Lady Gaga fans flock to Copacabana for free concert

American pop icon Lady Gaga held a free concert at the iconic Copacabana Beach in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.

The show is the biggest in the pop star's career so far.

"Tonight, we're making history. ...Thank you for making history with me," Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd.

The beach and seafront were packed with fans hours before the concert was set to begin. Concert organizers said some 2.1 million attendees were there.

"I got here at 7:40 this morning," 22-year-old Alisha Duarte told the AFP news agency. "So far, it's going well. It'll get more complicated tonight when it's going to get super crowded, but we'll survive — Lady Gaga is worth it!"

Boosting economy through concerts

Rio officials have a history of organizing huge concerts on Copacabana Beach.

Last year, a show by Madonna on the same beach drew 1.6 million people from all over Brazil.

The city expects a similarly huge turnout for the Lady Gaga event.

The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity.

Officials estimate the concert to inject about 600 million reais ($100 million, €88.5 million) into the local economy, nearly 30% more than last year's free Madonna concert.

"It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season — filling hotels and increasing spending in bars, restaurants, and retail, generating jobs and income for the population," said Osmar Lima, the city's secretary of economic development, in a statement released by Rio City Hall's tourism department last month.

Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028.

Back in Brazil after over a decade

About 3,300 military personnel, 1,500 police officers and 400 military firefighters have been deployed as part of the security arrangements for the Lady Gaga concert. They are also using drones as well as surveillance and facial recognition cameras.

The 39-year-old singer, known for hits like "Bad Romance" and "Poker Face," last performed in Brazil in 2012.

She was supposed to appear at the Rock in Rio festival in 2017 but had to cancel for health reasons.