Shakira Mega-Concert Draws Huge Crowds to Rio de Janeiro Beach

Under a full moon on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach, Shakira launched her free mega-concert late Saturday, arriving more than an hour after the scheduled start as drones overhead traced the outline of a she-wolf — the nickname that has become part of her pop mythology.

Roughly two million people were expected for the free open-air performance by the 49-year-old Colombian superstar, who appeared on a sprawling stage set up beside the iconic Copacabana Palace hotel.

The beach has become a showcase for pop royalty in recent years: Madonna drew 1.6 million people in 2024, and Lady Gaga performed her biggest hits for 2.1 million fans there last year.

Watch: Crowds of Shakira fans pack Rio’s Copacabana beach

“Shakira doesn’t need to fit into molds, she makes real art, she does what she wants out of love. I’m very inspired by her, she’s a Latin woman at the top,” said 26-year-old designer Joao Pedro Yellin, wearing an overcoat stitched from scraps representing Latin American flags.

Superfan Graciele Vaz travelled four hours from the resort town of Paraty and spent Friday night sleeping on the sand to secure a spot for the show.

“I’ve been a Shakira fan for more than 20 years,” said the 43-year-old, who wore a large tattoo across her back bearing Shakira’s name above a she-wolf, the singer’s nickname and the emblem of her current world tour.

Her 2025 tour opened in Rio and has already claimed a Guinness World Record as the highest-grossing tour by a Latin artist

With more than 90 million records sold, four Grammys, 15 Latin Grammys and a catalogue that stretches across generations with hits such as “Hips Don’t Lie,” “Waka Waka” and “Whenever, Wherever,” Shakira remains especially beloved in Brazil, where she has returned to the stage many times.

“She loves Brazil so much and the love she has for us is the love we have for her,” Vaz said.

Her 2025 tour kicked off in Rio, and has already earned a Guinness World Record for the highest-grossing tour for a Latin artist.

In the lead-up to the concert, Shakira posted Instagram videos showing herself packing flip-flops and a revealing Brazilian flag bikini for the trip, along with footage of her first stroll in Rio with Sugarloaf Mountain rising behind her.

Rio has spent days preparing for the concert

On Friday night, fans who arrived early got an extra surprise: an open rehearsal featuring two legendary Brazilian musicians, siblings Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethania.

Thousands gathered around the stage and watched her sing “O Leaozinho” alongside Veloso.

Rio has been readying for the concert for days, with giant posters spread across the city, while vendors along Copacabana worked the crowds Saturday selling beer, caipirinhas, t-shirts and tiny vials labeled “Shakira’s tears,” a wink to her current “Women No Longer Cry” tour.

Security has also been stepped up, with nearly 8,000 officers deployed, backed by drones, facial-recognition cameras and 18 screening points equipped with metal detectors.

Last year, following Lady Gaga’s performance, police said they had thwarted a bomb plot by a group that spread hate speech targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

Fans were also gathered outside the Copacabana Palace, where Shakira is staying, hoping to catch a glimpse of her from a window.

Christopher Yataco, a 28-year-old Peruvian, said he saved for a year to make the trip from Lima to see his idol, telling AFP he admires “her passion, her warmth as a person, how down-to-earth she is, how Latina she is, how she represents the entire Latin community and women’s empowerment.”

City officials estimate the event will bring more than €135 million into the local economy.

National tourism officials said airline bookings this week were up 80% compared with 2024.

The concert is likely to be the biggest of Shakira’s career so far.