Concerts that gather massive audiences have become more and more common over the past few decades. As pop music has grown into a massive industry and production technology has advanced, concerts with over 100,000 attendees are now a regular occurrence. But which concert holds the record for the most people gathered in one place for a live music event? There are a few contenders for the biggest concert with the largest attendance.
Rod Stewart – Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro
In 1994, Rod Stewart performed on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to a crowd estimated at 3.5 million people. This free concert still holds the Guinness World Record for the biggest concert, with the largest paid concert attendance. Stewart performed some of his classic rock hits like “Maggie May” and “Forever Young” on a massive stage on the iconic beach. The huge audience stretched over 2 miles of the beach and crowded the surrounding neighborhood streets. Stewart still reminisces about looking out at the sea of people, saying it was an experience like no other to perform for that many fans.
Key Facts
- Artist: Rod Stewart
- Year: 1994
- Location: Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Attendance: 3.5 million (estimate)
Jean-Michel Jarre – Moscow, Russia
French electronic musician Jean-Michel Jarre also holds a record for the biggest concert attendance. In 1997 he performed a free outdoor concert in Moscow, Russia for his album OXYGÈNE in Moscow’s Red Square. The concert was attended by 3.5 million people, tying the record set by Rod Stewart. Jarre performed against the backdrop of the Kremlin and Saint Basil’s Cathedral, using his synthesizers and signature electronic sound. State television broadcast the concert live across Russia, adding to the event’s prestige. Like Stewart in Rio, Jarre reminisced about the overwhelming experience of seeing millions of people gathered for his music.
Key Facts
- Artist: Jean-Michel Jarre
- Year: 1997
- Location: Red Square, Moscow, Russia
- Attendance: 3.5 million (estimate)
The Rolling Stones – Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro
In 2006, the Rolling Stones also performed a free concert on Copacabana Beach, 12 years after Rod Stewart’s record-setting show. An estimated 1.5 million people turned up to watch Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and company run through classics like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)”. The concert was broadcast on television and had a huge media impact. While the Stones didn’t surpass Stewart’s attendance record, it demonstrated that Copacabana Beach seems to be a favorite site for massive concerts.
Key Facts
- Artist: The Rolling Stones
- Year: 2006
- Location: Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Attendance: 1.5 million (estimate)
Tina Turner – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Pop legend Tina Turner also performed a major concert on Copacabana Beach in 1988. It was attended by over 180,000 fans, forming a huge audience on the sand. The concert was televised internationally, showing Turner performing her comeback hit “What’s Love Got To Do With It” along with earlier classics like “Proud Mary”. While this didn’t have the multi-million attendance of the previous Rio concerts, it demonstrated Turner’s huge popularity in Brazil specifically.
Key Facts
- Artist: Tina Turner
- Year: 1988
- Location: Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Attendance: 180,000 (estimate)
Jean-Michel Jarre – Paris, France
French musician Jean-Michel Jarre also holds the record for the biggest concert in France. In 1990 he performed a spectacular show at La Defense in Paris to celebrate the bicentennial of the French Revolution. 2.5 million people watched the concert in person. Jarre performed on a towering stage against the backdrop of the Paris cityscape and Grande Arche. As with his Moscow concert, the innovative light show and stage production were as much of an attraction as Jarre’s electronic music. The bicentennial concert cemented Jarre’s reputation in his home country.
Key Facts
- Artist: Jean-Michel Jarre
- Year: 1990
- Location: La Defense, Paris, France
- Attendance: 2.5 million (estimate)
The Monterey International Pop Festival
While it didn’t have the biggest attendance, the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967 featured an impressive lineup and impacted pop history. Held at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in California from June 16-18, 1967, it was the first major outdoor rock festival. Over 50,000 people attended each day to watch artists like Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Ravi Shankar, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, and Janis Joplin.
Though not the biggest concert numerically, Monterey introduced many of these now-legendary artists to a wide American audience. The festival demonstrated the growing popularity and influence of rock music in the 1960s. Monterey set the template for future outdoor rock festivals like Woodstock.
Key Facts
- Festival: Monterey International Pop Festival
- Year: 1967
- Location: Monterey County Fairgrounds, California, USA
- Daily Attendance: 50,000-90,000
Summer Jam at Watkins Glen
In 1973, a massive concert took place at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix race course in New York state. The Summer Jam at Watkins Glen gathered over 600,000 rock fans to see the Allman Brothers Band, The Grateful Dead and The Band perform. Concertgoers camped out and partied for days beforehand, causing a major traffic jam for miles around the site. Over 150 people were arrested for drug charges and there were supply shortages.
The festival demonstrated the continuing appeal of outdoor rock shows into the 1970s. Many fans saw it as the next evolution of Woodstock’s musical festival concept. Though it ended up being an organizational and social nightmare, Summer Jam showed just how much cultural power and influence rock music had achieved.
Key Facts
- Festival: Watkins Glen Summer Jam
- Year: 1973
- Location: Watkins Glen, New York, USA
- Attendance: 600,000
The Concert for Bangladesh
A landmark charity concert, The Concert for Bangladesh took place on August 1, 1971 at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was organized by George Harrison of The Beatles to aid refugees from the Bangladesh Liberation War. The concerts featured a star-studded lineup including Harrison, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and Ravi Shankar.
Over 40,000 people attended the two shows, with millions more watching worldwide via a documentary film release. While not the biggest concert numerically, the event was hugely significant in mobilizing Western support for Bangladesh and popularizing humanitarian benefit shows.
Key Facts
- Concert: The Concert for Bangladesh
- Year: 1971
- Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City
- Attendance: 40,000
Live Aid
Organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1985, Live Aid was a dual-venue benefit concert held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia. The goal was to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. Live Aid became a global media event, reaching an estimated 1.9 billion viewers. Over 70,000 people attended each concert, while tickets also sold out very quickly.
The lineup featured reunions like Led Zeppelin along with performances by Queen, U2, Madonna, Elton John and Paul McCartney. Geldof had conceived of Live Aid after being moved by news coverage of the Ethiopian famine. The concert set a model for star-studded benefit shows and demonstrated rock & pop’s ability to mobilize support for social causes.
Key Facts
- Concert: Live Aid
- Year: 1985
- Locations: Wembley Stadium, London / John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia
- Attendance: 72,000 at each venue
Gathering of the Vibes
Though not as famous globally, the Gathering of the Vibes festival holds the record for the largest ticketed concert in the United States. The festival began in 1996 as a tribute to Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia after his death. In 1999, it was held at the Seaside Park field in Bridgeport, Connecticut with a total attendance of 153,000 over the course of the 3 day event.
The festival featured jam bands like Ratdog, Deep Banana Blackout, and Les Claypool’s Flying Frog Brigade. As a multi-day camping and music festival, it followed in the tradition started by events like Woodstock and Watkins Glen in the previous decades. To this day, Gathering of the Vibes continues to hold its annual festivals on the East Coast, paying tribute to the hippie ethos and music spirit of the 60s.
Key Facts
- Festival: Gathering of the Vibes
- Year: 1999
- Location: Seaside Park, Bridgeport CT
- Attendance: 153,000
US Festival
Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, organized the US Festival in 1982 and 1983. These music festivals were held in Glen Helen, California and were intended to celebrate emerging technologies. The 1983 US Festival was attended by an estimated 670,000 people who came to see performers like David Bowie, Van Halen, Scorpions, Judas Priest, Stevie Nicks, and The Clash.
Despite Wozniak’s tech ambitions, the festival lost millions of dollars due to costs and low ticket sales. But it demonstrated the cultural power and massive draw of rock music. Groups like Van Halen cemented their popularity through fiery US Festival performances. And the mix of music, technology, and cultural moments provided a snapshot of the early 80s vibe and ethos.
Key Facts
- Festival: US Festival 1983
- Year: 1983
- Location: Glen Helen Park, San Bernardino CA
- Attendance: 670,000 (estimated)
Conclusion
Looking at the biggest concerts of all time by attendance, a few key trends emerge. Massive crowds upwards of a million people are usually drawn to free outdoor concerts, especially in locations like Copacabana Beach. Rock music has been a huge driver, as legendary bands like The Rolling Stones motivate millions of fans to gather in one place. And benefit shows like Live Aid demonstrate how large audiences and media coverage can support important social causes.
Jean-Michel Jarre, Rod Stewart and the Copacabana Beach venue in Rio stand out for repeatedly drawing record-setting concert crowds. While technology evolves and popular music changes forms, live concerts still possess a special power to unite millions of people for shared cultural experiences.
The biggest concerts stand as cultural landmarks demonstrating rock & pop’s global reach. And with hologram technology and continued innovation, future concerts could potentially draw even bigger live audiences. But the millions of fans gathered at events like Rio in 1994 and Moscow in 1997 are still records that may never be broken. Those concerts created legendary moments in music history by bringing regions and populations together on a scale rarely achieved.