On social media, many viewers were stunned as police prevented a bomb attack at Lady Gaga’s historic concert in Rio de Janeiro.
Authorities foil bomb attempt at Lady Gaga’s record concer
The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro successfully prevented a planned bomb attack during Lady Gaga’s historic concert at Copacabana Beach.
According to reports, Gaga’s concert held at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, attracted over 2 million attendees.
On May 3, 2025, Lady Gaga, performing for free as part of her global tour for her album Mayhem, put on her biggest show to date in Rio de Janeiro.
The concert drew an estimated 2.1 million fans, making it the largest audience Lady Gaga has ever performed for.
It was held at the iconic Copacabana Beach.
Police thwarted a bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga’s free concert
Authorities released a statement confirming that the bomb plot was intercepted. This prevented what could have been a devastating attack on the massive crowd at the event.
The Civil Police announced on Twitter:”OPERATION FAKE MONSTER | The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police, in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice, prevented a bomb attack that was planned to occur at Lady Gaga’s show in Copacabana, South Zone RJ. The person responsible for the plan was arrested, and a teenager was detained.”
The police statement revealed the suspects, including minors, were attempting to recruit participants for attacks involving improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails, aiming to create chaos at the concert.
The bomb plot was uncovered through police intelligence
The plot was uncovered following a tip-off from Rio’s state police intelligence, who had identified coded language and extremist symbols online related to the planned attacks.
The suspects were reportedly using social media to recruit teenagers for their violent plot. They aimed to gain viral attention through acts of terror at the concert.
They said: “Those involved were identified as virtually recruiting participants to carry out attacks using improvised explosives – the plan was aimed at gaining notoriety on social media”.
Rio police’s cyber operations lab coordinated with national authorities to issue multiple search and seizure warrants. This led to arrests in several locations across Brazil, including São Paulo and Mato Grosso.
Multiple suspects were arrested by police after the foiled bomb attack.
During the raids, one suspect, a teenager, was found with child abuse images on a device. Another arrest led to the apprehension of a leader with a firearm.
The operation involved several police units, including the DCAV, DRCI, and Core.
It was praised for its swift response and ability to dismantle the threat before harm could be caused.
Authorities said: “The agents executed search and seizure warrants against targets in Rio, Niterói, Duque de Caxias, and Macaé; as well as in states such as São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato Grosso. Local Civil Police forces collaborated.”
Lady Gaga’s concert marked her first performance in Brazil since 2012
Lady Gaga’s performance in Rio was her first since 2012, and it came after a 2017 show cancellation due to health concerns. Her return marked a milestone in her global tour.
The bomb threat couldn’t overshadow the success of the concert, which saw Lady Gaga deliver an unforgettable performance, despite the security challenges
Despite the tense moment, Lady Gaga’s fans in Rio were able to celebrate her return to Brazil. Authorities successfully averted a dangerous situation.