Shakira's Free Copacabana Megashow Nears as Rio Expands Stage and Sets 6 p.m. May 2 Access Closure

Overview

• Rio's notice, posted Saturday on Botafogo's Rua Pinheiro Guimarães, says car, bus and motorcycle access to Copacabana will shut at 6 p.m. on May 2, with a city briefing set for Tuesday to detail operations.
• Organizers expanded the beachfront build to about 1,500 m² with a 25‑meter runway, 680 m² of LED panels and 16 sound and video towers to bring the show closer to a crowd expected in the millions.
• Transit operators rolled out limited collector cards for easier travel: Jaé sells a R$25 card with R$15.80 in credit through May 2 at select metro stations with Pix payment, while Riocard starts sales Sunday at R$20 with R$16 in credit at metro points and stores.
• Tourism indicators point to a surge, with Galeão airport projecting roughly 314,000 passengers around the event and Zona Sul hotels averaging about 80% occupancy, as international flight bookings outpace Madonna's show by about 60%.
• The free concert is scheduled for Saturday at about 9:45 p.m. with live broadcasts on TV Globo, Multishow and Globoplay, as about 10 tonnes of show equipment arrived at Galeão on Saturday for final assembly.