Shakira performs at free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro

Colombian superstar Shakira gave a free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday night an event that Rio de Janeiros mayor said drew 2 million people to one of the worlds most iconic waterfrontsThe performance followed similar shows by Madonna in 2024 and Lady Gaga last year also attended by huge crowds that danced on the sprawling sands For Shakira it was part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran or Women No Longer Cry world tour named after her 2024 albumShakiras set kicked off around 11 pm local time more than an hour after the scheduled slot to her fans screaming with excitement and frantic applause as skywriting drones flew overhead spelling out in the sky I love you Brazil in PortugueseThe megastar spoke fondly about the first time she came to Brazil some three decades agoI arrived here when I was 18 years old dreaming about singing for you Shakira told the crowd shortly after coming on stage And now look at this Life is magicalOne of the first places where Shakira became successful The muchloved pop star sang fan favourites such as Hips Dont Lie La Tortura and La Bicicleta She ended with BZRP Music Sessions which followed her separation from Spanish soccer player Gerard PiqueShe also took the time to celebrate womens resilience during the show Us women every time we fall we get up a little wiser she saidRio Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere said on X that 2 million people attended the performance The SheWolf made history in Rio he posted referring to Shakiras 2009 hitWhen Shakira first performed in Brazil in the 1990s she established an amazing connection with the Brazilian public according to Felipe Maia an ethnomusicologist pursuing a doctoral degree on popular music and digital technologies at Paris Nanterre UniversityThat success in Brazil has a lot to do with the fact that she comes from Colombia a country whose culture has many similarities with Brazil Maia said adding that Saturdays performance crowns the relationship she has had with Brazil for a very long timeErica Monteiro a 38yearold accountant said she has listened to Shakira since childhoodFor me she represents the strength of our Latino community Monteiro said ahead of the concert Were treated as if we were inferior but in fact we have much more strengthBy Saturday morning crowds had started piling onto the beach to nab a good spot for the show Street vendors sold sweetcorn and other Brazilian snacks bottled water and caipirinhas the popular Brazilian cocktail but also toilet paper deodorant and even bags of sand for concert goers to stand on to get a better view of the stage set up opposite Copacabana Palace a historic luxury hotelStreet vendor Simone Paula da Cunha arrived on the beach on Friday evening hoping to sell all the beer and water bottles she had bought ahead of the show and make about 100 in allDespite being tired da Cunha was excited at the prospect of seeing Shakira live I remember her from when she still had black hair she said Im a huge fan of hersAn effort to boost the citys postCarnival economy The free concerts are part of City Halls attempt to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years Eve festivities and before the monthlong Saint Johns Day celebrations in JuneFor us parties are serious business Because parties generate jobs income development and identity for the city Rio Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere said on Wednesday as he presented the citys operational plan for the event Our investment in this show will give us a financial return 40 times greater he saidShakiras performance could generate around 777 million reais around USD 155 million according to a study by City Hall and Riotur the municipalitys tourism company thanks to the influx of tourists and cash spent in restaurants hotels and shopsMore tourists headed to Rio in the month of May in the years with shows 2024 and 2025 compared to 2023 according to City Hall data In 2024 the growth was 34237 on May 1 just ahead of the concerts compared to the previous year In 2025 the increase was 905 percent compared to 2023Ahead of Shakiras performance Airbnb said in an April 22 statement that it was seeing an increase in guests expected to travel from different parts of Brazil Latin America and even European capitals such as Paris and LondonWanderson Andrade a 30year old architect said he flew in especially for the show from the city of Goiana in central Brazil on Saturday and will fly back the following dayI tried to get tickets to see her in Brazil last year but I didnt succeed said Andrade whos firstever tattoo is a wolf in honor of Shakira Today is a dream come trueThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever