Under full moon, Shakira thrills 2 million fans on Rio’s Copacabana beach with free concert
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Singer Shakira (centre) performs a concert on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 2.
PHOTO: EPA
RIO DE JANEIRO – Latin pop queen Shakira delighted two million people who packed Rio’s famed Copacabana Beach under a full moon on May 2, delivering fan-favourite hits and words of love for Brazil.
The 49-year-old Colombian superstar took the stage dressed in Brazil’s national colours shortly after 11pm (May 3, 10am, Singapore time), more than an hour behind schedule, heralded by drones overhead forming the image of a she-wolf – Shakira’s nickname.
“Brazil, I love you! It’s magical to think that here we are, millions of souls together, ready to sing, dance, be moved and remind the world what really matters,” Shakira told the crowd in Portuguese.
“Two million people. The she-wolf made history in Rio,” city mayor Eduardo Cavaliere wrote on social media platform X, citing the official tourism body.
This beach has hosted the biggest divas in pop in recent years, with American singer Madonna striking a pose for 1.6 million in 2024 and singer Lady Gaga singing her greatest hits to 2.1 million fans in 2025.
Shakira on May 2 performed hits such as Hips Don’t Lie, La Bicicleta, La Tortura and Estoy Aqui on a 1,345 sq m stage outside the legendary Copacabana Hotel.
The concert, featuring 10 outfit changes, saw her performing local-style funk with Brazilian pop star Anitta, and featured guests including Brazilian pop music legends Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethania.
With more than 90 million records sold, four Grammys, 15 Latin Grammys and a generation-spanning repertoire, including bangers Hips Don’t Lie, Waka Waka and Whenever, Wherever, Shakira enjoys unique popularity in Brazil, where she has performed numerous times.
“I’m very inspired by her, she’s a Latin woman at the top,” 26-year-old designer Joao Pedro Yellin told AFP, dressed in an overcoat made of scraps representing Latin American flags.
“She loves Brazil so much and the love she has for us is the love we have for her,” said superfan Graciele Vaz, who slept on the beach on the night of May 1 after travelling four hours from the resort town of Paraty.
“I’ve been a Shakira fan for more than 20 years,” the 43-year-old added, sporting a large she-wolf tattoo on her back.
Shakira’s 2025 tour kicked off in Rio, and has already earned a Guinness World Record for the highest-grossing tour for a Latin artiste.
People watching Colombian singer Shakira perform during a concert from a terrace overlooking Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 2.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Rio has been readying for the concert for days, with huge posters blanketing the city.
Copacabana’s vendors were busy on May 2 hawking beer, caipirinhas, T-shirts and little vials of “Shakira’s tears”, a nod to her current Women No Longer Cry tour.
Security was also tight, with nearly 8,000 officers deployed, along with drones, facial recognition cameras and 18 screening points with metal detectors.
In 2025, after Lady Gaga’s performance, the police said they had foiled a bomb plot by a group that disseminated hate speech against the LGBTQ community.
Some Shakira fans camped out in front of the Copacabana Palace, where the artiste is staying, hoping to glimpse her at a window.
City officials estimate the event will inject more than US$160 million (S$203 million) into the local economy. National tourism officials said airline bookings were up 80 per cent this week compared with 2024. AFP
