What should have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience turned into disappointment and exclusion for many disabled fans attending Lady Gaga’s concert on Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, on May 3rd, 2025. Despite recommendations from Brazil’s Public Ministry to ensure full accessibility, numerous failures left wheelchair users and other disabled attendees unable to access the very areas intended for their inclusion.
According to multiple eyewitness accounts and posts on social media, the concert’s designated accessible viewing areas—intended to accommodate around 160 people including companions—were invaded early in the day by non-disabled attendees. These individuals occupied the elevated platforms without credentials, danced, and reportedly mocked those waiting in line, including wheelchair users who had arrived early and held official entry wristbands.
The situation escalated when one of the viewing structures began to give way under excessive weight, causing safety concerns and further delays in opening. As a result, many disabled guests were directed away from the primary accessible platform and told to walk against the tide of the 1.6 million-person crowd to a secondary area with only a screen view, no direct sightline to the stage, and no dedicated path of access.
Paraplegic journalist and accessibility advocate Jéssica Paula described the experience as chaotic and disrespectful. She noted that the accessible spaces had been hastily improvised just a week prior to the show and lacked basic elements such as signage or entry control. “There was no exclusive access route, no staff at the entrance. In one of the areas, you could only see the screen, not the stage—which goes against Brazil’s inclusion laws,” she explained.
Visual artist Gio Gobo, who is autistic and a wheelchair user, also reported being denied access. “People without any proof of disability took over the area, mocked the PCDs, and left many of us outside. It was chaos,” she said.
The Municipal Secretariat for People with Disabilities in Rio confirmed that the invasion took place around 9 a.m., with a delayed official opening following technical reinforcements to the structure. According to a city statement, access was eventually normalized and granted on a first-come, first-served basis, within the defined capacity limits. However, the lack of early planning, signage, and crowd control meant that many of those intended to benefit from these spaces were ultimately excluded.
Earlier in the week, the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro had issued formal recommendations to both Rio’s City Hall and the concert organizers, Bonus Track, emphasizing the need for proper accessibility measures. These included accessible routes, signage, sign language interpreters (Libras), and audio description services. Whether these measures were implemented effectively remains unclear. At the time of publication, neither the city’s tourism agency Riotur nor the concert organizers had provided a full public response to the reported failures.
This event served as a stark reminder that accessibility is not just about having a designated space—it’s about protecting, planning, and prioritizing the dignity and rights of disabled people. Temporary ramps and unmonitored platforms are no substitute for meaningful inclusion.