Colombian singer Shakira gave a free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday night, an event that the city’s mayor said drew 2 million people to one of the world’s most iconic waterfronts.
The spectacular performance drew parallels with earlier mega concerts by Madonna in 2024 and Lady Gaga last year, both of which attracted enormous crowds who filled the expansive beachfront and danced on the sand for hours.
The concert began shortly after 11 p.m., running more than an hour behind schedule, but the delay did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the waiting crowd.
Fans erupted in cheers and applause as anticipation reached a peak, with skywriting drones illuminating the night sky and spelling out the message “I love you Brazil” in Portuguese.
During the performance, the global superstar expressed heartfelt nostalgia, recalling her first visit to Brazil nearly 30 years ago and the strong bond she has shared with Brazilian audiences ever since.
Shakira delivered a high-energy set featuring some of her biggest international hits, including “Hips Don’t Lie,” “La Tortura,” and “La Bicicleta,” each met with roaring audience participation. She closed the show with “BZRP Music Sessions #53/66,” the viral track widely interpreted as reflecting her separation from former partner and Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué.
Rio de Janeiro’s Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere later took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the event, claiming that nearly two million people attended the beachfront spectacle. “The She-Wolf made history in Rio,” he wrote, referencing Shakira’s iconic 2009 hit that cemented her global image.
