Brazilian authorities have arrested two individuals in connection with a foiled plot to bomb Lady Gaga’s massive concert on Copacabana Beach, which drew a crowd of up to two million people on Saturday night.
In a joint operation with the Ministry of Justice, Rio's Civil Police confirmed that it had prevented an attempted bombing at the pop superstar’s long-awaited return to Brazil her first performance in the country since 2012.
Codenamed “Fake Monster” a nod to Gaga’s affectionate nickname for her fans, the “Little Monsters” the operation led to the arrest of an adult and a teenager allegedly involved in orchestrating the attack. According to police, the suspects were recruiting people online to carry out assaults using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails, allegedly for the purpose of gaining notoriety on social media.
Authorities say the group also engaged in hate speech, radicalization, and promotion of self-harm online. Raids were conducted across multiple states, including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso, as police acted swiftly and silently to avoid public panic.
“We acted surgically to prevent the crime from happening,” said Felipe Curi of Rio’s Civil Police.
Security at the event was tight, with 5,000 officers, drones, and facial recognition cameras deployed to manage the massive crowd. The show marked Rio’s second major beachfront concert in a year, following Madonna’s historic performance in 2024.
Fans expressed both relief and concern upon learning of the foiled plot. “THANK GOD. This would have had an impact on over 2 million people,” posted one fan account on Instagram, while another wrote they were “scared sick” for the singer’s safety.
Lady Gaga took to social media to thank Brazilian fans for what she described as “the biggest crowd for any woman in history.”
“Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special,” she wrote. “I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you.”
The concert was part of Rio’s strategy to promote tourism during the off-season, with Mayor Eduardo Paes hinting at future mega-events, including a possible performance by U2.
Lady Gaga made a dramatic entrance, appearing in a towering scarlet hoop gown that opened to reveal a cage, launching into her hit "Bloody Mary" and continuing with tracks from her new album “Mayhem” and fan favorites from her iconic career.
Despite the threat, the night ended in triumph, a testament to both swift police action and the enduring power of pop music to bring people together.