Alok Ushers in 2026 Playing to 2.5 Million People in Rio de Janeiro

Alok has joined a small handful of performers who have played to crowds in the millions, only one of whom was a fellow electronic musician.

Alok has become a bonafide symbol of dance music in Brazil, and his latest milestone cements his status even further. The “Lua” producer was among the performers at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, which Guinness World Records certified as the world’s largest New Year’s Eve celebration on December 30.

In a beachfront ceremony, Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, Tourism Authority president Bernardo Fellows, and Guinness judge Camila Borenstain shared the announcement. The following evening, the event drew its expected attendance of 2.5 million people, with other New Year’s Eve events around the city collectively amassing a combined 5 million attendees.

Alok (full name Alok Achkar Peres Patrillo) joined fellow artists like traditional Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil, pop artist Ney Matogrosso, Afro-Caribbean fusion artist BèlO, and samba artist Alcione. Adding to the festivities were a synchronized show using 1,200 drones and a 12-minute firework display across 19 offshore platforms.

All artists who took the stage have now joined a short list of musicians who once played to crowds in the millions. According to Jamzone, Rod Stewart performed for 3.5 million people at the same venue in 1994, Jean-Michel Jarre for 2.5 million at Paris in 1990 and 3.5 million in Moscow in 1997, AC/DC for 1.6 million in Moscow in 1991, and The Rolling Stones for 1.5 million people — once again at Copacabana Beach — in 2006.

Alok has plenty to look forward to in the new year, not the least of which his his debut Las Vegas Sphere performance in support of Illenium’s Odyssey shows. Today, he released a remix pack for his October collaboration with the US artist, “To The Moon,” which features renditions by Zamna Soundsystem, Doriann, and Ricky Marano.