3 hours ago
Last Updated:May 04, 2025, 20:39 IST
Brazil Police Foil Bomb Attack Targeting Lady Gaga's Concert In Rio De Janeiro’s Copacabana
Lady Gaga's open concert in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. (Reuters)
Brazil Police foiled a bomb attack planned for a Lady Gaga concert on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach that attracted an estimated 2.1 million people.
According to the Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, which worked in coordination with the country’s justice ministry, a group promoting hate speech and radicalisation of teenagers, including self-harm and violent content, orchestrated the plot.
“The suspects were recruiting participants, including minors, to carry out coordinated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails," the force said.
The recruiters claimed to be fans of Lady Gaga, referring to themselves as “Little Monsters," the justice ministry said.
Operation Fake Monster was launched after Rio state police intelligence discovered online groups using coded language and extremist symbols to promote violent behaviour among teenagers, prompting the justice ministry’s cyber lab to investigate.
After carrying out a dozen search and seizure warrants, authorities arrested a man who was described as the group’s leader in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul for illegal possession of a firearm, and a teenager was detained in Rio de Janeiro for storing child pornography.
The Biggest Show Of Gaga
Lady Gaga’s two-hour concert in Brazil on Saturday night drew around 500,000 tourists, with the city footing the bill to boost its economy. This show marked Gaga’s largest ever and her first performance in Brazil since 2012.
Gaga opened with a dramatic, operatic edition of her 2011 track Bloody Mary, before launching into Abracadabra, a recent track. She had released her seventh studio album, Mayhem, in March.
Before launching into Poker Face, one of her biggest hits, she said, “Brazil! I missed you. I missed you so much."
Addressing the crowd in English and through a Portuguese translator, Gaga became emotional as she said: “I’m so honoured to be here with you tonight."
Lady Gaga attributed her seven-year absence from Brazil to her focus on “healing" and “getting stronger" after health struggles. She had previously cancelled shows in 2017 and 2018 due to “fibromyalgia", a condition causing chronic pain and fatigue.
A hefty security plan was in place, including the presence of 3,300 military and 1,500 police officers, along with 400 military firefighters.
Rio is known for holding massive open-air concerts, with Rod Stewart holding a Guinness World Record for the four million-strong crowd he drew to Copacabana beach in 1994.
Location :Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
First Published:News world Brazil Police Foil Bomb Attack Targeting Lady Gaga's Concert In Rio De Janeiro’s Copacabana
