Shakira returns to Spanish stages this Friday with the first of twelve concerts in Madrid, bringing her current world tour to a close and ending an eight-year absence from the country. The Colombian singer, 49, will perform at a temporary venue in the south of the capital, built specifically for the run and dubbed the "Shakira stadium" by promoter Live Nation.
The residency, which runs until 11 October, is expected to draw up to 50,000 fans per night. With no further European dates announced, Madrid's municipal authorities are banking on a significant economic boost from the singer's return, following a similar windfall from Bad Bunny's ten shows in the city in May and June.
A comeback shaped by personal upheaval
Shakira had not performed in Spain since 2018, several years before she publicly confirmed in 2022 her separation from former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué. The tour, launched in February 2025, promotes Las mujeres ya no lloran, an album inspired by that breakup, which earned her a fourth Grammy Award.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, Shakira has sold over 95 million records worldwide. She performed at both the opening ceremony and the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and her track "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" was the official song of the 2010 tournament in South Africa, the first held on the African continent.
The Madrid run also comes after a lengthy legal saga in Spain. In November 2023, Shakira paid a €7.3 million fine as part of a settlement with Spanish prosecutors, pleading guilty to tax fraud charges to avoid trial. She had previously paid €17.45 million to the tax authorities to regularise her fiscal status in the country.
Her return is being closely watched not only by fans but also by local businesses. Hotels, restaurants and transport operators in the capital are expected to benefit from the influx of visitors, echoing the pattern seen during Bad Bunny's concerts. Madrid has become a key stop for Latin music's biggest names, a trend that also reflects broader cultural ties between Spain and Latin America.
Shakira's residency is one of the largest by a female artist in Europe this year, and it underscores the growing importance of live music as a driver of urban economies. The temporary venue, with its 50,000 capacity, is among the biggest in the continent for a single-artist run.
While no additional European dates are planned, the singer's team has not ruled out future appearances. For now, Madrid is the final chapter of a tour that has taken her across the Americas and beyond, and it marks a symbolic homecoming of sorts—Spain being the country where she lived for over a decade and where her personal and professional life took a dramatic turn.
The concerts begin on Friday night, and the city is bracing for a month of high-energy performances, late-night crowds, and a renewed spotlight on Madrid's role as a cultural crossroads between Europe and the Spanish-speaking world.
