Madonna to hold Copacabana beach concert in Brazil

Pop superstar Madonna will hold a concert on the sandy shores of Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, the companies behind the event confirmed on Friday.

"Brazil, I'm coming soon," the "Material Girl" and "Vogue" singer said in a video released earlier this week by local lender Itau Unibanco.

More details about Madonna's concert will come out in a press conference on Monday, according to an invitation sent to journalists on Friday by Itau and Dutch beermaker Heineken, which has a significant presence in Brazil.

The local hotel industry cheered the reports.

"New Year's Eve has come early," Rio hotel union head Alfredo Lopes said in an interview, explaining that hotel occupation in the most tourist-heavy parts of the city could hit 100 per cent ahead of the concert.

Columnist Lauro Jardim from the newspaper O Globo said this month that the concert was scheduled for May 4, a date not yet confirmed by authorities or the 65-year-old singer.

Past free concerts at Copacabana, drawing up to millions of fans, have included the Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart and Lenny Kravitz.

Madonna kicked off her "Celebration" tour last October.