Terror Plot Foiled: Brazil Police Stop Bomb Attack on Lady Gaga’s Rio Concert

Brazilian authorities successfully thwarted a bomb plot targeting Lady Gaga’s free concert on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach, which drew a crowd of over two million fans.

The Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro, working with the justice ministry, revealed that suspects had recruited individuals to carry out an attack using improvised explosives. The goal, investigators said, was to gain online notoriety.

Dubbed “Operation Fake Monster,” the investigation led to the arrest of the alleged mastermind in Rio Grande do Sul for illegal firearm possession, and a teenager in Rio for storing child pornography.

The group behind the plot reportedly spread extremist content, hate speech—particularly targeting children, LGBTQ+ individuals—and encouraged self-harm among teens as a form of radicalization. Police seized electronic devices and materials in coordinated raids across multiple states, including São Paulo and Mato Grosso.

Despite the plot, no threats were communicated to Lady Gaga or her team prior to or during the event. A spokesperson confirmed the star only learned about the threat through the media after the show.

Authorities say the suspects identified as fans—“Little Monsters”—but used coded language and violent imagery in online communities. A sweeping security presence of 5,000 officers, metal detectors, drones, and facial recognition ensured the safety of attendees.

The concert was part of a city-funded initiative to boost Rio’s economy, projected to generate $100 million in tourism revenue. Gaga, performing in Brazil for the first time since 2012, was on tour promoting her new album Mayhem.