Published 04/28/2024 00:00
After twelve years, singer Madonna is back in Brazil for a historic event on Copacabana Beach, in the South Zone of Rio. The show, scheduled for next Saturday, May 4th, celebrates 40 years of career and the end of the world tour. Among more than 1.5 million people expected for the performance, fans are counting down the days to see the singer.
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Rodolfo Abreu, 46, from Rio, is a fan of the Queen of Pop and will be present at the highly anticipated show in the Marvelous City. He still remembers with enthusiasm what it was like to be at the artist’s show at Maracanã, in 1993. For him, it is a privilege to be a fan of an artist like Madonna. Over 35 years of admiration, he followed Madonna’s artistic maturation, which coincided with her own personal maturation: “It influenced me to learn different languages, it awakened my interest in the arts in general.”
Elaine Freitas Gonçalves, 46, from Goiás, has followed the artist’s career since she was 11 years old: “I became a fan of Madonna when a teacher at school brought me a leaflet with some song lyrics in English, like ‘Vogue’ by Madonna. Then I got interested in music and started looking for Madonna everywhere, like on TV or the radio. I started buying magazines and her records too. I bought her records”, he recalled.
João Matias, 32 years old, will also face distance to be closer to the artist. He lives in Brasília, in the Federal District, has been a fan of the diva since he was 15 years old and is preparing to watch the show in Rio de Janeiro. “I’m very excited and very happy, because I’ve never seen a Rinha show here in Brazil. It’s going to be an incredible experience,” he said.
The Brasilia native tells how the preparation for next Saturday has been: “I’ve been following a training routine and drinking fluids, in addition to eating, because I want to be in great shape on the day and make the most of it”, added João.
Biggest performance of career
On May 4th, the performances are scheduled to begin with DJ Diplo opening, starting at 8pm. Madonna is due to take the stage at 9:45 pm, with the show lasting two hours.
The Queen of Pop’s stage will be the biggest on the tour, twice the size of those used in stadiums and arenas. Almost three meters from the ground, to allow a view of the public on the beach, Madonna’s stage will be 812 square meters, with 24 meters in front and 18 meters to the ceiling. The singer has three catwalks where she walks and dances during the performance. The central one is 22 meters long and the lateral ones are 20 meters long each.
However, audiences who want to avoid the crowd will be able to hear the performance behind the stage, as there will be sound towers on both sides of the stage.
Madonna Effect
As the show approached, air ticket prices to Rio soared. The price of the Rio-São Paulo air bridge had recorded the biggest increase since February, according to Google Flights. Those who are going to attend the singer’s performance and have not yet secured a plane ticket will have to pay an average of R$1,500.
A preview released by HotéisRio shows that room occupancy on the weekend of May 3rd to 5th has already exceeded 80% in the neighborhoods of Copacabana and Leme. The two neighborhoods record 83.38% room occupancy, while the center has 67.95% and Ipanema/Leblon, 67.53%. The tendency is for the percentage to continue rising.
The show should boost Rio’s economy by R$293.4 million. The value is 30 times greater than the R$ 10 million invested by the city of Rio in sponsorship. The data is from a study carried out by municipal bodies. The research takes into account public spending on food, transport, accommodation and airfare.
Security
The traffic and security scheme will be similar to that of New Year’s Eve. In total, 3,200 military police officers and 1,500 Civil Police officers were mobilized, who will be on standby for the day of the show. In the neighborhood, the cross streets along the waterfront will be closed with fences and access control. In addition, there will be 18 blocking and search points with facial recognition.
Transport
The Municipal Transport Department informs that there will be a special scheme for those who choose to go by bus to the show. The scheme has an exclusive line that will leave directly from the Gentileza Terminal, the bus will operate on a fixed round trip schedule, costing R$ 8.60. Passengers will be able to board from 1pm on the 4th, and disembark at Avenida Princesa Isabel until 7:30pm. Ticket purchases will be made exclusively using the Jaé card.
From this time onwards, all buses are prevented from entering the blocked area, so the final stop will be moved to the Enseada terminal, which will be set up in Botafogo. At this point, as is already the case during the New Year’s Eve party, there will also be bus stops heading to neighborhoods in the North Zone.
To facilitate the return of Rio residents and tourists, the BRT TransBrasil will operate 24 hours a day on Saturday, as will the VLT. The Supervia trains will have two departures scheduled for after midnight on Sunday, the 5th. The first will be at 1:20 am and the second at 2:20 am, on the three branches. From 4:30 am, operations become regular.
The subway will run until 4am. The extended scheme will be at Cardeal Arcoverde, Siqueira Campos and Cantagalo stations. The other stations in the system will operate normally, from 5 am to midnight, and after the usual closing time, they will only be open for passengers to disembark.
Health and hydration stations
The structure set up for Madonna’s show will also have three hospital posts, just like on New Year’s Eve. The scheme has 30 ambulances, some of which have an ICU, 36 beds and more than 140 professionals working. The planning also foresees the installation of drinking fountains and hydration points by Cedae.
The event in Rio will be Rodrigo’s 40th participation in Madonna showsPersonal collection
Paulo with the wax statue of the Madonna at the Wax Museum in Petrópolis Personal collection
Igor Jambeiro has been a fan for 20 years and knew the singer’s songs as a childPersonal collection
João has already participated in one of the artist’s shows and is looking forward to the event in RioPersonal collection
João got the tattoo to immortalize the first time I went to the Madonna show in 2020Personal collection
Rodrigo has been a fan of Madonna for 35 years and has been to several shows Personal collection
Elaine has been to 16 Madonna shows Personal collection
Fan Elaine on the British Walk of Fame with Madonna’s brand Personal collection
Tags: Emotions running high Madonna fans prepare show Copacabana Rio Janeiro
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