Madonna Joined by Anitta in Historic, Tour-Capping Rio Show

05/05/2024 07:28

Proving the maxim that more is more, Madonna ended her greatest-hits Celebration world tour with a massive free show at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, late Saturday, pulling out all the stops to satisfy a crowd confirmed at 1.6 million strong.

Taking the stage around 10:45 p.m. local time, the Queen of Pop delivered her acclaimed show with some minor modifications to account for the beachy venue.

In high spirits, the blonde bombshell opened with fan favorite "Nothing Really Matters," segueing into her early smashes "Everybody," "Into the Groove," "Burning Up," "Open Your Heart," and "Holiday."

A touching "Live to Tell" sequence that usually features the singer performing in a box high overheard was rendered from a park bench, allowing her vocals to shine through as projections underscored the number's tribute to those lost to AIDS.

Highlights included her worldwide hits "Like a Prayer" and "Hung Up."

For a lively "Vogue" ballroom-themed sequence, Brazil's own Anitta took the stage as a guest judge, doling out "10s" and "CHOPs" alongside Madonna as dancers — including Madonna's daughter, Estere — strutted their stuff.

Anitta had previously told "Extra" she passed on Monday's Met Gala in order to accept Madonna's invite!

Surprises included an a cappella snippet of "This Little Light of Mine" before her moving acoustic rendition of "Express Yourself," and a for-Rio-only version of her no. 1 hit "Music" alongside Brazilian drag star Pabllo Vittar, who at one point picked Madonna up with ease.

The show encompassed all eras of Madonna's career, included tributes to her friends and peers Keith Haring, Prince and Michael Jackson, and coming to a conclusion with more recent hits "Bitch I'm Madonna" and "Celebration."

According to Billboard magazine, businessman Luiz Oscar Niemeyer teamed up with Latin American bank Itaú to make the one-off show a reality, working on logistics since late 2023.

After Madonna nearly died last year and Niemeyer himself fell ill, negotiations intensified again earlier this year.

Saying he knew they needed to deliver "a show complying with the level of production that it presents around the world, naturally adapted for a much larger space," Niemeyer went on to say, "Only when we had the resizing of this structure, sponsorships, television broadcasting, and technical issues approved was the deal finally closed."

When news of the show leaked, the team was ready with a video of Madonna saying, "Brazil, I'm coming." In the spirit of optimism, she had secretly filmed the message six months ago.

Now that the show is over — say goodbye — Madonna's Rio gig surpasses her next most-attended show by a factor of more than 10; she previously counted 130,000 spectators at Paris' Parc des Sceaux on her Who's That Girl world tour in 1987 as the largest crowd for which she'd ever performed.

In all, Celebration raked in approximately $225 million in ticket sales, extending her record as the highest-grossing female touring acting in history, with more than $1.6 billion in revenue from nearly 16 million tickets and 710 shows across 39 years.