Colombian superstar Shakira lit up Copacabana Beach with a massive free concert on Saturday night, drawing an estimated two million people, according to the city’s mayor. The iconic beachfront turned into a sea of fans, echoing the scale of previous shows by Madonna in 2024 and Lady Gaga last year.
The concert was part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women No Longer Cry) world tour, named after her 2024 album. Shakira took the stage around 11 p.m. local time—over an hour later than planned—to roaring cheers, as drones lit up the night sky with the message “I love you Brazil” in Portuguese.
Reflecting on her journey, the singer spoke warmly about her early days in the country. “I arrived here when I was 18 years old, dreaming about singing for you,” Shakira told the crowd shortly after coming on stage. “And now look at this. Life is magical.”
The performance featured a lineup of fan favourites, including “Hips Don’t Lie,” “La Tortura,” and “La Bicicleta.” She wrapped up the night with “BZRP Music Sessions #53/66,” a track released after her split from Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué. During the show, Shakira also highlighted women’s resilience, telling the audience, “Us women, every time we fall we get up a little wiser,” she said.
Rio’s mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, celebrated the scale of the event, posting online that “The She-Wolf made history in Rio,” referencing her 2009 hit. Experts say Shakira’s deep connection with Brazil goes back decades. Felipe Maia, an ethnomusicologist at Paris Nanterre University, noted that her success in the country is partly due to cultural similarities between Brazil and her native Colombia. He added that the concert “crowns the relationship she has had with Brazil for a very long time.”
For many fans, the moment was deeply personal. Erica Monteiro, a 38-year-old accountant, shared her admiration ahead of the show: “For me she represents the strength of our Latino community,” Monteiro said ahead of the concert. “We’re treated as if we were inferior but in fact we have much more strength.”
Another fan, Hellem Souza da Silva, said the concert reinforced a broader sense of Latin American identity. These artists “are making it clear that Brazil, Puerto Rico, Colombia and other countries are part of Latin America. And that America is not the United States,” she said.
Fans began arriving early in the day to secure good spots on the beach. Vendors lined the area selling everything from snacks and drinks to unusual items like toilet paper, deodorant, and even bags of sand to help people get a better view of the stage set up near the historic Copacabana Palace.
Simone Paula da Cunha, a street vendor who came prepared to sell drinks, was equally excited about the performance despite her long hours.
“I remember her from when she still had black hair,” she said. “I’m a huge fan of hers.”
Beyond the spectacle, the concert is part of Rio’s broader strategy to boost the economy between major festive seasons like Carnival and the June celebrations of Saint John’s Day.
“For us, parties are serious business. Because parties generate jobs, income, development and identity for the city,” Cavaliere, the mayor, said on Wednesday as he presented the city’s operational plan for the event. “Our investment in this show will give us a financial return 40 times greater,” he said.
City estimates suggest the concert could generate around 777 million reais (approximately $211 million Cdn), driven by tourism and spending across hotels, restaurants, and shops. Data also shows a sharp rise in visitors during similar events in recent years, with significant
growth recorded in May 2024 and 2025.
Travel platform Airbnb reported increased bookings ahead of the concert, with visitors arriving not just from across Brazil and Latin
America, but also from cities like Paris and London.
For some, the effort to attend was worth every mile. Wanderson Andrade, a 30-year-old architect, flew in from Goiana just for the concert.
“I tried to get tickets to see her in Brazil last year but I didn’t succeed,” said Andrade, whose first tattoo is a wolf in honor of Shakira. “Today is a dream come true.”
Media professional and journalist based in British Columbia, Canada. Founder of Studiox Film & TV Corporation, focusing on multicultural news, interviews, and community storytelling across Canada.
