Shakira brought her 13-show Madrid residency to an emotional finish on Monday, Oct. 12, closing “The Last Dance” with a guest-packed concert featuring Maluma, Laura Pausini, Beéle, Dani Martín and Bizarrap.
The finale capped four consecutive performances from Oct. 9-12 and coincided with Spain’s National Day, Día de la Hispanidad. Latin culture was woven throughout the celebration, which also included Carnival of Barranquilla dancers, the Ghetto Kids and a large-scale drone display.
“There has been a before and after for me. It’s all felt like a dream, and honestly, I don’t want to leave,” Shakira told the crowd. “It’s going to be very, very hard to leave Spain again.”
A Finale Filled With Famous Friends
Shakira signaled early that the concert, announced one week earlier as “The Last Dance,” would not be a routine farewell.
“I’ve prepared so many, many surprises for you tonight,” she said shortly after the show began. “Tonight, I’m not holding anything back. I’m going to give you everything, everything, everything I have, because there’s nothing like when a she-wolf meets her pack.”
Maluma delivered the first major guest appearance, returning for a second consecutive night to join his fellow Colombian for “Chantaje” and “Agua.” Shakira joked that after making four songs together, they should form a group named “Shaluma.” Maluma responded that he was ready to create many more songs with her.
Pausini later returned to the residency for a duet of “Antología,” which the pair had also performed during one of the early concerts. Introducing the Italian artist as “the cherry on top,” Shakira gave Pausini space to reflect on her influence.
“You are a lesson for so many,” Pausini told her. “Just imagine our younger colleagues who see the immense example that you are of a long and very solid career.”
Dani Martín, the former lead singer of El Canto del Loco, joined Shakira for “Te Dejo Madrid.” Playing off the song’s lyrics, she introduced him by saying, “Today, I’m going to sing this with a Madrileño who won’t break my heart.”
Beéle appeared for “Algo Tú” as Carnival of Barranquilla dancers took over the stage, bringing an element of Shakira’s hometown celebration to Madrid. The Ghetto Kids also joined the festivities for “Dai Dai.”
Bizarrap supplied the final guest reveal. From behind the turntable, he performed “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” with Shakira, carrying the party through the last moments of the residency.
Shakira Reflects on a Historic Run
During a pause lasting several minutes, Shakira thanked the audience and those involved in a project she described as one of the most important of her career. She also acknowledged difficult periods during the run, including her father’s health issues and other personal challenges.
“This residency has been historic for me,” she said. Shakira credited the audience with giving her the strength to perform each night “with total joy and a full heart,” adding: “You’ve made me feel like I’m just starting my career, and I will never forget that.”
Her acknowledgments extended to Sony Music, Live Nation, her team, musicians and dancers, along with everyone involved in the concert production and Macondo Park. According to Shakira, more than 10,000 people worked on the show and the themed city constructed around the stadium.
She also singled out her ex and current collaborator Antonio de la Rúa, introducing him as “a great friend, a soul friend.” Shakira praised his support during the tour and his work on the project’s creation and details.
The scale of the Madrid engagement grew beyond its original proposal. Shakira said she initially considered the idea of staging eight concerts in the city impossible, only for the residency to reach 13 shows. According to the singer, approximately 700,000 people attended the full run at the Shakira Stadium.
The crowd developed its own recurring visual language across the concerts, with purple wigs and coin-covered chain belts appearing among fans as references to images from different stages of Shakira’s career.
Near the end of the final show, dozens of drones formed a she-wolf in the sky before shifting into a giant “12+1,” the designation chosen to mark the residency’s 13th night.
ShowBiz Take
The finale’s significance was not limited to its lengthy guest list. Shakira’s closing concert connected the residency’s scale with the personal difficulties she said she faced during it, turning the night into both a celebration and a public thank-you.
The numbers underscored that growth: a proposed eight-show engagement became 13 concerts, drew roughly 700,000 attendees by Shakira’s account and involved more than 10,000 people across the production and surrounding themed city. With Bizarrap delivering the last performance after a night of duets, dancers and drones, “The Last Dance” closed nearly a month of Shakira in Madrid on its biggest note.