Friday brought Shakira back to Madrid, where the crowd answered her return with a roar. The Colombian star has not performed in Spain for eight years, and now she has opened a 12-date residency at the Shakira Stadium, a temporary venue constructed solely for this run, in front of 55,000 fans.
Hours before the first note was played, the show started with people gathering at food stalls and interactive booths outside the venue. Attendees came dressed in purple wigs, coin-adorned scarves, wolf ears and masks, all inspired by the Carnival traditions of Barranquilla, the Colombian city where Shakira grew up.
“I can’t believe I’m here. It all feels like a dream,” she told the crowd as she welcomed them back. “Having you here again tonight, you don’t know how happy it makes me because it’s proof of the love and affection you’ve given me all these years.”
A joke about her appearance is how she laughed off the passage of time. “Everyone tells me, ‘Shaki, look at the face you left with and the face you’ve come back with,’” she said. “Things have happened in my life since the last time I saw you.”
Songs That Span Three Decades
She danced without stopping for close to two hours, gliding through rock, reggaeton and songs that pay tribute to her Lebanese heritage. Her wardrobe shifted several times as she linked the distinct stages of her catalog.
From the first song to “Girl Like Me,” “Te felicito,” “TQG,” “Soltera” and “Hips Don’t Lie,” the audience joined in the singing throughout. There was little pause between the numbers, with the arena seldom falling silent.
“Dai Dai,” the 2026 FIFA World Cup official song, gave the local audience a special moment. “Spain, World Champion!” Shakira shouted, unleashing one of the most electrifying moments of the night.
A Track Dedicated to Her Children
“Acróstico,” dedicated to her children Milan and Sasha, moved many in the audience to tears. The song is a new addition to the setlist compared to previous stops on the tour.
Shakira remembered her first time in Madrid, when she was 19, before she sang. She fell for a Madrileño, someone she described with laughter as “a true Iberian specimen: dark-haired, fun and cheerful.” She said he eventually broke her heart.
The Setlist Compared
| Performance | Song | Moment |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | “Girl Like Me,” “Te felicito,” “TQG,” “Soltera,” “Hips Don’t Lie” | Crowd sang along throughout |
| FIFA World Cup | “Dai Dai” | “Spain, World Champion!” |
| Personal | “Acróstico” | Dedicated to Milan and Sasha |
- Dates: 12, with Friday the opener
- Venue: Shakira Stadium, a temporary venue
- Capacity: 55,000 fans
- Songs performed: More than three decades of her catalog
The room held two groups at once: those who have followed her since the start, and a newer crowd that sang her most recent songs from memory.
Source material: “Madrid Howls With Shakira as She Kicks Off 12-Date Residency: ‘Tonight We Are One’,” Billboard.
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