genre latin

Shakira was set to perform in front of hundreds of thousands of fans in Santiago, Chile for her back-to-back performances set for March 2-3 at the Estadio Nacional. Instead, she settled for an impromptu performance outside of her hotel where she sang “Antología” for fans that had gathered in lieu of seeing her onstage.
“I couldn’t leave without singing to you with the promise that I will be back very soon,” she captioned a social media post.

Less than a month into her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, Shakira has postponed a total of four shows in Latin America – one for medical reasons and three due stage production issues – causing quite a stir among fans in that region who’ve taken to social media to express their frustration over last-minute cancellations.  

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On March 2, just hours before her scheduled show at the Estadio Nacional de Santiago de Chile, Shakira posted a lengthy statement that, over safety concerns with stage production, she had to cancel that night’s show, less than a week after canceling her concert in Medellín, Colombia for similar production reasons.  

 “When an artist travels to a country, their production and team become directly dependent on the local producers,” the Colombian superstar wrote. “My staff and I trusted at all times that the production company hired by the local promoter would follow to the letter the specifications that were diligently provided by us so that a show of the magnitude of this one could take place.”  

It’s not uncommon for artists to cancel shows over production issues. Especially when it involves massive productions in older stadiums or buildings in Latin America that perhaps lack the infrastructure to be able to pull off such complex productions and local production companies who are not used to shows of that magnitude.

But when a global star like Shakira – who notes in her statement that she’s been working on “every minimal detail for a year” and whose return to touring after seven years is beyond momentous – cancels three shows at the top of her highly anticipated stadium tour in Latin America citing production reasons, it can feel alarming. Even more so when the issues cited, like how much weight the floor can bear, are being identified at the last minute.  

However, Marcelo Fígoli of Fenix Entertainment, the promoter for Shakira’s shows in Chile, says that despite the show’s size, he is “confident” production issues will be smoothed out for these and future shows.

On Sunday, Fenix also issued a statement basically stating what Shakira had already informed. “We have encountered technical problems beyond the control of the artist and their production that prevent the correct development of the concert, since the floor where the stage would be located is uneven,” the promoter’s statement reads. A day later, Fenix confirmed that the second show at Estadio Nacional on March 3 would also be postponed. “During the last hours, the promoter and production team have been working to find a solution to the construction difficulties that prevented yesterday’s concert. At this moment, tonight’s concert will not be able to take place.”  

Fenix told Billboard it is now expected to announce new dates this week.

Unlike her shift from arenas to stadiums in the United States, Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran Latin America Tour was always set for stadiums. The sudden production issues and cancellations raise questions over whether local promoters have the capacity and resources to make this a streamlined process for the artist.  

According to Shakira, her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran stage weighs 62 tons, and the unleveled stage would compromise her safety and that of her band, dancers and fans. In Medellín it was the roof of the Estadio Atanasio Girardot that was damaged. The local promoter hired for that show explained that their decision to cancel Feb. 24’s concert had been made because of a risk to the safety of the performers, the crew and the crowd. 

The Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC) of Colombia has now intervened in the case to protect consumer rights and has extended the deadline, from Feb. 28 to March 20, for organizers Ticket Colombia and Promotora Colombia to announce a new, rescheduled date.

“Promotora Colombia requested an extension for compliance, arguing that the rescheduling of the event requires a complex logistical deployment and the coordination of all those involved,” the SIC’s statement reads in Spanish. “It also indicated that the request for an extension is due to the fact that it has not been possible to agree on a date among all the parties involved in the planning of the event, especially due to the artist’s agenda. In addition, it indicated that if it is impossible to define a new date within the term granted by this entity, it would be forced to cancel the concert and proceed with the refund of the money.”  

Shakira’s Latin America stint kicked off Feb. 11 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos and is set to continue through April 2 before launching the U.S. leg of the trek May 13 in Charlotte, N.C.

Even with dates hampered by production issues, Shakira’s four shows in Colombia gave cities like Bogotá and Barranquilla a major economic boost, a nod to the tour’s impact beyond the cultural. According official numbers offered by local government, Shakira’s concerts generated an economic impact of nearly 206 billion pesos (approximately 52 million dollars). Additionally, spending in key sectors such as food, hospitality, and the multiplier effect in Bogotá alone accounted for 73 billion pesos, further demonstrating the impact on the local economy.  

The new tour — in honor of her critically and commercially successful 2024 album of the same name — follows Shakira’s 2018 El Dorado World Tour, marking her grand return to the global stage. The next city on Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran Tour itinerary is Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she’s set to perform at Campo Argentino de Polo on March 7-8. 

Billboard reached out to Live Nation – the promoter behind Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour – for further comment but did not hear back at press time.