On the night that pop music met the sea, Lady Gaga transformed Copacabana Beach into a spectacle. After 12 years of waiting, Brazilians finally received the news that Lady Gaga, also known as Mother Monster, would be returning to Brazil. Expectations were not only met, but exceeded! What could have been just another show (like Madonna’s also in Copacabana), became a cultural landmark and an unforgettable moment for those who were there.
Why did she take so long to come back to Brazil?
The last time Lady Gaga performed in Brazil was in November 2012, during her Born this Way Ball tour with 3 shows: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Porto Alegre. It was her first time performing in Brazil and the singer sang her main hits with a focus on her most recent album at the time: “Born this way ball”.
5 years later, Gaga was scheduled to come to Rock in Rio in 2017, on September 15th, but her show was canceled a day before. The singer announced the cancellation on Twitter (currently X), saying that she needed to take care of her body.
The singer faced several pains in her body and on social media, she herself has stated that she suffers from fibromyalgia, a clinical syndrome that manifests itself with pain throughout the body, especially in the muscles. Nowadays, this obstacle is controlled and interferes less in the singer’s life.
Rumors about Gaga’s cancellation at Rock in Rio have been circulating for the past few weeks at that time. Lady Gaga has been complaining a lot about the pain.
After so long… she’s back! What were the expectations?
Mother Monster decided to perform in Copacabana for a number of reasons, including the desire to compensate Brazilian fans after the show was canceled in 2017. The show also served as a showcase for her new album Mayhem, which was released in February 2025. The city of Rio de Janeiro was primarily responsible for organizing the event, as the show was free and open to the public. The project “Everyone in Rio” was created to promote free international concerts on Copacabana Beach, in this case “Everyone in Rio with Lady Gaga”.
About a year before Gaga, Madonna took the stage on Copacabana beach, bringing together around 1.6 million Brazilians on the sand. The show was huge, with a special appearance by Anitta, and managed to enchant and surprise her fans. Therefore, expectations for the New York singer were focused on crowds, amazing songs with extraordinary choreography and splendid settings, given her previous performances at Coachella 2025 and Mexico.
But at a time like this, it wasn’t just the fans who were preparing. According to the Rio de Janeiro city government, a special security and transportation plan was put in place. According to the CNN Brasil website, 18 facial recognition cameras were installed at security checkpoints, 150 metal detectors were installed, and 3 medical stations were set up in Copacabana. In addition, there would be a change in the subway and train schedules, which would operate 24 hours a day.
Lady Gaga exceeded expectations and performed the biggest show of her career on Brazilian land
During the week of the event, Mother Monster arrived discreetly in Brazil and at her hotel, Copacabana Palace. To the frustration of many, the singer did not show her face on the hotel balcony to the thousands of fans who were waiting in front of the recption. Lady Gaga arrived in Rio 5 days before her show with her fiancé Michael Polansky, but they were not seen sightseeing or walking around the city, unlike her dancers and team who said they love Rio de Janeiro and the carioca culture.
Finally, on May 3rd 2025, Lady Gaga made Copacabana tremble with her show that featured acting, theatrical scenes, set changes, various costumes and amazing choreography. Surpassing the estimated numbers, Gaga brought together 2.1 million Brazilians on Copacabana beach.
As if that wasn’t enough, Lady Gaga lovingly selected exclusive outfits for her Brazilian show, with clothes in the colors of the Brazilian flag, which included hair changes during the 2-hour performance.
Mother Monster didn’t mince words when telling Brazil how honored and happy she was to share that moment with her Brazilian fans. “The people of Brazil are the reason I get to shine today. You are as vibrant and beautiful as the sun and the moon rising over the ocean right here at Copacabana Beach”, she said in a speech in the middle of the show.
EDUARDA DE NADAI GENERATO
Journalist