Police foil bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga’s record-breaking Rio concert

Authorities say extremists planned to use improvised explosives to attack children, teenagers and LGBTQ+ fans at the free Copacabana Beach show, which drew over two million people.

Lady Gaga performs during a rehearsal at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 2. Picture: Pablo Porciuncula/AFP

Brazilian authorities say they have foiled an alleged bomb plot targeting pop star Lady Gaga’s free concert on Copacabana Beach, which drew more than two million fans and marked the largest performance of her career.

The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro state, in co-ordination with Brazil’s Ministry of Justice, said on Sunday that suspects had planned to use improvised explosive devices in an attack aimed at concertgoers, with children, teenagers and members of the LGBTQ+ community among the intended targets.

Aerial view of fans waiting for the mega-concert of Lady Gaga at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Picture: Daniel Ramalho/AFP

Fans cheer as they watch Gaga perform her hit ‘Born This Way’ at her first show in Brazil in 13 years. Picture: AP Photo/Bruna Prado

According to a police statement, the operation — codenamed “Fake Monster” — identified individuals promoting hate speech and the online radicalisation of young people. Authorities said minors had been recruited to participate in co-ordinated attacks, and were being exposed to violent content that encouraged self-harm and other dangerous behaviours as a form of group initiation.

Two people have been detained. The alleged ringleader was arrested in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul for illegal possession of a firearm, while a teenager in Rio de Janeiro was taken into custody for possession of child sexual abuse material.

Police said the group was using digital platforms to incite hatred, particularly against vulnerable communities, and was actively promoting violent extremism.

Lady Gaga’s team said they were unaware of any threats before or during the event, learning of the alleged plot only after the fact through media reports.

“We learned about this alleged threat via media reports this morning,” a spokesman for the singer told The Hollywood Reporter. “Prior to and during the show, there were no known safety concerns, nor any communication from the police or authorities to Lady Gaga regarding any potential risks.”

Fans dressed in costume. Picture: Daniel Ramalho/AFP

Picture: Tercio Teixeria/AFP

The concert, funded by the Rio de Janeiro city government as part of a campaign to revitalise tourism and boost the local economy, is projected to generate approximately $154 million in economic activity. Attendance surpassed the 1.6 million fans who attended Madonna’s free show in the same location last year.

With dancers dressed in costumes inspired by Brazil’s national football team, Lady Gaga performed songs from her Coachella setlist. “You waited for more than ten years for me,” she told the crowd through a Portuguese translator, referencing her last performance in Brazil in 2012.

This is what 2.5 million little monsters singing “Abracadabra” with Lady Gaga looks and sounds like at Copacabana beach in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/csHkYegg9c

— Bops and Bangers (@bopsandbangers) May 4, 2025

Following the record-setting concert in Rio, Lady Gaga is set to bring her Mayhem Ball tour to Australia, with shows scheduled in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for December.