Rio readies for Madonna's free mega-concert

RIO DE JANEIRO - Madonna's long-awaited free concert on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach has upended the neighbourhood, with over a million fans expected.

"Welcome, Queen," read some posters near the huge stage erected on the Brazilian beach, where Madonna will on Saturday give the biggest show of her 40-year career and the last of her "Celebration Tour."

The 65-year-old American singer arrived in the coastal city on Monday after more than 80 shows in Europe, the United States and Mexico. This will be her only stop in South America. 

The "Like A Virgin" and "Material Girl" performer travelled to Brazil with three planes and 270 tons of equipment, according to her production company.

She has set up camp at the luxurious Copacabana Palace hotel, connected to the stage by a suspended catwalk that dozens of fans crowded under this week, hoping to catch a glimpse of the pop star. 

Thanks to free admission, organisers expect Madonna's concert to produce the "world's biggest dance floor" of up to 1.5 million people -- a figure only reached on the same beach by the Rolling Stones in 2006.

Madonna's fourth performance in Rio will contribute some 293 million reais (US$57-million) to the local economy, an income 30 times higher than what city authorities invested, according to the mayor's office.

Around 150,000 foreigners are expected to swarm the city, with most hotels already fully booked. 

"This will undoubtedly be one of Rio's biggest international events. It will boost our economy and attract tourists from Brazil, Latin American and all over the world," said the city's Tourism Secretary Daniela Maia.