Brazilian Police Arrest Two Over Plot to Bomb Lady Gaga’s Brazil Concert with ‘Improvised Explosives and Molotov Cocktails’

Victor Nwoko
5 hours ago
3 min read

Lady Gaga performs during her free concert in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, May 3, 2025.

Two individuals have been arrested in Brazil in connection with an alleged bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga’s free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. The performance, held on Saturday, attracted an estimated 2.1 million fans, marking the biggest show of the pop icon’s career and a historic moment for the city.

Brazilian state police worked with the Justice Ministry to disrupt what they described as a planned terrorist act by a radical group known for promoting hate speech against the LGBTQ community. Authorities said the group aimed to recruit and radicalize teenagers to carry out attacks using Molotov cocktails and improvised explosives. The attack was reportedly treated as a "collective challenge" by the group, with the goal of gaining notoriety on social media.

Lady Gaga performs at Copacabana Beach on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Law enforcement arrested the alleged leader of the group on charges of illegal weapons possession in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. A teenager was also detained in Rio on unrelated child pornography charges, but linked to the same extremist group. Police confirmed the threat was neutralized before the concert took place.

Despite the threat, the concert proceeded without incident. Lady Gaga began her performance at 10 p.m. local time, opening with her 2011 hit “Bloody Mary.” Her set included new tracks from her latest album MAYHEM — which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — as well as classics such as “Poker Face” and “Alejandro.” Dressed in a variety of eye-catching outfits, including one bearing the Brazilian flag, Gaga thanked fans for their support, proclaiming, “Tonight, we’re making history.”

The show was the popstar's biggest ever - with a crowd of around 2.1 million

Organized and funded by Rio’s City Hall, the mega-event was designed to boost local tourism and economic activity. Officials estimate the show will inject at least 600 million reais (approximately $106 million USD) into the city’s economy. The concert also served as a promotional platform for Gaga’s upcoming Mayhem Ball tour.

More than 500,000 tourists traveled to Rio for the event, far exceeding projections. Fans camped on the beach from early morning, braving the intense sun to secure a prime view. Some climbed trees, while others danced and celebrated in anticipation of the performance. The beachfront was transformed into a sprawling open-air venue equipped with 16 sound towers and secured by a massive force of 3,300 military personnel, 1,500 police officers, and 400 firefighters.

For many, the night was deeply emotional. Fans like Manoela Dobes, a 27-year-old designer, described the event as the best day of her life, wearing a dress featuring a photo from a previous meeting with the star. Others, like 30-year-old Colombian engineer Ingrid Serrano, traveled internationally to witness the spectacle, calling Gaga “a symbol of total freedom of expression.”

The concert revived memories of previous iconic performances on Copacabana Beach, including Madonna’s 2023 show and Rod Stewart’s record-setting New Year’s Eve concert in 1994, which drew over 4 million people. The city plans to continue hosting similar events every May through at least 2028 as part of an ongoing strategy to maintain year-round cultural and economic vitality.

Fans who were left disappointed by Lady Gaga’s canceled 2017 Rio show due to health issues finally got their moment. One attendee, 25-year-old Ricardo Filho, summed up the sentiment of the crowd: “She’s the best artist in the world.”