Photo Credit: Shakira on Copacabana Beach (@shakira / Instagram)
Shakira performed a free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro over the weekend, an event that the city’s mayor said drew a crowd of 2 million.
Colombian singer-songwriter, dancer, and producer Shakira stunned on Saturday night, performing a free concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. According to the city’s mayor, the event drew a crowd of 2 million people to the waterfront.
Her performance followed similar free concerts held by Madonna in 2024 and Lady Gaga in 2025, both of which were attended by record-breaking crowds. Shakira’s show was part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, in support of her 2024 album of the same name.
Shakira was scheduled to hit the stage at 10 PM, but things didn’t kick off until 11 PM. The superstar started by telling the crowd how fond she was of the city and the first time she came to Brazil some 30-odd years ago.
“I arrived here when I was 18 years old, dreaming about singing for you,” Shakira told the audience. “And now look at this. Life is magical.”
A custom temporary venue was built for the occasion, both to accommodate a huge crowd and to celebrate the artist herself. Shakira played fan favorites such as “Hips Don’t Lie” and “La Tortura,” and finished with tracks from her latest album.
“The She-Wolf made history in Rio,” posted Rio Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere, who announced that 2 million people attended the show—a record for a Latina artist. Shakira also broke her own record; her free concert in Mexico City’s Zócalo earlier this year drew in a crowd of 400,000.
However, Lady Gaga still holds the record for the biggest crowd for a female artist, with 2.1 million attending her show in Rio last year. The record for the biggest audience overall still belongs to Rod Stewart, whose free 1994 New Year’s Eve concert—also held on Copacabana Beach—enjoyed a crowd of 3.5 million.
The free concerts in Rio are part of the city government’s attempt to boost the economy following Carnival and New Year’s Eve festivities ahead of the month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June. Shakira’s performance is expected to generate around $155 million (777 million reais) for the city’s local economy, with tourists spending money in hotels, restaurants, and shops.
