Credit: Mangolab / Lucas Alvarenga

Madonna has made history once again. On Saturday, May 4, the “Material Girl” performed in front of 1.6 million fans on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, marking the largest audience ever for a stand-alone concert by any artist in history, which exceeded previous title holders, The Rolling Stones, who garnered the credit on Feb. 18, 2006, during their Bigger Bang stand at the exact location, bringing 1.5 million fans. 

The figurehead of pop music’s soaring attendance rate was likely associated with a nearly 10-year gap in regional performances and the show’s free format, which was also livestreamed via TV Globo, Globoplay, and Multishow. The career-defining crowd also bolstered a secondary accolade for Madonna, who beat out her own record for the largest crowd during her 1987 Paris Parc des Sceaux, which included 130,000 views. 

Deemed her most personal tour to date, Saturday’s stand in Brazil also marked the conclusion of the artist’s Celebration tour, which kicked off on Oct. 14, 2023, consisting of 80 appearances and raking in $227,247,141, with ticket sales reaching 1,128,657, according to Pollstar Boxoffice reports. During Saturday’s two-hour-plus show, Madonna treated her historic crowd to classics from across her over 40-year career, including a fitting “Holiday,” “Like a Prayer,” “Vogue,” “Hung Up,” “La Isla Bonita,” and a closing take on “Celebration.”