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Shakira is the latest artist to attract millions of people to Brazil’s Copacabana Beach – with a free concert full of hits on Saturday.
An estimated 2 million people attended the show in Rio de Janeiro, where Shakira performed a set of nearly 30 songs and featured guest appearances from Anitta, Maria Bethânia and Caetano Veloso.
“I came here when I was 18 years old and dreamed of singing for you,” Colombia-born Shakira told the crowd shortly after her performance. “Now look at this. Life is magical.”
Hits and surprise guests
Shakira’s set included hits such as “Hips Don’t Lie”, “She Wolf”, “BZRP Music Sessions #53”, “La Tortura”, “Waka Waka”, “Whenever, Wherever” and “Choka Choka” with surprise guest Anitta:
Shakira is the third consecutive artist to perform a free show on Copacabana Beach – after Madonna in 2024 and Lady Gaga in 2025; The latter attracted a record 2.5 million people to the beach in Rio de Janeiro.
Although admission was free, Shakira’s concert was expected to bring the city an estimated $150 million in tourism revenue, according to the city government.
A crew member has died after a construction accident while setting up the stage for Shakira’s upcoming concert in Brazil. This was confirmed by the organizers of the Todo Mundo no Rio live concert series. The accident occurred on Sunday, April 26th, on Copacabana Beach, where the musician is scheduled to perform next Saturday, May 2nd.
In a statement posted in Portuguese on social media, organizers wrote: “An accident on Sunday afternoon tragically claimed the life of a skilled worker involved in assembling the stage structure. First responders provided first aid at the scene and the fire department was immediately called to transport the injured man.”
The statement continued: “Unfortunately, the skilled worker died in hospital. We express our fullest sympathy and unreserved support to the responsible company, its team and the victim’s family in this difficult hour.”
Eyewitnesses describe the accident
An eyewitness report distributed by “France24” described the situation at the time of the accident. “Suddenly we saw people running and when we looked, the scaffolding was on the ground,” Antonio Marcos Ferreira dos Santos told the French news agency. “People said a man was trapped underneath. Everyone rushed to pull him out.”
Further details revealed via Reuters say the worker’s lower limbs were crushed in the collapse.
Shakira’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ROLLING STONE. The Colombian star was announced as the headliner for this year’s Todo Mundo no Rio event in February. The free concert series, where Lady Gaga and Madonna have performed in the past, is expected to attract millions of people and is considered one of the biggest highlights in Rio de Janeiro.
Shakira’s record concert in Mexico
Just at the beginning of the year, a record 400,000 people attended the free concert that Shakira held at the Zócalo in Mexico City. Her last album to date, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran”, was released in 2024.