Category:
Rio City Hall announces operation for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana Beach
Published on 25/04/2025 - 11:32 | Updated on 30/04/2025 - 11:20
Show should attract around 1,6 million people - Fabio Motta / City Hall. On Friday (April 25), Rio de Janeiro City Hall presented the operational plan for Lady Gaga's concert during a press conference held at the Rio Operations Center (COR). The event, scheduled for Saturday, May 04, on Copacabana Beach, is expected to attract around 3 million people. Riotur president Bernardo Fellows announced the schedule for the day of the event. The party starts at 1,6:17 p.m., with performances by two guest DJs on the stage set up in front of the Copacabana Palace. The main show, by Lady Gaga, is scheduled for 30:21 p.m. and should last around two and a half hours. After the performance, starting at 45:0 a.m., another DJ will take over to keep the crowd entertained.
– Expectations for the event are the best possible. All organizations are working together, with a lot of planning and dedication to deliver a great show. The public can prepare for an unforgettable show, worthy of a star like Lady Gaga. We are sure that Brazilians are very excited, and once again, we will put on a real show of organization on Copacabana Beach – declared Bernardo Fellows.
Economic and tourist impact
The event is expected to generate an economic impact of approximately R$600 million for the city, according to the study “Potential Economic Impacts of the Lady Gaga Show in Rio – 2025”, prepared by the Municipal Secretariat for Economic Development (SMDE) and Riotur.
The tourism sector will also benefit from the event. Between May 1st and 4th, RIOgaleão airport will have 24 extra flights operated by LATAM. Azul Airlines expects 230 flights at RIOgaleão and another 252 at Santos Dumont. On April 17th, according to a survey by Hotéis Rio, the average hotel occupancy rate in the city for the period had reached 71,4%, exceeding the usual levels for May.
– Rio de Janeiro is celebrating, but it is also prepared. We are talking about an estimated economic impact of R$600 million, with an average ticket price that grows every year, and in a city that, in addition to being welcoming, offers democratic access to culture. It is a coordinated action that reinforces not only Rio’s role as a cultural capital, but also its leading role as a driver of tourism and the creative economy – highlighted the Secretary of Culture, Lucas Padilha.
Traffic blocks
The Rio de Janeiro Traffic Engineering Company (CET-Rio) has set up a special system of roadblocks in Copacabana, similar to those adopted for major events held in the region, such as New Year's Eve. The changes were presented at a press conference. This Friday, the 25th, parking will be prohibited in several areas of Copacabana and in Botafogo, near the Túnel Velho, with the elimination of approximately 3 parking spaces.
Starting at midnight on Saturday the 3rd, access to Copacabana will be blocked. Chartered buses will not be allowed to enter the neighborhood, and they will also not be allowed to park in neighboring neighborhoods, such as Botafogo (including Morro do Pasmado), Ipanema, Lagoa and Urca. Starting at 7am on the 3rd, Avenida Atlântica will be completely closed, with vehicles blocked along the entire road, including the lane next to the buildings and the streets leading to the waterfront. Starting at 18pm, access to Copacabana for private vehicles will be blocked, with only buses and taxis allowed. After 19:30pm, neither buses nor taxis will be allowed to enter the neighborhood. In total, CET-Rio will operate 27 blockades on access roads.
The external roadblocks will be released at 4 am on Sunday, with the exception of Avenida Atlântica, which will remain closed to traffic until 6 am. From that time onwards, the road will be reopened to vehicles, although the leisure area on the waterfront and the reversible lane on the road next to the buildings will remain in place.
To ensure the smooth running of traffic and keep the population informed, CET-Rio will have 205 traffic operators, 49 motorcycles, 26 vehicles, 10 trailers, 31 message panels, 700 information signs and 45 guidance lanes.
Transport and access
In a similar scheme to New Year's Eve, the main boarding point on the day of the show will be the Enseada de Botafogo Terminal, located on Avenida das Nações Unidas, near Botafogo Praia Shopping. Between 19:30 pm on the 3rd and 4 am on the 4th, the terminal will concentrate all boarding, flows and destinations. Regular bus lines will depart from there to the South Zone — including Barra da Tijuca, Recreio and Jacarepaguá — and to the North Zone — heading to Tijuca and Méier. During this period, some lines will also operate on a special basis, with departures and arrivals at the Botafogo terminal. They are: 100 (Central do Brasil), 167 (Terminal Gentileza), 483 (Penha) and 492 (Bancários).
In addition, it will be possible to use the regular bus stops at Praia de Botafogo for the following lines: 309 (Alvorada Terminal), 550 (City of God), 553 (Recreio), 554 (Vargem Grande), 410 (Saens Peña), 426 (Usina), 433 (Vila Isabel), 457 (Abolição) and 474 (Méier).
MetrôRio will have a special operation with the three Copacabana subway stations open 24 hours a day, from Saturday to Sunday. The Cardeal Arcoverde station will only be open for disembarkation between 16pm and 22pm on Saturday, the 3rd. There will be flow control around the stations to ensure the safety of the operation.
To go to the show, boarding can be done normally at any subway station, with contactless payment, Giro card or Riocard. After midnight, all subway stations, except Copacabana, will only be open for disembarking. On the way back, the public will be able to use the Siqueira Campos, Cantagalo and Cardeal Arcoverde stations, which will be open 24 hours. However, there will be no ticket sales at Cardeal Arcoverde. Authorities recommend using the Siqueira Campos station, which has two entrances, 50% more boarding capacity, more validators and an active ticket office.
For those who will be using SuperVia trains, the special operation foresees the reopening of the Central do Brasil station at midnight on Sunday, the 4th. On the branch lines, the following departures are scheduled: on the Santa Cruz branch line, trains will leave at 1:2 a.m., 3:4 a.m., 30:0 a.m. and 45:1 a.m.; on the Saracuruna branch line, at 45:2 a.m., 45:4 a.m., 0:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.; and on the Japeri branch line, at 2:30 a.m., 4:XNUMX a.m., XNUMX:XNUMX a.m. and XNUMX:XNUMX a.m.
The BRT will have a fleet reinforcement on services 60 (Gentileza x Deodoro – Parador) and 22 (Jardim Oceânico x Alvorada – Parador) on Saturday night (03/05) and Sunday morning (04/05). In addition, the direct executive service Gentileza Terminal x Galeão Airport will operate throughout the night with departures from Gentileza Terminal towards Galeão every hour.
The VLT will also operate exceptionally for the show, operating 24 hours a day. A special service between Gentileza Terminal and Central do Brasil will operate continuously from 23 p.m. on the 3rd until 5 a.m. on the 4th, with 20-minute intervals. RioCard and Jaé cards are accepted, and can be purchased or recharged at stops and stations. It is recommended that you add credit in advance to ensure a smooth return journey.
Organization
To ensure public comfort and safety, the City Hall has set up a large structure along the Copacabana beachfront. Sixteen delay towers (structures for screens, sound and lighting) measuring 16m high and 9m wide were installed, ensuring uniform sound coverage throughout the area. Accessibility was also prioritized, with the installation of specific structures for People with Disabilities (PCD). In addition, the space will have 5 toilet stalls, including adapted units.
The City Hall will install a Public Bodies Center with two rooms, which will house the monitoring center, the Women's Secretariat, social assistance and other bodies involved in supporting the event.
In the area of security, the municipal operation supports the competent authorities with the necessary infrastructure, providing 78 surveillance towers to be manned by military police, 150 racket-type metal detectors to support searches, 18 cameras with facial recognition technology positioned at control points and the installation of fences on the streets running across the waterfront, to control access to the event.
Two Fire Department containers will be positioned on the Copacabana waterfront, one at Avenida Princesa Isabel and the other at Rua Figueiredo de Magalhães.
Health Planning
Three medical care stations will be set up: the first in the central strip of Avenida Atlântica and Avenida Princesa Isabel, the second in Praça do Lido and the third in the central strip of Avenida Atlântica and Rua República do Peru. Each station will be equipped with generators, furniture, access ramps and medical supplies. In total, 36 beds will be available, including 6 advanced life support beds, in addition to 45 hydration chairs and 30 mobile ICU ambulances, all with full medical teams. The operation will have 30 doctors, 28 nurses, 32 nursing technicians, 20 support staff and 80 stretcher bearers divided into 40 pairs to assist in the care and transport of potential accident victims.
The Miguel Couto and Souza Aguiar municipal hospitals will be prepared to receive transferred patients, if necessary, with removals coordinated by the Municipal Regulatory Center. Access and evacuation routes have already been planned and shared with all agencies involved.
The Municipal Health Department recommends that the public attending the show increase their water intake, take continuous medication, wear light clothing and carry an identification document with an emergency contact number.
The Municipal Institute of Health Surveillance (IVISA-Rio) is also involved in the show's operations, carrying out inspections to ensure that health centers and food service providers are operating in accordance with the regulations. The Health Surveillance Agency, through CIEVS-Rio, is monitoring epidemiological scenarios, following international protocols, before, during and after the big event. The City Hall will also allocate vans from the “Van Bora” health promotion program, which will offer rapid tests for detecting sexually transmitted diseases and condoms to the public.
Public Order and Municipal Guard
The Rio City Hall will count on the integrated action of the teams from the Public Order Secretariat (SEOP) and the Municipal Guard, focusing on urban planning and preventive security. Before the show, the teams will carry out a specific operation to inspect kiosks and beach huts, known as “Operação Tatuí”, with the aim of removing goods and items left illegally on the sand.
On the 3rd, 1.310 Seop and GM agents will be mobilized, with the support of 78 vehicles, 24 motorcycles and 9 trailers. The actions include patrolling, monitoring illegal street trading and clearing public areas. Traffic will also be organized and taxis, ride-hailing cars and complementary transportation in the region will be inspected.
Cameras and real-time information
The Rio Operations Center (COR) is responsible for monitoring and optimizing the city's operations on a daily basis, anticipating and managing crises in collaboration with other agencies. During Lady Gaga's concert, the COR will operate at full capacity, with an advanced center set up on site, on Avenida Atlântica and República do Peru. To ensure the safety and control of the operation, 240 cameras were installed in Copacabana and 106 cameras along Avenida Atlântica, in addition to the 40 cameras provided by the event organizers. The operation will also feature 4 drones, two of which are in partnership with the company Intelbras.
COR advises Rio residents and visitors to download the free COR.Rio app, which provides real-time information on events in the city, traffic conditions and weather. In addition, screens on street furniture will inform the public about traffic restrictions scheduled for the day of the show.
Garbage collection
The Municipal Urban Cleaning Company (Comlurb) has prepared a specific plan for Lady Gaga's concert. The main change is that there will be no regular garbage collection in Copacabana on Saturday night, the 3rd. This collection will be carried out exceptionally on Sunday, the 4th, starting at 19:30 pm, for both residential buildings and businesses in general. Comlurb asks for the public's cooperation so that waste disposal in the neighborhood's streets does not take place on Saturday night, but only on Sunday, starting at 19 pm. To reinforce the guidance, informational materials were distributed in establishments and buildings in the region.
On the sand and boardwalk of Avenida Atlântica, Comlurb will make available 240 1.200-liter containers and 1.630 42-liter containers for garbage disposal. To ensure the cleanliness of the beachfront before and after the event, the company will mobilize 6 street cleaners, in addition to three professionals assigned to each of the three health posts along the beachfront. The operation will involve 6 pieces of equipment, including 2 removal tractors, 7 sand sifting tractors, 21 mini garbage machines, 65 loader shovels and 26 dump trucks. 12 vehicles will also be used, including 14 motor pumps, 12 water trucks, XNUMX compactors, XNUMX sweepers and an electric cart.
Identification of children and adolescents
The Municipal Department of Social Welfare (SMAS) will provide identification bracelets for children and adolescents to facilitate reunion with their guardians in case of separation or emergency. The bracelets will have the child's name and the contact details of the family member. The Cardeal Arcoverde and Siqueira Campos subway stations will be the identification points.
In addition, SMAS will have a community space at the Doutor Cícero Penna Municipal School in Copacabana, from 17 p.m. to 1 a.m., for children of street vendors who are working at the event. Social workers and educators will be on site to ensure the well-being of the children, providing activities and food. SMAS will also promote campaigns to combat sexual violence and eradicate child labor, with the distribution of educational material.
Technical teams will be mobilized throughout the event area to act in situations of social vulnerability, ensuring support and appropriate referrals whenever necessary.
Easy accessibility
The Municipal Department for Persons with Disabilities will work together to provide guidance, information and review documents prior to access to the two exclusive spaces reserved for persons with disabilities (PWDs) during Lady Gaga's concert. Entry to these spaces will be on a first-come, first-served basis, upon presentation of a document proving the disability, accompanied by an official document with a photo. Each person with a disability will be entitled to one companion.
Access to the spaces will be free, subject only to the maximum capacity of each area. The secretariat also informs that accessible spaces will be located in sectors A and B of the event. The Arcoverde subway station is the closest to these sectors, with accessibility provided by an inclined platform and escalators. Siqueira Campos station has elevators. Accessible bathrooms will also be available near the two reserved spaces.
Inspection of water vehicles
Considering that part of the public usually watches shows in Copacabana directly from the sea, the Harbor Master's Office announced a special operation for the event on the 3rd. The agency informed that the maritime area near the concert venue will be closed to unauthorized vessels from 16 pm on Saturday until 4 am on Sunday.
The operation was structured in phases. Since April 14, preventive actions have been carried out, with prior inspections at marinas to distribute the free pass — a document that allows boats to approach the event area — and breathalyzer tests to issue “zero alcohol” wristbands. On the day of the show, there will be inspections and guidance of water traffic in the vicinity.
Vessels that are inspected and approved will receive an identification sticker and will be directed to specific areas for the duration of the event: Area 1 will be reserved for large vessels, Area 2 for vessels up to 24 meters long, and Area 3 will be exclusively for official event vessels. The Harbor Master's Office reserves the right to declare access to the site impracticable due to certain environmental conditions.
Assistance to women victims of abuse
As with other major public and open events, the City of Rio and Riotur, through the Secretariat for Policies for Women and Care, have prepared a special support scheme for women who are victims of abuse or violence, as part of the Rio Safer for Women policy. The awareness campaign was reinforced with the distribution of informative materials that guide and support the population on harassment and violence against women.
During Lady Gaga's concert in Copacabana, a specialized team will be present at the venue, with professionals identified and prepared to offer immediate support in cases of harassment or violence. Support includes on-site assistance, guidance and referral to medical care, if necessary. Women who are assisted during the event will continue to be monitored afterwards at one of the Secretariat's facilities.
The team on duty will have 66 professionals, including technicians, coordinators and drivers, all prepared to ensure a safer and more welcoming environment for the female public.
News
