In May, Lady Gaga's concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro was surrounded by buzz, especially with the claim that it drew a staggering 2.1 million attendees. The event was funded by city officials to boost the local economy and was projected to inject over $100 million (£75 million) into the area, attracting fans from all corners of Brazil. However, this claim has come under scrutiny by the BBC Verify team.
Experts in crowd density were consulted to evaluate the feasibility of such a large crowd converging on the beach. Their findings indicate that accommodating over two million spectators would necessitate utilizing the entire length of the expansive beach, rather than just a segment of it. Despite these revelations from the BBC team, officials in Rio de Janeiro continue to uphold their original attendance figures without providing detailed insights into their measurement methods.
This situation has sparked a debate not only about the accuracy of the estimates but also about the true impact of large-scale events on local economies. For now, the true story behind Lady Gaga's concert attendance remains shrouded in controversy, raising questions about accountability in public announcements.
