Colombian superstar Shakira He gave a free concert on Saturday night on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach, which the city’s mayor said drew 2 million people to one of the world’s most iconic beaches.The show was followed by similar shows madonna in 2024 and Lady Gaga last year, there was also a huge crowd that danced on the wide sands. For Shakira, it was part of her “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” or “Women No Longer Cry” tour, named after her 2024 album.
Shakira says “life is magic”
Shakira’s set took off around 11 p.m., more than an hour into her scheduled slot, cheering her fans on and wildly applauding as drones flew over to write the sky, saying “I love you Brazil” in Portuguese in the sky.This megastar spoke fondly of the first time he came to Brazil, about three decades ago.“I came here when I was 18, dreaming of singing for you,” Shakira told him shortly after taking the stage. “And now look at this. Life is magical.”The much-loved pop star sang fan favorites such as “Hips Don’t Lie,” “La Tortura” and “La Bicicleta.” She finished with “BZRP Music Sessions #53/66” after her split from Spanish footballer Gerard Pique.The show also took time to celebrate the resilience of women. “As women, every time we fall we get up a little wiser,” she said.
One of the first places where Shakira had success
The mayor of Rio Eduardo Cavaliere Xn said that 2 million people attended the performance. “She-Wolf made history in Rio,” he posted, referring to Shakira’s 2009 hit.When Shakira first performed in Brazil in the 1990s, she established an amazing connection with Brazilian audiences, according to ethnomusicologist Felipe Maia, who is pursuing a PhD in popular music and digital technologies at the University of Paris Nanterre.This success in Brazil “has a lot to do with coming from Colombia, a country whose culture has many similarities with Brazil”, said Maia, adding that Saturday’s performance “crowns the relationship with Brazil for a very long time”.On his way home after Saturday’s show, Hellem Souza da Silva said Shakira’s performance, like bad rabbitConcerts in Sao Paulo in February helped cement Brazil’s Latino 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,” he said.Crowds started flocking to the beach on Saturday morning to find a good spot for the show. Street vendors sold sweet corn and other Brazilian snacks, bottled water and caipirinhas, a popular Brazilian cocktail, as well as toilet paper, deodorant and even sandbags to give concertgoers a better view of the stage located across from the Copacabana Palace, a historic luxury hotel.Street vendor Simone Paula da Cunha arrived at the beach on Friday afternoon, hoping to sell all the beer and water bottles she had bought before the show and make a total of about $100.
An effort to boost the city’s post-Carnival economy
The free concerts are part of the City Council’s effort to promote economic activity, after the Carnival and New Year’s Eve festivities and before the month-long San Juan celebrations in June.Shakira’s performance could generate about 777 million reais (about US$155 million), according to a study by the City and Riotur, the municipality’s tourism company, thanks to tourists and revenue spent at restaurants, hotels and shops.More tourists went to Rio in May with the shows – 2024 and 2025 – compared to 2023, according to City Hall data. In 2024, growth was 34.2% on May 1, before the concerts, compared to the previous year. In 2025, there was a 90.5% increase compared to 2023.Ahead of Shakira’s performance, Airbnb said in a statement on April 22 that it was seeing an increase in guests expected to travel from Brazil, Latin America and even European capitals such as Paris and London.Architect Wanderson Andrade, 30, said he flew in from the central Brazilian city of Goiana on Saturday specifically for the show and planned to return the next day.“I tried to get tickets to see him in Brazil last year, but I didn’t get it,” said Andrade, who has Shakira’s first wolf tattoo. “Today is a dream come true.”
