Shakira has returned to Spanish stages with a high-energy opening concert in Madrid, performing 25 songs for around 50,000 fans at the stadium named after her. The first show began a 12-date residency combining global hits, recent collaborations and personal reflections on her life in Spain.
The performance, held on Friday 18 September, marked the Colombian singer’s first major return to Spanish stages in several years. Across two hours, Shakira moved between pop, reggaeton and Latin influences, while large-scale visuals, costume changes, confetti and fireworks turned the concert into a full production.
Shakira’s Madrid setlist spans her career
Shakira opened the show with “La fuerte”, her collaboration with Argentine producer Bizarrap from her latest album. The early part of the set continued with “Girl Like Me” and a medley featuring “Las de la intuición” and “Estoy aquí”, one of her earliest international successes.
The concert then moved through songs from different stages of her career, including collaborations with Rauw Alejandro, Karol G and Rihanna. The setlist included:
- “Te felicito” and “TQG”
- “Don’t Bother” and “Can’t Remember to Forget You”
- “Copa vacía” and “La bicicleta”
- “La tortura”, “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Chantaje”
- “Loca”, “Soltera”, “Ojos así” and “Antología”
Projected images of water and fire accompanied the costume changes and helped divide the concert into distinct visual and musical chapters. “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Chantaje” arrived near the end of the first hour, before the second half focused more heavily on Shakira’s personal history and earlier material.
An emotional return to Spain
Shakira used the Madrid concert to acknowledge the relationship she has built with Spain and its audience. She told fans that some of the most important years of her life had taken place in the country, including the period when she became a mother.
She also referred to the personal changes reflected in her recent music. Before “Soltera”, the singer described the experience of a family breaking apart and said that single life could eventually be understood as an opportunity. Her comments connected the concert to the themes of “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran”, the 2024 album that gives its name to the tour.
The record is Shakira’s 12th studio album and addresses the emotional aftermath of a relationship breakdown through a mixture of dance tracks, collaborations and more reflective songs. The Madrid performance balanced that newer material with songs from her earlier career, allowing long-time Spanish fans to follow her artistic journey.
“Waka Waka” and a spectacular finale
Among the most recognisable moments of the night was “Waka Waka”, the song that became closely associated with the 2010 FIFA World Cup. During the Madrid show, it was presented again as an anthem connected with the 2026 World Cup.
The concert ended with “Bzrp Music Sessions #53”, followed by confetti and fireworks. The finale completed a set designed to connect Shakira’s current musical era with the songs that established her as an international star.
Macondo Park adds a cultural programme
The concert was accompanied by Macondo Park, a temporary cultural space established beside the venue. Named after the fictional town in Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, the site features eight pavilions focused on different aspects of Hispanic American culture.
Macondo Park forms part of the Es Latina project and opened on the day of the first concert, although its launch was delayed by about 90 minutes. The programme included performances by Guitarricadelafuente, Maro, Virtual Diva and Santos Bravos before Shakira took the main stage.
The temporary site is scheduled to remain open until 11 October, coinciding with the final concert in the Madrid residency. Its inclusion gives the run a wider cultural dimension beyond the headline performances, bringing music, visual production and Hispanic American cultural themes together around the stadium.
What happens next?
Shakira is scheduled to perform 12 concerts in Madrid, with the residency concluding on 11 October. The opening show indicates that the run will draw on the full breadth of her catalogue, from early Spanish-language hits to recent work created with major Latin and international artists.
For audiences, the residency offers both a retrospective and a presentation of the singer’s current stage of her career. For Madrid, it also creates a temporary entertainment and cultural hub through Macondo Park and the associated performances.
Conclusion
Shakira’s Madrid residency has begun with a performance that combined career-spanning hits, new collaborations and an open reflection on her connection to Spain. The 12-concert run, supported by the Macondo Park cultural programme, will continue until 11 October, giving fans several more opportunities to see the singer return to a country that has played a major role in her life and career.
