RIO De JANIERO, Brazil (CelebrityAccess) — Lady Gaga performed a historic free concert in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, drawing a massive crowd, with many fans flying in from around the world to attend.
The concert took place on Rio’s famed Copacabana Beach, with estimated attendance ranging between 2.1 and 2.5 million people—potentially setting the record for the highest-attended concert by a female artist in history.
The show followed her recent headlining sets at Coachella and multiple stadium performances in Mexico City, and it precedes the kickoff of the North American leg of her Mayhem Ball tour.
However, the event was nearly a tragedy instead of a triumph after Brazilian police reported disrupting an alleged terror plot targeting the concert.
According to Reuters, the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro state, working in coordination with the Justice Ministry, reported foiling an alleged bomb plot aimed at the event.
In a statement, the Civil Police said they had “dismantled” a group planning to attack the concert with explosives, specifically targeting the LGBTQIA+ community in attendance.
Additionally, law enforcement officials executed a search and seizure warrant against an individual alleged to have threatened to kill a child live on air, in connection with the show and motivated by religious extremism. The suspect has been charged with terrorism and incitement to commit a crime.
Police reported arresting a 17-year-old and another man, who was apprehended in the act of committing an unspecified crime. Both are believed to be leaders of a cell that spread hate online. In total, eight members of the group were identified as part of the law enforcement operation, which spanned multiple cities on Saturday, including Rio de Janeiro, Niterói, and Duque de Caxias in Rio; Cotia, São Vicente, and Vargem Grande Paulista in São Paulo; São Sebastião do Caí and Novo Hamburgo in Rio Grande do Sul; and Campo Novo do Parecis in Mato Grosso.
“The Civil Police acted quietly and without creating panic. This is the kind of information we cannot ignore. In this sense, we acted surgically to prevent the crime from happening. Whenever the Civil Police becomes aware of an imminent attack, we will act,” said Chief Felipe Curi, Secretary of State for the Civil Police.
Surprisingly, Lady Gaga and her team appear to have been unware of the alleged attack. In a provided statement, a rep for Live Nation said:
“We learned about this alleged threat via media reports this morning. Prior to and during the show, there were no known safety concerns, nor any communication from the police or authorities to Lady Gaga regarding any potential risks. Her team worked closely with law enforcement throughout the planning and execution of the concert and all parties were confident in the safety measures in place.”
