist’s show. The 66-year-old renowned singer drew 1.6 million people at the same location in May 2024 for her final show of her Celebration Tour, which was also a free concert. This, in turn, was the first concert by a female artist to cross a million attendees, according to Guinness World Records.

In other news, Lady Gaga took to her Instagram account on Sunday, May 4, to share her emotions on this extraordinary feat. Sharing a series of pictures from the show where she was seen wearing a dress with the colours of the Brazilian flag, the Judas singer said, “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."
 

She added, “An estimated 2.5 million people came to see me sing, the biggest crowd for any woman in history. I wish I could share this feeling with the whole world—I know I can’t, but I can say this: if you lose your way, you can find your way back if you believe in yourself and work hard. You can give yourself dignity by rehearsing your passion and your craft, pushing yourself to new heights— you can lift yourself even if it takes some time."

The 39-year-old singer ended her note by thanking the people of Rio de Janeiro and her fans all over the world.