Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Copacabana Beach was filling up fast Saturday with excited fans of Lady Gaga, hours before the American superstar is to perform at a free mega-concert.
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Some fans – known affectionately as Gaga’s “Little Monsters” – were already in line at daybreak.
As new arrivals emerged from nearby Metro stations they were pounced on by strolling vendors, offering everything from paper fans to sarongs bearing their idol’s image.
They waited in long queues to pass through metal detectors before gaining access to the beach.
Local authorities have deployed a massive security force for the concert, including 5,000 officers, drones and both surveillance and facial recognition cameras.
Rio officials expected a turnout of perhaps 1.6 million people, which they estimate could bring US$100 million into the local economy – nearly 30 per cent more than last year’s free Madonna concert.
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