Of ‘look picanha’ to vip kiosk: as a show by Lady Gaga moves economy in RJ

In the middle of the Labor Day holiday, a long line with dozens of people contrasted with the closed stores in downtown Rio de Janeiro.

With a majority of young people, the group waited for hours standing to get in the only open establishment nearby. At the door, the neon sign drew attention to the highlighted product: “Gaga Picanha”.

The place is not a butcher shop, nor sells food, but promises to quench the fans of the singer thirsty for a special look to go to the show in Copacabana.

After spending two hours in line, Professor Elias Nunes was proud, inside the store, one of the last units available for the sale of a meat print blouse.

I was willing to pay about $ 150 for the set of clothing and cap with the same print to wear on the night of the event, despite being vegetarian.

Elias argues that the tribute to the singer justifies the choice. “In 2010 she appeared on the Grammy with this flesh. It was a great fashion act, but also a great act of protest against how sometimes our bodies are treated, like just a piece of meat. As I am vegetarian, hopefully Lady Gaga launches a lettuce clothes too. I’ll buy it.”

The owner of the store and creator of the meat print clothes noticed this appetite of fans for special items two years ago. Siluana Bezerra is from São Luís, in Maranhão.

Since arriving in Rio de Janeiro, he has always worked in commerce as a saleswoman. Three years ago decided to open his own children’s articles store and graphic services in partnership with his daughter, at the Rio Popular Trade Center, known as Sahara.

With low sales, he came up with the idea of ​​creating a special product for fans of the Mexican pop music group RBD, who performed in 2023.

It sold a thousand units of a red fabric tie, characteristic of the band. With the success, last year the businesswoman invested in the production of a t -shirt with gold cones in the chest to attract fans of Madonna. Managed to sell two thousand units, at $ 120 each.

This year, he began preparing early to develop Lady Gaga -related products as soon as the show was confirmed three months ago. Then came the idea of ​​”Picanha”.

Siluana said he made a graphic montage with several meat images to create a print similar to the iconic dress.

“We didn’t believe it was going to be all this success, but we saw the market need because everyone offers the same things and fans want to have exclusive products. These are pieces that they want to keep as a memory,” said the owner of the store.

Until the eve of the show, Siluana accounted for more than a thousand pieces sold with the meat print, revenue that claims to compensate all year round with children’s products, now restricted to just one store corridor.

Forest engineer Felipe da Silva Gomes had just arrived in Rio de Janeiro after an eight -hour bus trip from Vitória, Espírito Santo, when he went to the Siluana store in downtown Rio.

I intended to spend up to $ 400 on products to use on Saturday. “I believe that when you buy a special outfit to go to the show, it’s like a soldier uniform for you to feel more part of the event,” he said.

The small legion of fans who broke into the center of the capital on a holiday does not represent isolated behavior. Purchasing to assemble the look of the show are the main reason for commerce spending at this time, according to Aldo Gonçalves, president of the Rio de Janeiro Shopkeepers Club (CDLrio) and the Trade Shopkeepers Union (Sindilojas Rio), entities that represent more than 30,000 commercial establishments in the capital.

“It’s how fans do in a soccer game, they prepare for the game wearing the team shirt,” he compared.

The impact of the “Lady Gaga fans” is reflected in the economy of the entire city, according to a study prepared by the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, through the Municipal Secretariat of Economic Development and the municipal tourism company, Riotur.

It is estimated that the show should move $ 600 million in the capital, 27% more than the figure generated by Madonna’s show last year. The income comes from 240,000 Brazilian and foreign tourists and the expected public of 1.6 million people in the sands of Copacabana.

Riotur president Bernardo Fellows told BBC News Brasil that this is already the city’s third largest event this year, losing only to Carnival and New Year’s Eve, with impacts that last beyond the moment.

“We believe this moves the economy in a medium term with new job opportunities,” he says.

According to Bernardo, the gain for the promotion of the city as a whole is much larger. “The spontaneous global media, if we were to precet this in the market, is around $ 1 billion. It’s a very large movement for the city and for the country.”

Marketing for Fans

At the landing of domestic flights from Rio de Janeiro International Airport, RIOGALEÃO, the mix of high music, fantasies and makeup resembles the energy of a samba school with the celebration of the new year in Copacabana.

This atmosphere was set up by the dealership to welcome Lady Gaga fans in the mood of the party. Two artists dressed as the singer take turns in the photos between bags and tourists who have just arrived.

363,000 passengers are expected between April 29 and May 6, an increase of 26% compared to the same period last year at the time of Madonna’s show.

The number of flights planned this year also increased by 19%, closing at 4,192 landings and takeoffs during the period. The concessionaire takes advantage of the increase in movement to promote brands in the environment specially designed for landing.

Photographer Bruno Marcelino Costa had just arrived from Santa Catarina when he began to get a definitive tattoo in the wage of landing.

The space was set up by the dealership as another marketing action and captured fans who want to eternalize the moment with artist -inspired drawings.

Bruno chose the word “Monster” in honor of the album “The Fame Monster”. In the decision, the feeling of proximity to the singer weighed.

“She talks about internal monsters, how we can master them to learn to live with our fears, our insecurities.” The new tattoo on the right arm is Bruno’s second in honor of the singer.

The combination of marketing promotions with fan feeling is another factor that drives the economy around the event.

Producer Bonus Track, responsible for performing the show, said the number of sponsors and brand activations increased this year compared to Madonna’s show.

According to the producer’s advisory, the total amount collected with sponsorships cannot be disclosed for contract reasons. The 4,000 people hired to work on the production of the event give an idea of ​​the magnitude of the values ​​involved.

Most expensive hosting

Hotels, a hotel sector union, announced last Wednesday that the average occupancy of the 45,000 rooms available in the capital was 86%. In the Copacabana region, the number rises to 95.63%.

With so much search for hotels, the dental surgeon Loane Ferreira da Silva, who lives in Belém, Pará, decided to rent an apartment on a rental platform to escape high prices for conventional accommodation.

She reported that she got a property in Maracanã for a price within the expected. “We thought it could be much worse, after a week we saw that the prices increased a lot. We bought it at the right time,” said Loane.

Not everyone had the same luck. Professor Lucas Fabio Parente said he had a reservation canceled by a platform more than ten times. Therefore, he decided to look for accommodation in a hotel.

The Secretary of State for Consumer Protection and Procon of Rio de Janeiro opened an administrative process against real estate reserve platforms for season.

There are evidence that many cancellations are occurring to renegotiate the rental values, a practice considered abusive by the Consumer Protection Code.

The platforms will have to inform how many owners have canceled reservations or renegotiated values ​​between April 20th and May 10th.

Vip

In a quick walk through the Copacabana beach boardwalk you can prove the pricing of the Lady Gaga effect.

The waterfront kiosks are charging tickets for the night of the show. These are areas known as “vip culheinhos”.

The Palace Kiosk is the closest to the front of the stage. And the most expensive. An employee reported that the ticket costs $ 3,000 to gain access to the VIP area, which will be surrounded, but without table reserve or warranty available.

For this, it advises arriving early to secure a place, even with the high price of the ticket, announced as the second plot of sales. The value includes private bathroom, food and drink released.

The announcement list that will be served “various snacks, cold, fillet with fries and skewers”.

Riotur president Bernardo Fellows told BBC News Brasil that it is allowed to charge tickets for access within the kiosk area, but stressed that “the value cannot be abusive, nothing that jumps into the eyes of the population.”

In the meantime, just walk a few meters to get a better price. 10 meters away, farther from the stage, the ticket for access to the VIP area costs $ 2,500 in the cabin kiosk. And moving away a little more, 50 meters away, the value drops to $ 1,700 in the nacho kiosk.

For those who want to save even more, the price of the ticket plummeted to the Finn kiosk, situated behind the stage. It costs $ 100 the reservation of a table.

So close, so far

Among so many prohibitive prices for the majority of the Brazilian population, telemarketing operator Francisco Carlos Evangelista Lima sustained leaning against the nearest point that managed to get from the empty stage.

“I am admiring the size of this stage and how real it is here and will live it,” said Francisco.

He said he often parcel the cost of Fortaleza airfare, where he lives, to pay. And he shared a simple hosting with friends to fit in his pocket.

Without VIP ticket, he is aware that this is the distance closer to the stage that will be able to arrive throughout the trip. Even so, he says he is satisfied: “It really is a dream.”

*This text was originally published here.