Singer Madonna’s megashow on Copacabana beach only takes place on Saturday (4), but fans of the international star are already occupying spaces on the beach and on the promenade in the hope of being able to see the American during sound check events or in the hotel window. They are joined by a heat wave, which will remain in the city until the weekend. The National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) issued a health risk alert
To avoid complications due to the strong heat, the Rio de Janeiro State Water and Sewage Company (Cedae) is distributing, starting this Thursday (2), water to the singer’s fans. A special operation runs until Friday (3), from 10am to 5pm, and on Saturday until the end of the show, with a “hydration fleet”, made up of kombis and bicycles.
Inmet predicts that the temperature will reach 38º Celsius (C) on Friday and 35º on Saturday. The Rio Alert System, the Rio de Janeiro city hall’s meteorological service, does not predict rain until show time.
The water will be served in biodegradable cups and monitored hourly by testing physical-chemical and inorganic parameters, such as turbidity, color, pH and all necessary conditions to guarantee good quality.
On Saturday, the operation will be reinforced with four hydration points along the coast. The structures will be close to the main stage (at Rua Rodolfo Dantas), at the entrance to the VIP area, at the second stage (Avenida Prado Júnior) and between Stations 3 and 4 (at Rua Siqueira Campos and Santa Clara).
Three water trucks will participate in the operation. The expectation is to offer 50 thousand liters of water to refresh the public.
According to Cedae, the operation follows a similar model to that carried out during the last carnival, when almost 400 thousand liters were distributed in street blocks.
Taylor Swift
On November 17 last year, Ana Clara Benevides Machado, aged 23, died during American singer Taylor Swift’s concert, at the Engenhão stadium, in the north of the city. The city was facing a heat wave with thermal sensations close to 50ºC. A report confirmed that the cause of death was strong heat.
At the time, reports indicated that it was difficult for the public to hydrate. After his death, the court forced water to be distributed to the presentations scheduled for the following days.
In Copacabana, in addition to the show being free, a big difference for Engenhão is that it takes place in an unfenced location on the seafront.
Structure
The show is Madonna’s only one in South America and closes The Celebration tour, which marks the American star’s 40-year career. 1.5 million people are expected.
Madonna is expected to take the stage at 9:45 pm and perform for two hours. The event, however, should start at 7pm, with DJs performing, and end in the early hours of the morning.
Images and sound from the shows will be retransmitted by towers located in front and behind the stage, in front of the Copacabana Palace, where Madonna has been staying since Monday (29).
The mega event, which involves 270 tons of equipment, is being treated as a second New Year’s Eve in the city, with great economic impact on the food retail, hotel and transport sectors, among others.
The city of Rio de Janeiro estimates that the singer’s presence in the city will inject around R$293.4 million into the Rio economy. In Copacabana, hotel occupancy on Saturday will be 100%, according to the hotel union.
According to the concessionaire RioGaleão, which operates Rio de Janeiro International Airport, between May 1st and 6th, 170 extra flights are planned, which should bring around 15 thousand additional passengers to the city between departures and arrivals during the period. 30% more movement is also expected at Rio bus station on the 3rd and 4th.
Throughout this week, the Military Police carries out extensive patrolling, involving 3,200 agents, 64 vehicles, 65 observation towers, two drones with facial recognition technology, as well as cameras. On the day of the party, there will be blockades in 18 areas of the neighborhood and 18 inspection points on the streets adjacent to the stage.
