Free Madonna concert draws crowd of 1.6m to Brazil’s Copacabana beach

More than a million people have thronged Brazil’s Copacabana beach for a free Madonna concert, braving the heat to see the end of her Celebration world tour.

The sand and oceanfront boulevard around Rio de Janeiro’s famed beach were filled for several blocks on Saturday night by a crowd the city estimated at 1.6 million.

Many had been there for hours or even days to get a good spot, while richer fans anchored in dozens of boats near the beach and people crowded beachfront apartments.

Photograph: António Lacerda/EPAMadonna, 65, was on stage for more than two hours, performing songs including Like a Prayer, Vogue and Express Yourself from 10.45pm as she wound up the greatest hits tour, which started late last year.

“Rio, here we are, in the most beautiful place in the world, with the ocean, the mountains, Jesus,” Madonna told the crowd, referring to the city’s huge mountaintop Christ the Redeemer statue.

Photograph: Pilar Olivares/ReutersBrazilian authorities have stepped up their vigilance over heat-related health problems after a young Brazilian fan died at a concert by Taylor Swift last year due to heat exhaustion.