Large crowds have gathered in Rio de Janeiro for a free Lady Gaga concert due to kick off on Saturday night on Copacabana beach.

The Brazilian authorities say they expect 1.6m people to attend the event.

The concert is being paid for by the city in an attempt to revitalise Rio’s economy, and they expect it could bring in $100m (£75m) to the local economy.

Saturday’s performance is part of a promotional tour for Lady Gaga’s eighth album, Mayhem, whose songs include Abracadabra and Die With a Smile.

Some fans – known as Gaga’s “Little Monsters” – began queuing early in the morning and waited in long lines to gain access to the beach.

A massive security operation is in place, with 5,000 police officers on duty and attendees having to pass through metal detectors. The authorities are also using drones and facial recognition cameras to help police the event.

Lady Gaga is not the first person to play a free concert in Rio. Madonna gave a concert on Copacabana beach in May 2024, which was also paid for by the city.

Many people travelled from all across the country to see the concert.

One man, 28-year-old Luan Messias, said he spent all night on a bus from Itanhaem in neighbouring Sao Paulo state.

“I can’t wait for her to sing Abracadabra, it’s great to dance to, like her early stuff,” he said.

Alisha Duarte, 22, told AFP news agency she started queuing at 0740 in the morning. “Lady Gaga is worth it! It’s going to get super crowded, but we’ll survive,” she said.

Another fan, Paulo Oliveira, explained why people were so excited about the concert. She “tells us that we can be who we are, that we can be different and that being different is cool,” he told Reuters.

It’s going to be an “unforgettable show”, concert attendee Lai Borges told Reuters. “It’s going to be emotional and I’m going to cry a lot,” she said.