Shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday, more than an hour late from the scheduled time, Shakira took the stage in front of the Copacabana Palace. Over the beach, drones painted the message "I love you, Brazil" in the sky, while below them an estimated two million people awaited the performance.
This figure equals the crowds gathered for Madonna's concerts in 2024 and Lady Gaga's in 2025, turning Copacabana Beach into one of the world's most important spots for massive outdoor spectacles.
Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes confirmed this on social media that same night: "The wolf made history in Rio", referring to her hit "She Wolf".
The concert was part of the "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran" world tour, which bears the name of her 2024 album. The artist performed the most popular hits such as "Hips Don't Lie", "La Tortura" and "La Bicicleta", to close with a collaboration with Bizarrap, a song related to her breakup with footballer Gerard Piqué.
There were also special guests on stage: Anitta performed alongside him, while well-known names in Brazilian music such as Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia also joined in. During the concert, the death of a technician during the preparations was also mentioned.
30 years of ties with Brazil
Shakira has an early relationship with Brazil, dating back to the 1990s. She recalled this to the public: "I came here when I was 18, dreaming of singing for you. And look at it today. Life is magic."
According to ethnomusicologist Felipe Maia from the University of Paris Nanterre, this connection is also based on the cultural affinities between Colombia and Brazil. He describes the concert as the culmination of a relationship built over the years.
Fans traveled from all over the country to be a part of the event. Some flew in just for the concert, while others spent the night on the beach to secure their spot.
An economic model that works
There is also a clear economic strategy behind the spectacle. For three years, Rio de Janeiro has been investing in massive free concerts to boost the local economy in the period between Carnival and the Saint John's Day celebrations in June.
According to data from local authorities and tourism agency Riotur, Shakira's concert is expected to generate around 777 million reais (approximately 132 million euros), mainly from spending on hotels, restaurants and shops. The municipality estimates that the economic return reaches up to 40 times the initial investment.
Data from recent years supports this strategy: tourism in May increased by 34% in 2024 and by 90.5% in 2025, compared to the base year. The Airbnb platform reported significant increases in bookings from Latin America and European cities such as Paris and London.
Security measures were extraordinary: around 8,000 police officers, use of drones, facial recognition cameras, and 18 checkpoints with metal detectors.
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