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Shakira performed at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday night for an estimated 2 million people, making her one of the biggest live acts the venue has ever seen.
As Shakira walked on stage, drones created the shape of a she-wolf, the symbol of her current world tour, overhead.
She took the stage more than an hour late and performed on a huge stage set up outside the Copacabana Palace hotel.
In recent years, Copacabana has hosted many large free concerts. Madonna played there for 1.6 million people in 2024, and Lady Gaga attracted 2.1 million fans in 2025.
Shakira started her 2025 world tour in Rio, and it has already set a Guinness World Record for the highest-grossing tour by a Latin artist.
Shakira has sold over 90 million records and won 4 Grammys and 15 Latin Grammys. Her biggest hits include "Hips Don't Lie," "Waka Waka," and "Whenever, Wherever."
Soon after taking the stage, Shakira spoke to the crowd and remembered her first visit to Brazil about 30 years ago.
"I arrived here when I was 18 years old, dreaming about singing for you," she told the audience. "And now look at this. Life is magical."
The night before the concert, early arrivals saw Shakira rehearse with Brazilian music legends Caetano Veloso and his sister Maria Bethania. She joined Veloso on stage to perform his song "O Leaozinho."
To promote the concert, Shakira posted Instagram videos of herself packing for the trip and walking around Rio with Sugarloaf Mountain in the background.
Fans came from all over Latin America. Graciele Vaz, 43, traveled four hours from Paraty and slept on the beach to get a good spot.
She has followed Shakira for over 20 years and has the singer's name and the she-wolf symbol tattooed on her back.
Christopher Yataco, 28, flew from Lima, Peru, after saving for a year. He told AFP that he admires Shakira's passion and her representation of the Latin community and women's empowerment.
Vendors along the beach sold beer, caipirinhas, T-shirts, and small vials called "Shakira's tears," a nod to her current "Women No Longer Cry" tour.
City authorities deployed nearly 8,000 security officers for the event, supported by drones, facial recognition cameras, and 18 screening points equipped with metal detectors.
Last year, following Lady Gaga's concert at the same location, police reported foiling a bomb plot by a group that had disseminated hate speech targeting the LGBTQ+ community.
Rio officials estimate the concert will inject more than $160 million into the local economy. National tourism authorities reported airline bookings for the week were up 80 percent compared to the same period in 2024.
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