Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with a free concert for more than 2 million fans

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career.

“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 22:10 p.m. 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.

Concert organizers said 2.1 million people attended the show.

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. They spent the day under a blazing sun, while others perched in trees, determined to get a panoramic view.

“Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes, a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019. “It's surreal to be here.”

Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year.

The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June.

“It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars, restaurants, and retail, generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima, the city’s secretary of economic development, in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month.

Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (some $106 million) into Rio’s economy.

Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028.

Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday. The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since, as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012. Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song “LoveGame” and gave instructions for Saturday in a video. A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out.

While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio, the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors.

More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show, more than double the initial forecast, according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport, Rio’s City Hall said in a statement on Friday.

Ingrid Serrano, a 30-year-old engineer, made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show.

“I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano, who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years.

For her, the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression - being who one wants without shame.”

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. According to Guinness World Records, that was the biggest free rock concert in history.

To ensure fans could hear the songs, sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach.

Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3,300 military and 1,500 police officers, and 400 military firefighters.

Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017, when the artist canceled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues.

Ricardo Filho, who has been a fan since childhood, said it was worth the wait.

“She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said, as chants of “Gaga, I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Lady Gaga performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Fans cheer as they watch Lady Gaga free concert on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Fans cheer as they watch Lady Gaga free concert on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Fans cheer as they watch Lady Gaga free concert on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Fans wait for the start of Lady Gaga's free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Fans cheer as they wait for the start of Lady Gaga's free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Fans pack the shore of Copacabana beach to watch Lady Gaga's free concert in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Lady Gaga performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Lady Gaga performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Lady Gaga performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Lady Gaga performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Lady Gaga, center, performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

A fan waits for the start of Lady Gaga's free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Lady Gaga performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Lady Gaga performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Lady Gaga performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Lady Gaga, top center, performs during her free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

A fan strikes a pose as she waits for the start of Lady Gaga's free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A fan cheers while waiting for the start of Lady Gaga's free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A fan cheers while waiting for the start of Lady Gaga's free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A fan dons a punk mechanical face mask while waiting for the start of Lady Gaga's free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Fans cheer as they wait for the start of Lady Gaga's free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga takes part in a rehearsal a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Fans watch Lady Gaga rehearse a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Fans cheer as they watch Lady Gaga rehearse a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Fans watch Lady Gaga rehearse a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga takes part in a rehearsal a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga takes part in a rehearsal a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga takes part in a rehearsal a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga takes part in a rehearsal a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga takes part in a rehearsal a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga takes part in a rehearsal a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga takes part in a rehearsal a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga takes part in a rehearsal a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga takes part in a rehearsal a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga takes part in a rehearsal a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga takes part in a rehearsal a day ahead of her free concert, on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Lady Gaga takes part in a rehearsal a day ahead of her free concert on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)