Police successfully prevented a bomb attack aimed at Lady Gaga’s historic concert, which attracted over 2 million attendees at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.
According to local police, the plot was organized by a group inciting hate speech and encouraging the radicalization of teenagers, involving self-harm and violent activities as a supposed form of ‘social belonging.’
According to official data, 2.1 million people attended the American pop icon’s free show.
“The suspects were enlisting individuals, including minors, to execute coordinated attacks utilizing improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails,” police stated in a release.
The Justice Ministry said the recruiters identified themselves as members of Gaga’s global fan base, known as the ‘Little Monsters.’
The operation was based on a report by the ministry’s Cyber Operations Lab following a tip-off from Rio state police intelligence, which uncovered digital cells encouraging violent behavior among teenagers using coded language and extremist symbolism.
A man described as the group’s leader was arrested in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul for illegal possession of a firearm, while a teenager in Rio de Janeiro was detained for storing child pornography.
Police thwarted a bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga ‘s historic concert that drew over 2 million people to Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday
According to official data, 2.1 million people attended the American pop icon’s free show (pictured)
Authorities carried out over a dozen search and seizure warrants of 15 suspects across the states of Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul and Sao Paulo.
‘The plan was treated as a “collective challenge” with the aim of gaining notoriety on social media,’ police said.
DailyMail.com contacted the singer’s team for comment.
The 39-year old singer’s concert was paid for by the city in an attempt to revitalize Rio’s economy as it’s estimated it could bring in nearly $100 million.
‘Tonight, we’re making history. Thank you for making history with me,’ Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd.
The Mother Monster, as she is known, kicked off the show at around 10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary.
Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand.
Lady Gaga performed her classic hits, including Poker Face and Alejandro, switching between an array of dresses including one with the colors of the Brazilian flag.
Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot, armed with snacks and drinks.
The 39-year old singer’s concert was paid for by the city in an attempt to revitalize Rio’s economy as it’s estimated it could bring in nearly $100 million
The Mother Monster, as she is known, kicked off the show at around 10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary. (Pictured: Fans enjoying the show)
She followed in the footsteps of Queen of Pop Madonna who played to a then record-breaking 1.6 million fans at the same location last year
They spent the day under a blazing sun, while others perched in trees, determined to get a panoramic view.
She followed in the footsteps of Queen of Pop Madonna.
Madonna played to a then record-breaking 1.6 million fans at the same location last year. Now Gaga has surpassed that record with 2.1 million fans.
Lady Gaga previously posted to X: ‘It’s a great honor to be asked to sing for Rio – for my whole career the fans in Brazil have been part of the lifeblood of the little monsters.
‘I’ve been dying to come perform for you for years and was heartbroken when I had to cancel years ago because I was hospitalized.
‘Your understanding that I needed that time to heal meant the world to me.’
Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028.
More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show, more than double the initial forecast.
Rio officials have a history of organizing huge concerts on Copacabana Beach. Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year, while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994.
