Latest / Kidcast Daily / Ep386: Top 10 most attended concerts

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Ep386: Top 10 most attended concerts · Kidcast Daily

• 0:30
  Welcome to Kick Ass Daily. Whether you're into sports
• 0:33
  stats, science experiments, ancient history, or mind blowing
• 0:37
  trivia, today's episode has something special for you.
• 0:41
  Today we are exploring the top 10 most attended concerts.
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  That means concerts where the largest number of people showed
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  up in one place to hear music. When people count a concert
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  crowd, they use estimates. Aerial photos, maps, and on the
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  ground. Counts help, but it is not
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  exact. Also, some of these were free
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  public events and some were paid ticket shows.
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  Free beach or city shows can draw bigger crowds because many
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  people can arrive without tickets.
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  Ticketed shows are easier to count because every person goes
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  through a gate. Keep that in mind as we go
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  through the list. Here is a quick question to
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  start. Which huge beach in Brazil is
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  known for concerts that draw crowds in the millions?
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  The answer is Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
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  The long shoreline and open space let event teams build
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  large stages and viewing areas. Trains and buses bring people
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  in, and there are many St. routes for walking to the sand.
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  Here is a yes or no question. Do event officials sometimes use
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  decibel meters to check the sound level at huge concerts so
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  nearby homes are not disturbed too late at night?
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  Yes, Sound engineers and city officials can set limit points
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  if the sound climbs too high. They reduce volume to follow
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  local rules. Now let's countdown 10 famous
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  giant crowds that are widely reported in news coverage and
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  music history. Notes #10 Simon and Garfunkel in
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  Central Park, New York City. In 1981, estimates say about
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  500,000 people came to hear the duo.
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  It was a free show and the parks Great Lawn gave fans a big open
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  space. People brought blankets, sat on
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  the grass and listened as the sun went down #9 Garth Brooks in
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  Central Park, New York City in 1997, reports put the crowd
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  close to 1,000,000 people. This was also a free show.
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  The stage faced a huge field and large video screens helped
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  people far from the stage see the performance.
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  Many people remember guest appearances and the feeling of a
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  very full park #8 the New York Philharmonic in Central Park
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  often called the Concerts in the Park series.
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  In 1986, one event there drew close to 800,000 Classical music
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  can pull in big audiences too, especially when it is free and
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  in a well known public space. Families sit together and enjoy
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  familiar themes and orchestral sounds #7 Vasco Rossi at Medina
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  Park in Medina, Italy. In 2017.
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  About 220,000 paying fans attended, which set a record for
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  a single artist ticketed concert in Europe at the time.
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  Ticketed events have seats or sections, security gates and
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  wristbands. Even though this number is
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  smaller than some Free City shows, it is a huge achievement
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  for a single ticketed night #6 Garth Brooks's Central Park show
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  was massive, but there were also other huge outdoor country and
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  rock events. One example is the Monsters of
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  Rock show at Tashino Airfield in Moscow, Russia in 1991.
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  Reports say about 1.6 million people showed up to watch a
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  lineup that included Metallica and ACDC.
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  It took place on a wide airfield, so there was flat
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  ground for a sea of fans, multiple sound towers and clear
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  sight lines. Time for a trivia question that
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  adds a new angle. Which city hosted that 1991
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  Airfield Rock event where military helicopters and a large
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  security presence helped manage the crowd?
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  The answer is Moscow, Russia. The concert happened at Tashino
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  Airfield and the vast space made it suitable for a very large
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  audience #5 The Rolling Stones on Copacabana Beach in Rio de
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  Janeiro, Brazil, in 2006. Around 1.5 million people are
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  reported to have attended. The stage sat near the water.
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  People stood along the beachfront and on nearby
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  streets. Portable restrooms, water
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  stations, and medical tents were set up in zones to help everyone
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  stay safe and comfortable #4 Jean Michel Jar in Houston, TX
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  in 1986, this outdoor event celebrated the city and the
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  space program. Estimates put the crowd around
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  1.3 to 1.5 million. The performance used a huge
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  stage and tall projection screens.
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  The city skyline formed a real backdrop, and synchronized
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  lights turned buildings into part of the show.
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  Here is a fresh yes or no question that introduces a new
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  detail. Do big event planners sometimes
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  divide the crowd area into map sections and count how many
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  people fit per square meter to improve estimates?
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  Yes. This method helps them calculate
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  totals by multiplying the area of each zone by a safe density
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  number, then adding the zones together #3 Jean Michel Jarre in
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  Paris at Law Defence in 1990. Estimates range up to about 2
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  million or more. The concert used the modern
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  business district as a giant outdoor venue.
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  People filled the Plaza and streets.
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  Large speakers, light rigs and lasers spread the performance
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  across the district, so distant listeners could still hear and
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  see #2 Jean Michel Jar in Moscow in 1997, reports often say
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  around 3.5 million people attended.
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  The Moscow city center turned into a concert space with
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  coordinated lighting, projections and fireworks.
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  Because it was open and free, people could arrive from many
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  directions, which allowed the crowd to grow very large.
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  Number one, Rod Stewart on Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro
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  on New Year's Eve in 1994. Reports often list the crowd at
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  about 3.5 million. The concert happened during the
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  city's New Year celebration, so there were beachgoers, music
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  fans and people there to see the fireworks.
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  All of those people heard the show, which made the attendance
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  count very high. Did you know that crowd counts
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  often use aerial photography taken from helicopters or
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  drones? Analysts mark off grid lines on
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  images and estimate the number of people in each square.
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  The totals can be cross checked with transit ridership numbers
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  and cell network activity reports.
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  This helps event managers plan for safe entry and exit routes.
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  Stations may add extra trains after the show ends, and streets
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  may be closed to cars so people can walk out safely.
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  Let's add another trivia question with a new fact.
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  Which Central Park concert had a broadcast that used dozens of
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  cameras and a mobile control room to switch angles for
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  television viewers at home? The answer is the 1997 Garth
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  Brooks show. Live television trucks parked
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  nearby used satellite links and sent the performance to millions
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  of TV's. Now for one more yes or no
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  question with a fresh detail. Are hydration points and first
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  aid tents usually placed within a short walking distance so that
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  no one has to cross the entire crowd to get help?
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  Yes, safety teams plan stations at intervals.
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  They use signs, tall flags and loud speakers so people can find
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  water and medical support right away.
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  Here is a final trivia question with something new.
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  Did a later free show at Mexico City's Zocalo Square draw more
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  than 200,000 people to watch a regional Mexican band perform?
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  Yes, In 2022, Grupo Firme drew a crowd reported at over 200,000,
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  showing that big public squares can also host very large
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  audiences. Before we wrap up, here's some
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  quick, concrete tips about how these events work.
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  Giant concerts need power from generators, backup systems, and
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  tested cables. Engineers run sound checks so
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  the music reaches the back without echo.
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  Emergency plans include clear paths called egress routes.
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  Staff count people entering main zones and may pause entry if an
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  area reaches safe capacity. Lost and found booths and
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  information points help families if someone is separated.
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  Food sellers use simple menus to speed up lines and waste.
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  Teams place extra bins to keep the space clean.
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  Let's recap what we learned today.
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  Most attended concerts can be free or ticketed, and counts are
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  often estimates based on maps and images.
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  Some of the most widely reported giant crowds include Rod Stewart
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  at Copacabana Beach in 1994 and Jean Michel Jarre in Moscow in
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  1997, both around 3.5 million. Other huge events include JAR in
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  Paris and Houston, The Rolling Stones at Copacabana Beach and
• 10:27
  the Monsters of Rock show at Tashino Airfield.
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  Central Park hosted several record setting gatherings
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  including Simon and Garfunkel in 1981 and Garth Brooks in 1997.
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  Europe's big ticketed milestone includes Vasco Rossi at Medina
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  Park in 2017 with 220,000 paying fans.
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  Behind the scenes, teams plan sound, lights, safety and
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  transportation. We also learned that decibel
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  meters, crowd zone mapping, aerial photos and well placed
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  water and first aid stations help keep these mega shows safe
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  and enjoyable. If you ever attend a big outdoor
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  concert with your family, look for posted maps, follow staff
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  directions and choose a clear meeting spot.
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  Thanks for listening and keep your curiosity tuned for the
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  next big question.