The band opened the gig with Jumpin' Jack Flash

The band played some 20 songs including Jumpin' Jack Flash and Satisfaction.

The stage, facing Sugar Loaf Mountain, was the height of a seven-storey building and had a walkway linking it to the Stones' hotel.

It was the first time the Rolling Stones had performed in Brazil for free. Thousands of police were on duty.

The show was part of the Stones' A Bigger Bang world tour.

I've never heard their music but I had to come

Luania, fan

In pictures: concert Satisfaction on Rio beach

Not all of those who packed Copacabana beach were familar with the Rolling Stones.

"I've never heard their music but I had to come," Luania, 51, told AFP news agency.

"It's going to be boiling and we won't be able to get very close. But if they love our country, that's good."

The city paid $750,000 (£432,000) for the gig, which took place just a week before Rio's famous carnival.

Fans in the US were able to listen to the show on radio and on the internet, as well as on more than 150 cinema screens across the country.

Saturday's crowd was not as big as that at Rod Stewart's 1994 concert, also at Copacabana beach, which drew a crowd of 3.5 million.