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Madonna: The singer is currently on a world tour
Photo: Toby Melville / REUTERS
The rumor mill has been cooking in Brazil for several weeks, and now the organizer has confirmed the reports: Madonna will perform on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. "Brazil, I'm coming soon," said the singer in a video published by the organizer.
According to consistent Brazilian media reports, Madonna is scheduled to give a free concert in Rio de Janeiro on May 4th as part of her world tour. However, nothing more is known about the performance, the organizer plans to announce further information in a press conference on Monday. The event is backed by Itaú Unibanco, a Brazilian bank that is celebrating its centenary with the appearance. Madonna is one of the credit institution's advertising faces.
At the beginning of the month, the first Brazilian media speculated about a possible appearance by Madonna. Shortly after the rumors broke, prices for hotel rooms on the concert weekend skyrocketed. Overnight stays in rooms with a view of Copacabana Beach – and therefore at least parts of the concert – have suddenly more than tripled, as the Brazilian daily newspaper “Folha de São Paulo” reports.
In the past, the Rolling Stones and Lenny Kravitz, among others, have given free concerts at Copacabana, sometimes attended by more than a million fans. According to Guinness World Records, the largest concert in the world also took place on the beach in the Brazilian metropolis: 4.2 million people are said to have come to a free concert by Rod Stewart on New Year's Eve 1994 - although it is unclear how many wanted to see Stewart and how many came to the beach for the fireworks.
If such a large audience were also present at Madonna's, it would be the singer's biggest concert. According to Brazilian media, the most attended performance of her career to date took place in London in 1990. Back then, 126,000 fans came to Wembley Stadium.
spr/Reuters