Audience record for an artist. The queen of pop music, Madonna, historic show on Copacabana beach

Madonna has set the record for the largest concert attendance by an artist in history, according to Rolling Stone AU/NZ.

1.6 million people flocked to Copacabana Beach on Saturday night, turning the vast stretch of sand into a huge dance floor for a free concert by the pop star, who has wrapped up her world tour.

“Here we are in the most beautiful place in the world,” Madonna, 65, told the crowd.

In the period leading up to the concert, the city vibrated, fans being lined up in front of the imposing Copacabana Palace hotel hoping to catch a glimpse of the star.

It is estimated that the city’s airport had around 170 extra flights as fans arrived from all over the world.

City officials estimated that 1.6 million people attended the concert, some watching from brightly lit condos or hotels overlooking the beach, while others watched from speedboats and sailboats moored nearby.

The singer gave a dizzying performance, performing classics from Like a Virgin to Like a Prayer and going through dozens of sets and costume changes.

Flanked by giant screens, she opened the show with her 1998 hit Nothing Really Matters to huge applause from the crowd.

The show, which Madonna’s official website described as the biggest of her 40-year career, marked the final stop on her Celebration tour.

Fans, many of whom stood in line hours or even days before the concert to get a good view, welcomed Madonna’s performance. “I’ve never seen such a powerful show,” one of them told the BBC. “It’s unimaginable, out of the ordinary.”

City officials, on high alert after a young Brazilian fan died last year at a Taylor Swift concert due to the heat, ordered firefighters to spray water before the concert. Free drinking water was also distributed while the temperatures were around 27 degrees Celsius.

City officials estimated the show would “inject” up to 293 million reais (£46 million) into the local economy.