After Madonna in 2024 and Lady Gaga in 2025, Colombian pop icon Shakira took the stage for a free concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday night. The event drew an estimated two million people, according to the city’s mayor, turning one of the world’s most iconic waterfronts into a sea of fans.
The performance was part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women No Longer Cry) world tour, named after her 2024 album.
Shakira’s set began around 11pm, over an hour behind schedule, opening to deafening cheers and applause as drones lit up the night sky with the message “I love you Brazil” in Portuguese.
The singer reminisced about her first visit to Brazil nearly three decades ago. “I arrived here when I was 18 years old, dreaming about singing for you,” she told the crowd. “And now look at this. Life is magical,” she added.
The 49-year-old musician performed fan favourites including Hips Don’t Lie, La Tortura and La Bicicleta, before closing with BZRP Music Sessions #53/66, a track released after her separation from Spanish footballer Gerard Pique.
During the show, she also paid tribute to women’s resilience. “Us women, every time we fall, we get up a little wiser,” she said.
Rio mayor Eduardo Cavaliere wrote on X, “The She-Wolf made history in Rio,” referring to Shakira’s 2009 hit.
The free concert is part of the city’s effort to boost economic activity in the period between Carnival and New Year’s Eve festivities and the month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June.
Ahead of the performance, Airbnb reported a surge in bookings, with travellers expected from across Brazil, Latin America and European cities such as Paris and London.
Meanwhile, Shakira’s planned April concerts in India were postponed indefinitely, with no new dates announced, much to the disappointment of fans.
The Grammy-winning artiste had been set to headline the 2026 edition of the Feeding India Concert, with shows scheduled at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Race Course and Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on April 10 and 15, respectively.
“Due to the prevailing geopolitical situation and regional tensions, the Feeding India Concert featuring Shakira has been postponed until further notice. All ticket holders will receive a full refund, automatically processed to your original mode of payment,” organisers District by Zomato said in a statement in March.
