As mentioned last week, Madonna has come to the end of her Celebration Tour. After 80 ticketed shows, two continents, and two lawsuits for starting late (resolutions still pending), all that was left was a free concert in Rio on May 4. And how did it go? An estimated 1.6 million people attended last Saturday’s show. We’ll never know how much it was the power of Madonna, the appeal of free tickets, or some combination of both. But reports indicate that the revelry was joyful in the days leading up to the concert and on the night of, when Madge took to the stage only 52 minutes late! That’s basically on time for her, right? Associated Press captured highlights of the scene at Copacabana beach:

Madonna takes a bow: Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro’s vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans. … Huge cheers rose from the buzzing, tightly packed crowd, pressed up against the barriers. Others held house parties in brightly lighted apartments and hotels overlooking the beachfront. Helicopters and drones flew overhead, and motorboats and sailboats anchored off the beach filled the bay. “Here we are in the most beautiful place in the world,” Madonna, 65, told the crowd. Pointing out the ocean view, the mountains and the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking the city, she added: “this place is magic.”

Madge’s previous audience record was broken: An estimated 1.6 million people attended the show, G1 reported, citing Rio City Hall’s tourism agency. That is more than 10 times Madonna’s record attendance of 130,000 at Paris’ Parc des Sceaux in 1987. Madonna’s official website hyped the show as the biggest ever in her four-decade career.

Copacabana beach got into the groove: In recent days, the buzz was palpable. Fans milled outside that stately, beachfront Copacabana Palace hotel, where Madonna is staying, hoping to catch a glimpse of the pop star. During the sound check on the stage set up in front of the hotel, they danced on the sand. … Flags with “Madonna” printed against a background of Copacabana’s iconic black and white waved sidewalk pattern hung from balconies. The area was packed with street vendors and concert attendees kitted out in themed T-shirts, sweating under a baking sun. … Eighteen sound towers were spread along the beach to ensure that all attendees can hear the hits. Her two-hour show started at 10:37 p.m. local time, nearly 50 minutes behind schedule.

Rio followed NYE holiday planning: Organization of the mega-event was similar to New Year’s Eve, when millions of people gather on Copacabana for its fireworks display, local authorities said. That annual event often produces widespread thefts and muggings, and there was some concern such problems might occur at Madonna’s show. Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3,200 military personnel and 1,500 civilian police officers on stand by. In the lead-up to the concert, Brazil’s navy inspected vessels that wished to position themselves offshore to follow the show.

A fan justifies her love: Ana Beatriz Soares, a fan who was at Copacabana on Saturday said Madonna has made her mark across the decades. “Madonna had to run so that today’s pop artists could walk. That’s why she’s important, because she serves as an inspiration for today’s pop divas,” Soares said.

[From Associated Press]

You guys, I know there may be a second language issue here, but I am positively howling at the statement, “Madonna had to run so that today’s pop artists could walk.” We have to keep it, it’s too good! So instead of paving the way for artists to follow, Madonna flew high so that others could trudge after her? I think Madonna would (not so) secretly endorse this twist on the popular phrase. I can just see her going, “Hey Gaga, I ran so you could walk!” Anyway, it sounds like it was everything you’d want for a final show, with millions of fans excited to be there. And I guess having the concert be free somehow removed the pressure for Madge to start on time. At least that’s what I’m going with. Or Rio really is magical enough that even Madonna can begin within an hour of the scheduled start time (which was 9:45pm). Lastly, kudos to the AP writer for subtly referencing the Christ the Redeemer statue in an article about 1.6 million people turning out to worship a pop idol. The devil’s in the details.

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Photos credit: Dilson Silva/Backgrid