FOILED: Bomb Plot Targeting Lady Gaga's Massive Rio Show

Brazilian authorities successfully thwarted a planned bomb attack on Lady Gaga’s historic free concert at Copacabana Beach, which drew an estimated 2.1 million fans on Saturday night, surpassing Madonna’s 2024 record of 1.6 million attendees.

The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, in coordination with the Justice Ministry, arrested one suspect and apprehended a teenager involved in the plot, which aimed to target children, teenagers, and LGBTQ+ attendees using improvised explosives for social media notoriety.

The concert was Lady Gaga’s first in Brazil in 13 years. It transformed Copacabana into “Gagacabana,” with fans, known as “Little Monsters”, flocking from across Brazil and South America. The event was part of a promotional series for Gaga’s upcoming Mayhem Ball tour.

An ecstatic crowd revel in a five-act “gothic opera” featuring hits like Poker Face and tracks from her latest album, Mayhem. Brazilian touches included dancers in canary-yellow football shirts and a Portuguese interpreter for Gaga’s emotional speech. “Thank you for making history with me,” Gaga told the crowd, as heart-shaped fireworks capped the Bad Romance finale.

Police revealed that “Operation Fake Monster” uncovered suspects promoting hate speech and radicalizing teenagers online to execute coordinated attacks. The plot was intended to exploit the massive gathering, which Rio officials said injected 600 million reais ($106 million) into the local economy. Security was robust, with 3,300 military personnel, 1,500 police officers, and 400 firefighters deployed, ensuring safety for the record-breaking crowd.

Fans, many too young to have seen Gaga’s 2012 Brazil performance and disappointed by her 2017 cancellation due to health issues, arrived at dawn to secure spots under the blazing sun. “I’ve been waiting for this for 15 years,” said Ana Clara Salomão, a 26-year-old designer from São Paulo.

The free concert, accessible to Brazil’s diverse population, highlighted Gaga’s universal appeal. “She sings for everybody and embraces everybody,” said Karolayne Araújo, a 21-year-old student from Rio’s West Zone. Rio’s City Hall plans to host similar mega-concerts annually through 2028, building on the economic success of events like Madonna’s 2024 show and Rod Stewart’s 1994 New Year’s Eve concert, which drew 4 million.

“There’s no better place in the world to host free concerts,” said 19-year-old Hugo Monteiro, sporting a pink cowboy hat. The city’s metro employees even danced to Gaga’s LoveGame in a promotional video, reflecting the Gaga-mania that gripped Rio since her arrival on Tuesday.

Yahoo news contributed to this article.