Shakira Unveils “Es Latina” Cultural Residency in Madrid for Final Leg of World Tour
Colombian superstar Shakira has launched Es Latina, a sprawling cultural complex that will serve as her home base for the next month during the Madrid finale of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour. Built in a record 30 days on a 30-hectare site in the southern Villaverde district, the pop-up venue surrounds a 55,000-capacity stadium constructed specifically for music rather than football. As Shakira wrote in an op-ed for EL PAÍS, the project represents the largest artist residency in European history, designed to welcome more than 600,000 visitors across 12 concert dates.
A Month-Long Celebration of Latin Culture
The temporary city opens its doors daily at 3:30 p.m., running 10 hours a day on concert days. The air fills with the scent of corn arepas and freshly fried tequeños, while the sounds of Caribbean rhythms blend with literary readings from authors including Rosa Montero, Cristina Morató, Elísabet Benavent, Julia Navarro, and Lydia Cacho. Models prepare to walk a runway cutting through the grounds, and the entire experience culminates each night before midnight with a carnival inspired by Barranquilla, the Colombian coastal city where Shakira was born.
“España está reservada para el final. Voy a estar tirando la casa por la ventana desde todo punto de vista,” Shakira explained in March. That promise materializes now as Madrid hosts a month-long immersion in Latin American culture, in a region where more than one million residents were born in Latin American countries, according to Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE).
Concert Schedule and Official Backing
The residency runs across four weekends from September 18 through October 11, with performances at Iberdrola Music on September 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 and October 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11. Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez Almeida declared himself “orgulloso” that Shakira, whom he defines as “la artista latina más reconocida del mundo,” chose the capital for this unprecedented run. Music professor and manager Pedro Malaver interprets the move as a dual operation: “Shakira es la latina más grande a nivel histórico,” he asserts, framing it as both artistic statement and strategic positioning.
Macondo Park: Music as the Gateway
Visitors enter through Macondo Park, where stages host Spanish and Latin American artists including Amaia, Aria Vega, Gale, Guitarricadelafuente, Lia Kali, Louta, Maro, Nathy Peluso, Santos Bravos, and Yerai Cortés. The lineup also features Izatkm, Ángeles Toledano, J Noa, Nico y Yapi, plus acts connected to the Benidorm Fest through RTVE. Their voices soundtrack the city rising around Shakira’s central stadium.
A Library at the Heart of the Stadium
Beyond the concert stages lies an unexpected space for a major music venue: a library. Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial has curated and programmed a literary pavilion open during all 12 concert days. The concept draws from Cien años de soledad, Gabriel García Márquez’s novel featuring the fictional town of Macondo, alongside a selection of books tied to Shakira’s cultural and emotional universe.
Twenty-four female authors will participate in 12 encounters, their voices mingling with nearby music. “La biblioteca acogerá además una beca impulsada por Cursiva y la Fundación Pies Descalzos. La persona seleccionada recibirá una plaza, valorada en 2.999 euros, para cursar durante dos años un programa de novela en línea,” the organization confirms. The scholarship, backed by Shakira’s Barefoot Foundation and the writing school Cursiva, covers a two-year online novel program.
El Taller: Spanish Fashion Takes Center Stage
The journey continues into El Taller (The Workshop), a space dedicated to Spanish fashion where emerging designers and haute couture houses present exhibitions and runway shows. Culture is narrated through garments, designs, and parades. “Allí se presentará por primera vez en España ÍSIMA, la marca de productos capilares de Shakira. Cantabria Labs participará también con Heliocare en una actividad sobre protección solar,” states Live Nation in a press release.
El Mercado: Latin American Gastronomy
After the runway, aromas guide visitors to El Mercado, the residency’s culinary hub for pre- and post-concert dining. Seville-based chef Rafa Zafra curates a Latin American gastronomic offer with internationally renowned chefs. “El chef sevillano Rafa Zafra seleccionará una oferta gastronómica latinoamericana con la participación de cocineros de prestigio internacional. La información difundida por la organización incluye arepas, tequeños y una propuesta sin gluten en los puestos de comida,” the organization notes, highlighting gluten-free options alongside Venezuelan and Colombian staples.
Macondito: A Space for Children and Schools
Families have their own dedicated zone in Macondito, designed for children and their caregivers. “Live Nation trabaja con la Comunidad de Madrid para organizar visitas escolares de lunes a jueves, los días en los que no habrá conciertos,” organizers confirm. The ephemeral city thus maintains activity beyond the 12 concert nights, reaching school groups who might not attend evening shows.
Nightly Carnival: Barranquilla Comes to Madrid
After each two-hour concert, the central plaza transforms into a carnival inspired by Shakira’s Barranquilla roots — a nightly farewell that symbolically returns attendees to the singer’s birthplace. “Treinta hectáreas para celebrar y entender nuestra cultura,” Shakira has said of the sprawling site. On October 11, the final concert closes both the world tour and the brief life of Es Latina. The structure will be dismantled, and Villaverde will return to its everyday rhythm, leaving behind a month where Madrid danced as if it were in Latin America, just across the Atlantic.
