On May 3, 2025, Lady Gaga delivered a historic free concert on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach, drawing an estimated 2.1 million attendees. This performance marked her first return to Brazil since 2012 and set a new record for the largest audience at a solo female artist's concert.

The concert was part of the "Todo Mundo no Rio" initiative, launched by the City of Rio de Janeiro to transform Copacabana Beach into a stage for major international music events. The project aims to establish May as a month of cultural celebration in the city and is scheduled to be held annually until 2028. The event was projected to inject approximately 600 million reais (around $106 million) into the local economy, benefiting sectors such as hospitality, transportation, and retail.

Security was heightened with over 5,000 personnel deployed, including police, military, and firefighters. Security measures included the use of drones, facial recognition technology, and metal detectors at entry points. Prior to the concert, Brazilian authorities thwarted a bomb plot targeting the event. The operation, codenamed "Fake Monster," led to the arrest of two individuals associated with a radical group promoting hate speech and violence. The group had been recruiting teenagers online to carry out attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails. The suspects were arrested in Rio Grande do Sul and Rio de Janeiro.

Despite the security threat, the concert proceeded without incident, and Lady Gaga was not informed of the plot until after the event. The performance featured a mix of her classic hits and new material from her album "Mayhem," and was broadcast live to reach a global audience.

The concert attracted around 500,000 visitors from various parts of Brazil, leading to high occupancy rates in hotels and increased activity in local businesses. The event was part of the "Todo Mundo no Rio" initiative, aimed at boosting tourism and economic activity in the city. The initiative began in 2024 with Madonna's free concert, which attracted 1.6 million attendees and generated approximately 300 million reais for the local economy.

Lady Gaga last performed in Brazil during her "Born This Way Ball" tour in 2012. She was scheduled to perform at Rock in Rio in 2017 but canceled due to health issues. The concert was highly anticipated by her Brazilian fanbase, known as "Little Monsters," and was broadcast live to reach a global audience.

The success of Lady Gaga's concert underscores the effectiveness of the "Todo Mundo no Rio" initiative in promoting cultural events and stimulating the local economy. The event also highlights the importance of robust security measures in ensuring the safety of large-scale public gatherings.