Lada Gaga's free Rio concert likely to draw more than 1.6 million people

Lady Gaga takes the stage on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach on Saturday night.

The free concert is expected to draw more than 1.6 million people and be one of the biggest of her career.

The 2016 Olympic host city is hosting large-scale free events featuring global stars as a way of filling hotels, bars and restaurants that have been struggling in recent years with an economic and public security crisis.

Madonna's show on the same beach a year ago attracted 1.6 million people from all over Brazil and was the biggest live performance of her decades-long career.

Officials say Lady Gaga's performance, scheduled for 9:45 p.m. (0045 GMT Sunday), may attract an even bigger number.

The 39-year-old singer, known for hits like "Bad Romance" and "Poker Face", last performed in Brazil in 2012, having cancelled an appearance at the Rock in Rio festival in 2017 over health issues.

The city estimates that Gaga's visit, funded mainly by private sponsors, could inject over 600 million reais ($100 million) into Rio's economy.