Shakira set to finish world tour with 12 performances in Madrid

Shakira begins a twelve-concert residency in Madrid on Friday evening, concluding both her world tour and her eight-year absence from Spain.

The 49-year-old Colombian superstar, known for "Hips Don't Lie" and "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)," will perform at a temporary 50,000-seat "Shakira stadium" built in the south of the Spanish capital. The shows run through October 11, according to events giant Live Nation.

With no other European dates announced, Madrid's authorities anticipate a significant economic boost from her return. The city previously hosted fellow Hispanic star Bad Bunny for 10 concerts in May and June.

Shakira last performed in Spain in 2018, several years before her separation from former Barcelona and Spain football great Gerard Pique became public in 2022.

She launched her world tour in February 2025 to promote "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran" (Women no longer cry), an album inspired by the breakup that earned her a fourth Grammy award.

Over a career spanning decades, Shakira has sold more than 95 million records worldwide and performed at both the opening ceremony and the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" was also the official song of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the first edition of the tournament held on the African continent.

Her Madrid return also follows her payment of a 7.3-million-euro ($8.4 million) fine in November 2023 under an agreement with the Spanish courts, in which she pleaded guilty to tax fraud to avoid trial. In the high-profile case, she also paid the Spanish tax authorities 17.45 million euros to settle her affairs in the country.