World’s largest concert was attended by 35 lakh people, way more than concert by any Indian star, not of Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Rihanna, the performer was…

On New Year’s Eve in 1994, Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach was the venue for the world’s largest concert, attracting an astonishing 3.5 million fans.

Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati Tour in India has finally kicked off. The first day, first concert took place in the nation’s capital, Delhi, on October 26, 2024, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The sight of the stadium was a spectacle to behold as it was jam-packed with fans. However, did you know that even before Diljit’s tour, another concert—100 times larger than Diljit’s—took place in the ’90s?

In December 1994, Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach set the stage for a massive New Year’s Eve celebration. Known for hosting grand events with international artists, the city attracts enormous crowds with free entry and no restrictions on food or alcohol, creating a carnival-like atmosphere. On December 31, 1994, Rod Stewart performed at Copacabana, breaking records with an astounding 3.5 million attendees—a crowd larger than the population of many neighbouring cities.

Three years later, French musician Jean-Michel Jarre matched this record with his performance at the Oxygene concert in Moscow, which drew more than 3.5 million attendees. These two events remain the largest in history, towering over Diljit’s mega Delhi concert.

The largest ticketed concerts in the world

The only way for millions to attend such concerts is with free tickets. When concert tickets are expensive, attendance often drops. The largest ticketed concert on record was held by Italian artist Vasco Rossi, attracting 225,000 fans at his Modena Park show in 2017. In India, the biggest ticketed concerts have been Justin Bieber’s in Mumbai in 2021 and Diljit Dosanjh’s in 2023, each drawing a crowd of 50,000 attendees.