Colombian pop singer Shakira has chosen Madrid as the location for a 12-night European concert residency that will mark the grand finale of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour.
The run of 12 performance dates in the Spanish capital, commencing in September, is set to gather approximately 600,000 spectators, creating the largest concert residency ever held on the European continent.
Writing in an opinion column published by the Spanish national newspaper El Pais on August 31, 2026, the Barranquilla-born artist outlined the deep personal and social motives behind selecting Spain for the conclusion of her global tour.
The announcement and essay were highlighted by Spanish music radio network Cadena 100, which noted that the residency reaffirms Shakira's standing at the forefront of the global music industry and as a leading advocate for the Latino community.
Shakira, full name Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, is an internationally acclaimed singer and songwriter from Barranquilla, Colombia, who has achieved global success spanning over three decades with hits blending Latin pop, rock, and world rhythms.
Response to fear and celebration of identity
In her article for El Pais, Shakira explained that the initiative originated from a place of emotional pain. She wrote that the project began when she witnessed members of the Latino community face persecution simply for their heritage, forcing families to live in constant fear, and stated that anger in response to such treatment was entirely legitimate.
However, she stated that she decided to respond not with anger, but with the largest celebration imaginable. She emphasized that the most powerful answer to fear is to exist with complete strength, joy, and dignity.
The 12-night residency will take place at a venue referred to as the Estadio Shakira in Madrid once final preparations are completed for the September shows.
Explaining why she chose Madrid over other world capitals, Shakira wrote that the city demonstrates something the rest of the world needs to witness. She observed that Latino immigration in Spain is not merely tolerated, but actively celebrated.
She noted that Spain's embrace of Latino immigrants has made the country younger, more dynamic, and more creative. She added that the natural integration between the cultures is deeply moving, noting that five centuries ago it was Spaniards who crossed the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas.
Describing the Atlantic as a bond rather than a physical divide, she pointed out that Spaniards and Latinos share a common language, collective memory, cultural gestures, and the tradition of long post-meal table conversations known as sobremesas. She cited the popular local saying that anyone who comes from nowhere belongs in Madrid.
Macondo Park and tackling digital isolation
Beyond live music performances, the residency will feature Macondo Park, a specially designed cultural space drawing inspiration from the literary world of Colombian Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, whom Shakira referenced in the opening lines of her article.
Shakira explained that Macondo Park was conceived as a direct response to what she described as a global digital pandemic, in which individuals increasingly isolate themselves behind electronic screens.
To counter this digital isolation, she argued that Latino culture offers a vital remedy rooted in centuries of tradition rather than modern technology. She stated that this remedy exists within Latino cultural DNA through physical hugs, dancing, shared dining tables, and human connection as a fundamental survival strategy.
She wrote that Latino culture has transformed historical pain into rhythm and learned over five centuries of cultural blending that no person can save themselves alone. She asserted that audiences worldwide instinctively seek out Latino music and dance not as a temporary trend, but because they recognize the essential tools needed to overcome digital loneliness, a recipe built over 500 years.
Related achievements and humanitarian work
The residency announcement comes alongside broader recognition of the singer's career and humanitarian efforts. Recent public campaigns have put forward proposals advocating for Shakira to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in light of her social contributions.
She has also continued to break music industry records, recently achieving new commercial benchmarks with her summer release Dai Dai. Alongside her artistic career, Shakira recently paused her summer schedule to travel directly to an earthquake epicenter in Colombia, declaring that she would not stop working until the affected region was fully rebuilt.
