Spotify and YouTube numbers indicate artists with the capacity to bring millions of people to Copacabana Beach in 2026 and internet users speculate about possible attractions
There were 2.1 million people in attendance at a show that was unanimously rated as “spectacular,” to use a term widely shared on social media. The question remains: after Lady Gaga’s breathtaking show on Copacabana Beach last Saturday (3), which international artist could reach the same mark in 2026 in Rio de Janeiro? Internet users have been suggesting possible names, with a series of speculations gaining momentum on the internet.
The most mentioned figure, so far, in posts on X, is Beyoncé. The American artist last performed in Brazil in 2013, at Rock in Rio — and left the country out of her most recent tour, last year, which caused a stir on social media. The singer, in fact, is the name that guests in the VIP area at Gaga’s show mentioned most to GLOBO as a great wish for 2026.
But surpassing Gaga is difficult. On Spotify, for example, she is the third most listened to artist, with around 115 million monthly listeners on the platform. Above the American are only The Weeknd, with 116 million monthly listeners, and Bruno Mars, with 130 million listeners. Beyoncé appears only in 31st place, according to the kworb.net ranking. But of course other factors, such as the number of recent shows in Brazil and pent-up demand also count.
See the Top 10 most listened to on Spotify
Bruno Mars (129 million)
The Weeknd (116.4 million)
Lady Gaga (114.5 million)
Billie Eilish (100.4 million)
Coldplay (93.1 million)
Kendrick Lamar (91.4 million)
Rihanna (89.7 million)
Ed Sheeran (87.2 million)
Taylor Swift (82.7 million)
Ariana Grande (82.5 million)
U2 coming or not?
A few weeks ago, Mayor Eduardo Paes — creator of the event “Everybody in Rio”, which since 2024, with Madonna, has the intention of bringing concerts by major world music stars to Copacabana once a year — announced that the Irish band U2 would be on the beach in 2026. Shortly after, he went back on the information, considering that this was just a personal wish.
The grandeur of U2’s concerts is well-known, and their tours are usually among the most profitable in the world. In terms of pent-up demand, the Irish band could be a good bet. Their last concert in Rio was in 1998, and they haven’t been to Brazil since 2011.
The rock group is, in fact, very popular on social media. Internet users point out that only pop divas or big arena rock bands would be able to bring crowds of millions of people to Copacabana Beach. The names most mentioned on X are Beyoncé, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Shakira, BTS, Coldplay, The Weekend, Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber.
The list is reminiscent of another ranking, that of the most listened to artists on YouTube. On the video site, American artists dominate less. The top 5 are Bad Bunny, BTS, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran and Shakira. Is this the time for K-pop in Copacabana?
See the top 10 most viewed artists on YouTube
Bad Bunny
BTS
Justin Bieber
Ed Sheeran
Shakira
Taylor Swift
Blackpink
Katy Perry
Eminem
Ozuna
