Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (AFP) – Three decades after her rise to fame, Shakira will star this Saturday in Rio de Janeiro in the most ambitious performance of her career with a free concert on Copacabana beach. Faced with an expected attendance of two million people and under an unprecedented security deployment, the Colombian artist seeks to surpass the attendance records of figures such as Madonna and Lady Gaga.
First modification: 05/02/2026 - 15:59 Last modification: 05/02/2026 - 16:15
Thirty years after her international debut with "Pies Descalzos," Shakira will offer the biggest performance of her career this Saturday, when she will turn Rio de Janeiro into the world capital of Latin pop with a free mega-concert in Copacabana.
A crowd of two million people is expected to fill the famous beach, where a monumental 1,345-square-meter stage has been erected in front of the legendary Copacabana Palace hotel, which has housed the 49-year-old artist since her arrival on Wednesday.
The Colombian thus follows in the footsteps of Madonna, who performed in these same arenas in 2024 before 1.6 million people, and Lady Gaga, who gathered 2.1 million in 2025, according to the organizers.
Shakira has a historic relationship with Brazil, where she has performed numerous times since 1996.
It was precisely in Rio where, in February 2025, he inaugurated his "Women No Longer Cry" tour, the first in seven years and which was already crowned the highest-billing tour by a Latin artist, according to Guinness.
He speaks fluent Portuguese and recently collaborated with Brazilian superstar Anitta, who could appear on stage tonight.
To generate buzz ahead of the concert, Shakira has been posting numerous stories on Instagram: from a video in which she packed flip-flops and a revealing bikini in the colors of Brazil before flying to Rio, to her first walk with Sugarloaf Mountain in the background.
On Thursday night, he appeared in one of these publications waving from a balcony to his fans gathered outside the hotel.
"Lobacabana"
For weeks now, all of Rio has been in "Shakira" mode. Huge posters with his face cover the city. In Copacabana, renamed "Lobacabana" due to its nickname "she-wolf", street vendors sell fans, caps, bags and even small bottles with "Shakira's tears", a nod to the title of the tour.
Groups of fans gathered several times on the beach for massive classes of their choreographies with the characteristic hip movement.
"Everyone is looking forward to seeing her in person. If I see her, I will hug her, I will take a photo with her. I think this energy surrounds all of us who are here in Copacabana," Randeon Icaro, a 36-year-old hairdresser, stationed in front of the Copacabana Palace with dozens of followers, told AFP.
"Throughout the week people come here to the door of the hotel, to the beach, they want to see the artist and at the same time they want to party, which is wonderful," said Nicole Ernandes, a 47-year-old DJ.
Enhanced security
With 100 million records sold, four Grammys and 15 Latin Grammys, Shakira has conquered several generations with hits such as the World Cup anthem Waka Waka, Hips Don't Lie or Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53, the song she recorded after her separation from former soccer player Gerard Piqué and which broke streaming records.
Fans from all over Brazil and other countries, especially Latin America, have traveled for the show. According to the official Brazilian tourism agency, air reservations for this week grew more than 80% compared to 2024.
The Rio mayor's office estimates that the event will inject more than 800 million reais (about $160 million) into the local economy.
The authorities deployed almost 8,000 agents, drones, facial recognition cameras and 18 screening points with metal detectors, in the largest security device that Copacabana has seen in its mega-concerts.
In 2025, after Lady Gaga's performance, police said they had thwarted a bomb attack orchestrated by a group "spreading hate speech" and targeting the LGBTQ+ community.
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