Brazilian police arrested two suspects on Sunday in connection with a thwarted bomb plot aimed at Lady Gaga’s record-breaking concert on Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, which drew over 2.1 million fans on May 3, 2025. The operation, dubbed “Fake Monster,” exposed a group promoting hate speech and radicalising teenagers for social media notoriety.
Rio’s Civil Police, collaborating with Brazil’s Justice Ministry, disrupted the planned attack involving improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails, according to a police statement. The plot, motivated by hate speech against the LGBTQ+ community, targeted Gaga’s free concert, part of Rio’s “Todo Mundo no Rio” initiative. Authorities arrested an adult leader in Rio Grande do Sul for illegal firearm possession and a teenager in Rio for child pornography possession, following raids across Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Mato Grosso, and Rio Grande do Sul.
BREAKING: Brazilian police have said they prevented a bomb attack that was planned for Lady Gaga's free show on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach.https://t.co/XtyMtap6sY
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/ykUJxt97wC
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 4, 2025The group, posing as Gaga’s “Little Monsters” fanbase online, recruited minors to execute the attack, aiming to gain social media attention, police said. Gaga’s team, unaware of the threat until media reports surfaced Sunday, confirmed robust security measures, including 5,200 officers and drones, ensured the event’s safety.
Context and Implications
The concert, Gaga’s first in Brazil since 2012, broke Madonna’s 2024 Copacabana record of 1.6 million attendees, boosting Rio’s economy by 600 million reais ($106 million). The foiled plot underscores the risks of large-scale events and the growing threat of online radicalisation. A third suspect, charged with planning a “satanist ritual” child killing during the concert, was also identified, highlighting the group’s extremist motives.
Brazilian police thwart plot to detonate a bomb at Lady Gaga concert that drew 2 million to beach in Rio. (via @AP) pic.twitter.com/ukZaa7d0I8
— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) May 4, 2025Brazilian police’s swift action averted a bomb attack on Lady Gaga’s historic 2.1 million-strong Rio concert, safeguarding fans and exposing an extremist plot. As investigations continue, the incident underscores the need for vigilance against online hate and the power of cultural events to unite communities. Gaga’s Mayhem World Tour moves forward, undeterred by the threat.
Read: Lady Gaga Breaks World Record with 2.1M Fans at Rio Concert
