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MUSIC

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Concerts

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Highest Attendances at Free Concerts

This list features the largest free concerts in history by audience capacity — excluding festivals.

RANK

MUSICIAN

ATTENDANCE

LOCATION

CITY

EVENT

DATE

1

Rod Stewart

3,500,000

Copacabana Beach

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

New Year's Eve

December 31, 1994

2

Jean-Michel Jarre

3,500,000

Moscow State University

Moscow, Russia

"Oxygene in Moscow (850th anniversary of Moscow)"

September 6, 1997

3

Jorge Ben Jor

3,000,000

Copacabana Beach

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

New Year's Eve

December 31, 1993

4

Jean-Michel Jarre *

2,500,000

La Défense

Paris, France

Bastille Day

July 14, 1990

5

Antonello Venditti

1,800,000

Circus Maximus

Rome, Italy

AS Roma's 3rd Serie A victory

June 24, 2001

6

AC/DC, Pantera, Metallica, The Black Crowes, E.S.T.

1,600,000

Tushino Airfield

Moscow, Russia

Monsters of Rock

September 28, 1991

7

Madonna

1,600,000

Copacabana Beach

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Celebration Tour

May 4, 2024

8

Various artists

1,500,000

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Philadelphia, USA

Live 8

July 2, 2005

9

The Rolling Stones

1,500,000

Copacabana Beach

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A Bigger Bang

February 18, 2006

10

Jean-Michel Jarre

1,300,000

Downtown Houston

Houston, USA

"Rendez-vous Houston (150th anniversary of Houston)"

April 5, 1986

11

Various artists

1,100,000

Plaza de la Revolución

Havana, Cuba

Paz Sin Fronteras II

September 20, 2009

12

Jean-Michel Jarre

1,000,000

Place de la Concorde

Paris, France

Bastille Day

July 14, 1979

13

The Beach Boys

1,000,000

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Philadelphia, USA

Independence Day concert

July 4, 1985

14

The Black Eyed Peas

1,000,000

Ipanema Beach

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

New Year's Eve

December 31, 2006


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References

Songkick. (n.d.). Biggest concerts of all time. Available at: https://blog.songkick.com/biggest-concerts-of-all-time-b4fd33793bee [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Wikipedia. (2024). List of most-attended concerts. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-attended_concerts#Free_concerts [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Guinness World Records. (2006). Record details for most attended concert. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20060525134411/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=53418 [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Folha. (1995). Available at: https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fsp/1995/1/02/brasil/11.html [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Highbeam. (2017). Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20171216201139/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60674764.html [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Spokesman. (1995). Rod Stewart concert draws 3.5 million. Available at: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/jan/02/rod-stewart-concert-draws-35-million/ [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Archive. (n.d.). Guinness Book of Records. Available at: https://archive.org/details/guinnessbookofre00matt [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Repubblica. (n.d.). Available at: https://www.repubblica.it/online/sport/festa/migliaia/migliaia.html [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Houston Press. (2014). Garth Brooks and the fuzzy math of 10 mega concerts. Available at: https://www.houstonpress.com/music/no-fences-garth-brooks-and-the-fuzzy-math-of-10-mega-concerts-6776412 [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Globe Newswire. (2014). Metallica's Black Album sets new sales record. Available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2014/05/29/1002715/0/en/Metallica-s-Black-Album-Sets-New-Sales-Record.html [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Globo. (2024). Madonna draws 1.6 million to Copacabana. Available at: https://g1.globo.com/rj/rio-de-janeiro/show-da-madonna/noticia/2024/05/05/madonna-leva-16-milhao-a-copacabana.ghtml [Accessed 1 December 2025]. New York Times. (2005). Musical cry to help Africa's poor is heard around globe. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/03/arts/music/musical-cry-to-help-africas-poor-is-heard-around-globe.html [Accessed 1 December 2025]. New York Times. (2006). The Stones rock 1.5 million in Rio days before carnival. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/world/americas/the-stones-rock-15-million-in-rio-days-before-carnival.html[Accessed 1 December 2025]. BBC. (2006). Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4725050.stm [Accessed 1 December 2025]. CNN. (2016). Challenger astronaut and saxophone. Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/05/us/challenger-astronaut-and-saxophone/index.html [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Google Books. (n.d.). Available at: https://books.google.it/books?id=BKCFAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA303&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Billboard. (n.d.). Juanes Cuba concert details announced. Available at: https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/juanes-cuba-concert-details-announced-267432/ [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Europe1. (n.d.). Jean-Michel Jarre on his mythical concert at Place de la Concorde. Available at: https://www.europe1.fr/culture/jean-michel-jarre-sur-son-concert-mythique-place-de-la-concorde-jai-mis-un-an-a-men-remettre-3927375 [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Pop History Dig. (n.d.). Early Beach Boys 1962-1966. Available at: https://pophistorydig.com/topics/early-beach-boys-1962-1966/ [Accessed 1 December 2025]. Globo. (n.d.). Available at: https://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Rio/0,,AA1404870-5606-4165,00.html [Accessed 1 December 2025].
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