A bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga’s historic concert at Copacabana Beach was thwarted by Brazilian police, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
The free show, attended by over 2.1 million fans, became the largest concert crowd in Rio de Janeiro’s recent history, but it was nearly marred by an attempted terror attack orchestrated by a radical online group.
According to Brazilian federal police, the suspects behind the foiled plan were part of a network promoting hate speech, violent extremism, and the radicalization of teenagers.
The group allegedly used social media platforms to spread coded language and extremist symbols, encouraging minors to join a “collective challenge” involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and Molotov cocktails, as per Daily Mail.
In regards to this, police said in a statement, “The suspects were recruiting participants, including minors, to carry out coordinated attacks.”
Authorities believe the attackers sought to gain notoriety on social media through violent disruption.
The Brazilian Justice Ministry revealed that some of the suspects identified themselves as members of Gaga’s global fan base, the “Little Monsters,” using this association as a cover to recruit vulnerable youth into their ranks, as per the publication.
An investigation by the ministry’s Cyber Operations Lab, launched after a tip-off from Rio state police intelligence, uncovered multiple digital cells spreading harmful content disguised as fandom engagement.
A man believed to be the group’s leader was arrested in Rio Grande do Sul for illegal possession of a firearm.
Meanwhile, a teenager in Rio de Janeiro was taken into custody for storing child pornography — further exposing the disturbing tactics employed to lure minors.
Police executed more than a dozen search and seizure warrants across four Brazilian states: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Mato Grosso, and Rio Grande do Sul.
Authorities stressed that the attackers were motivated not by any ideological cause, but by a twisted desire for online fame and validation within their radicalized circles.
Lady Gaga now joins the ranks of international stars like Madonna and Rod Stewart, who have previously drawn massive audiences to Copacabana.
Madonna’s 2023 concert attracted 1.6 million fans, while Stewart’s 1994 New Year’s Eve show brought in over 4 million.
