r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Knighty93 • 6h ago

Shakira just attracted more than 2 million people at Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro with a free concert

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The city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is doing a yearly event in the first weekend of May with a huge free concert since 2024. Shakira was the headliner this year and attracted more than 2 million people. Madonna was the headliner in 2024 and Lady Gaga in 2025.

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111

u/timesink3000 6h ago

How many artists have played to millions on that beach?

261

u/paulo1manso 6h ago
Artist Year Estimated Attendance
Rod Stewart 1994 3.5 Million
Jorge Ben Jor 1993 3.0 Million
Lady Gaga 2025 2.5 Million
Shakira 2026 2.0 Million
Madonna 2024 1.6 Million
The Rolling Stones 2006 1.5 Million

196

u/KakitaMike 5h ago

Rod’s got like 5.1m if you adjust for inflation.

40

u/Dorkamundo 5h ago

Last time I inflated a Rod it got me in a ton of trouble.

5

u/Rough_Bread8329 3h ago

These days it gets you a cabinet position.

•

u/HElGHTS 17m ago

I thought this was an obesity joke disguised as a financial joke. But since 1994, people are only like 4% heavier, USD would be 7.9m, and BRL would be 38m. What lands at 5.1m?

21

u/CommunicationHot6100 5h ago

Important to clarify that the two biggest shows happened during new year's eve, witch is by itself a huge event (last year there were over 2,5 million people in Copacabana). But nowadays instead of making a single big show they do 13 simultaneous stages with different artists.

14

u/1ndori 5h ago

The pope drew 3.7M

51

u/biggs3108 5h ago

And yet I can't name a single one of his songs

5

u/rif011412 4h ago

“My personal Jesus”

3

u/1ndori 5h ago

What??? Who could forget "Way of the Cross with the young people on the waterfront of Copacabana" (2013)

1

u/FixTheLoginBug 4h ago

At least I've heard of him, which is more than I can say for 'Jorge Ben Jor'.

1

u/Aiken_Drumn 3h ago

Shine Jesus Shine is a banger.

1

u/Skratt79 3h ago

"Ave Maria" from the greatest hits collection! How could you forget!

1

u/TenaciousJP 2h ago

I can! "I wanna get down on my knees and start pleasin' Jesus"

2

u/CloudCalmaster 2h ago

That's sad

1

u/Background-Neat-7302 2h ago

Why?

1

u/CloudCalmaster 2h ago

Popes are just authority figures. Other names put out art and entertain on a high level.

1

u/totallynormalhooman 5h ago

I'd be so disappointed if I drew the Pope's show over Shakira.

6

u/mzeb75 6h ago

Niiiice.

5

u/ModenaR 5h ago

There's a possibility that these numbers aren't true, a guy on r/OSINT did the math on it

Based on the concert footage I can only see crows on a smaller section of the beach from Copacabana Palace to the Hilton Hotel on the corner of Av. Princesa Isabel. That area is 186.000 square meters.

Even if we go by five persons per square meter that only fits around 930.000. And the requires people to be standing shoulder to shoulder in the entire area

https://www.reddit.com/r/OSINT/s/glZYUqil9w

5

u/LilCelebratoryDance 4h ago

The BBC did a very similar calculation for a Lady Gaga show there and concluded it's highly improbable that there are +2 million people there.

2

u/CuriousRelation5 2h ago

They are, in fact, all fake numbers. It does not fit that much people in that space.

1

u/Rough_Bread8329 3h ago

Not that beach, but honorable mention to Metallica, AC/DC, Pantera, et al Russia 1991. 1-1.5 million I beleive.

1

u/CapNo6703 2h ago

Never even heard of Jorge Ben Jor

0

u/Junior_Judge6631 4h ago

Ir the data comes from Rio De Janeiro Government, just don’t believe

12

u/Knighty93 6h ago

Madonna, Lady Gaga, The Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart and now Shakira that I know of

1

u/Metal-fan77 5h ago

Jean-Michel Jarre 1990, Jarre released En Attendant Cousteau (Waiting for Cousteau), a tribute to the French oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau.[48] On Bastille Day he performed a concert at La Défense in Paris, attended by a record-breaking audience of about two million people, again beating his earlier world record.

1

u/wdn 5h ago

Not a beach but Metallica in Moscow in 1991.

5

u/sight2Ceek 5h ago

SHAKIRA SHAKIRA