Newspapers in South America and Europe highlight the singer’s performance in Rio as the biggest of her career
The Colombian singer’s show on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, on Saturday night (May 2, 2026), had repercussions in the international media. The event was open to the public and brought together 2 million people, according to . Survey of Poder360 However, it indicates that the number of spectators on the beach was .
Newspapers in South America and Europe praised Shakira and said that the event in Rio was consolidated as a cultural event of global reach.
The Argentine newspaper The Nation a review this Sunday (May 3, 2026) stating that Shakira’s performance, which lasted more than 2 hours, brought together “their greatest hits, special guests and lots of Brazilian joy”.
The argentino site Infobae also covered the show. The text that Shakira is the “1st Latin artist to headline a show of this magnitude at this iconic venue”.
“In addition to the show, the presentation was consolidated as a celebration of Latin American culture, where technology, music and identity merged on the same stage”stated the critic of Infobae.
Already the The Country that Shakira was “acclaimed queen of Latin music by 2 million people on Copacabana beach”. The Spanish newspaper stated that “Rio de Janeiro surrendered to the Colombian singer, who invited Anitta, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia and Ivete Sangalo to take the stage”.
Also in Spain, the news agency EFE that the show was a historic milestone for Shakira’s career and for the presence of Latin music in global mass events.
The French newspaper The Worldin a report by AFPthe show as a true “human maré” under the full moon, with Copacabana converted into a space for collective celebration.
In the United Kingdom, the newspaper The Independent that Copacabana beach has been transformed into a “open air dance floor”.
The Colombian newspaper The Time that the “Brazil vibrated with Shakira” and even recorded the presentation in real time.
On Saturday (May 2), the Colombian newspaper The Spectator that Shakira was looking for a record in Copacabana, in what she called “biggest show in its history”. He also said that, 3 decades after her rise to fame, the singer will star in Rio “the most ambitious performance of his career”.
Show costs
Rio de Janeiro City Hall allocated R$20 million to hold the show in the capital. The entire amount is funded with money from tax payers. The amount was passed on to the production company Bonus Track, responsible for the event. The interim governor of Rio, judge Ricardo Couto, announced on April 29 that he would not sponsor the show in Copacabana. He said he made the decision “due to the serious fiscal crisis that is plaguing the State”. With the state management’s decision, Rio City Hall made a new contribution of R$5 million to complete the R$15 million previously invested.
The municipal administration claims that the show generates spontaneous international promotion for the city. The expectation is that exposure outside the country will reach around R$1.3 billion. The estimate was presented in the study “Potential Economic Impacts of ‘Everybody in Rio’ 2026 – Shakira”, prepared by the Municipal Secretariat for Economic Development and the (Tourism Company of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro).
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