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Madonna Plays Largest Show of Her Career in Brazil: 'Words Cannot Express My Gratitude!'

Madonna's first Brazil performance in more than a decade drew a crowd of 1.6 million.

Madonna
Source: MEGA

Madonna played the largest show of her career in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Sunday, May 4.

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Madonna wrapped up the "Celebrations" tour with the largest show of her career on the night of Sunday, May 4.

The free show with 1.6 million attendees at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil included a 26-track setlist and guest appearances from local stars Anitta and Pabllo Vittar.

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Madonna
Source: MEGA

About 1.6 million fans attended the show at Copacabana Beach.

"Words cannot express my gratitude! To everyone involved!!" Madonna said in an Instagram post after the concert wrapped up.

"Rio, here we are, in the most beautiful place in the world, with the ocean, the mountains, Jesus," she told the crowd during the concert, according to a Reuters report.

She was referencing the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue that lords over Rio.

Many fans waited on line for hours or even days to get a good view of Madge. Others looked on from boats and beachfront apartments around the city.

This was Madonna's first show in Brazil since 2012. She played three different cities last time, but there were no other Brazilian shows on this trek.

The Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart have also played Copacabana Beach.

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The "Celebrations" tour ended with a bang, but it started with a whimper.

The beginning of the trek had to be postponed after the pop star was hospitalized for a serious bacterial infection last June.

At one point, the illness left her in a coma for several days. Madonna reflected on the experience during one of her concerts in Los Angeles earlier this year.

"It was pretty scary," Made told the crowd. "Obviously I didn’t know for four days because I was in an induced coma, but when I woke up, the first word I said was, 'no.' I’m pretty sure God was saying to me, 'You wanna come with us? You wanna come with me, you wanna go this way?' And I said, 'no. No!'"

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Madonna
Source: MEGA

'Words cannot express my gratitude!' Madge said after wrapping up the show.

Madonna thanked her doctor before speaking about the recovery process.

"It was so hard for me to walk from my house to the backyard and sit in the sun," she said.

"I know that sounds insane, but it was difficult. I didn’t know when I could get up again and when I could be myself again. It was a strange thing to finally not feel like I was in control. That was my lesson to let go."

Now Madonna is now facing some legal issues, as well. She's been sued by fans in New York City and Washington D.C. after she started her shows there several hours late earlier this year.

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Madonna
Source: MEGA

The Brazil show concluded the last leg of her global 'Celebrations' tour, which began last year.

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Check out the full setlist for the Rio show below:

Act I

"Nothing Really Matters"

"Everybody"

"Into the Groove"

"Burning Up"

"Open Your Heart"

"Holiday"

Act II

"Live to Tell"

"Like a Prayer"

Act III

"Erotica"

"Justify My Love"

"Hung Up"

"Bad Girl"

Act IV

"Vogue" (with Anitta)

"Human Nature"

"Crazy for You"

Act V

"The Beast Within"

"Die Another Day"

"Don’t Tell Me"

"This Little Light of Mine’‘Express Yourself"

"La Isla Bonita"

"Music" (with Pabllo Vittar)

Act VI

"Bedtime Story"

"Ray of Light"

"Rain"

Act VII

"Billie Jean / Like a Virgin"

"B---h I’m Madonna"

"Celebration"

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