On Sunday, Brazilian police announced the arrest of two individuals linked to an attempted attack during Lady Gaga’s major concert in Rio de Janeiro.
According to Rio’s civil police, they, along with the Ministry of Justice, successfully intercepted a bomb threat that was planned for the concert in Copacabana, which took place Saturday night.
This performance marked Lady Gaga’s first concert in Brazil since 2012 and drew a crowd of up to 2 million attendees.
In a statement, authorities revealed that they detained an adult believed to be behind the scheme, as well as a teenager nicknamed “Fake Monster.”
The group was reportedly trying to recruit individuals online to carry out attacks utilizing improvised explosives, with the intent of creating a sensation on social media through acts like using Molotov cocktails.
Officials noted that the plotters promoted hate speech and exploited radical youth, using self-harm narratives online to forge social connections.
Police conducted raids across the state of Rio and also in the areas of Sao Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso.
The concert at Copacabana was Lady Gaga’s second event attracting a million-plus audience, following a similarly large concert by Madonna last year.
The event was heavily secured, with around 5,000 law enforcement officers, drones, and surveillance cameras, including facial recognition technology.
Fans were taken aback by the news of the thwarted attack. One Instagram account dedicated to Lady Gaga noted, “Thank God, this would have impacted over 2 million people.” Another follower expressed ongoing concerns about safety.
This concert was part of Rio’s strategy to host large events in low tourism seasons, with plans for another in May involving the band U2, though no specific date has been announced.
Lady Gaga captivated the audience as she opened the show in a striking scarlet hoop gown that dramatically revealed a cage with her dancers during her performance of “Bloody Mary.”
“Brazil, I missed you,” the pop star exclaimed, performing tracks from her latest album, Mayhem, alongside numerous fan favorites.
