Sawt Falasteen - Huge crowds head to Copacabana for free Lady Gaga concert

Some fans -- known affectionately as Gaga's "Little Monsters" -- were already in line at daybreak.

As new arrivals emerged from nearby Metro stations they were pounced on by strolling vendors, offering everything from paper fans to sarongs bearing their idol's image.

They waited in long lines to pass through metal detectors before gaining access to the beach.

Local authorities have deployed a massive security force for the concert, including 5,000 officers, drones and both surveillance and facial recognition cameras.

Rio officials expected a turnout of perhaps 1.6 million people, which they estimate could bring $100 million into the local economy -- nearly 30 percent more than last year's free Madonna concert.

The performance Saturday is part of a promotional tour for "Mayhem," Gaga's eighth album.

Its songs have been huge hits on streaming platforms. They include "Abracadabra" and "Die With a Smile" -- recorded with Bruno Mars, it earned Lady Gaga her 14th Grammy.

"I got here at 7:40 this morning," 22-year-old Alisha Duarte told AFP. "So far, it's going well. It'll get more complicated tonight when it's going to get super crowded, but we'll survive -- Lady Gaga is worth it!"

Duarte was trying to beat the heat with the help of a rainbow-colored fan, a symbol of the LGBT community that was well-represented Saturday at Copacabana.

Alan Jones, a hair stylist who had come from the southern state of Santa Catarina, showed off a skull tattoo on his left arm, which he said was inspired by Gaga's "Born This Way," his favorite song.

"It was thanks to this song that I began to accept myself for who I am," he said.

Luan Messias, 28, had spent the night on a bus from Itanhaem in neighboring Sao Paulo state.

"I can't wait for her to sing 'Abracadabra,' it's great to dance to, like her early stuff," Messias said.

Lady Gaga has not toured in Brazil since 2012. She was supposed to be a headliner at 2017's Rock in Rio festival but had to cancel for health reasons.

A.Suleiman--SF-PST