Shakira brought her world tour to Chicago on Saturday night, with an exhilarating headlining set at Sueños Music Festival.
And while the air temperature plummeted as night set on the lakefront festival, fans who had just finished experiencing Peso Pluma’s return set to the fest were more than eager to stay for the 90-minute extravaganza from the Colombian superstar.
“Wow, I’m in love with this city. It’s so beautiful,” Shakira told the crowd as she looked out into the throngs of fans that had gathered for her set. “Thank you for making me feel at home.”
Shakira brought the heat to Grant Park with opening songs “La Fuente” and “GIRL LIKE ME.” The singer, who first appeared on stage in a silver, sparkly jumpsuit, removed one layer at a time while transitioning between the first two songs, eventually revealing a sparkling pink mini dress.
With at least half a dozen more outfit changes, backup dancers, video interludes and an enormous she-wolf stage prop that came out towards the end of the set, the show was nothing short of a full-on concert event rather than an abbreviated festival set.
Saturday’s set was a part of the North American leg of Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour (which culminates in Peru this fall) following the global success of her 12th and similarly titled studio album. “Las Mujeres No Lloran” won a 2025 Grammy for best Latin pop album, and the first six shows of the tour in February brought in a whopping and record-breaking $32.9 million in earnings.
On Instagram, the singer wrote that she and her crew “went out of our way to make it to the iconic [Sueños Music Festival].”
Throughout the set, Shakira sang songs in both English and Spanish that spanned the earliest parts of her 30-year career, including “Ojos Así” and “Underneath Your Clothes,” to some of her most recent hits such as “Te Felicito” with Rauw Alejandro. She also performed “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” her famous collaboration with Argentine producer and songwriter Bizarrap.
After another outfit change, Shakira took some time to chat with her fans.
“Maybe you’d like to know which of my songs is the most requested?,” Shakira asked the crowd. From there, she delivered a powerful “Antología” performance from her 1995 album “Pies Descalzos.”
Shakira, 48, has been a vital part of the Latin music scene — and more importantly, the mainstream pop genre — for a long time. Her ability to reach generations of listeners is one reason her music is here to stay.
“You all already know that the last few years have been pretty difficult for me,” the singer said, referencing her divorce from former fútbol player Gerard Piqué in 2022. “No one gets out of the falls. But if there’s something I’ve learned, it’s that the fall isn’t the end. … It’s because we, as women, rise and we do so because we’re a little stronger, a little wiser.”
Shakira’s definitely on a new journey of self-discovery and self-improvement, as evidenced by the futuristic symbolism throughout the entire performance. Her first outfit, the sparkly jumpsuit, made her look like she’d just dropped in from outer space.
There was even a short segment where Shakira put on a welder’s mask and “built” her perfect man. She and her backup dancers participated in a lot of robotic dancing, too, perhaps reinforcing the idea of building a new, better self.
There was still plenty of her signature belly dancing, though, especially during the intro to “Ojos Así.” It’s one of the tunes that best showcases Shakira’s range and roots, from pop sounds to Latin rock chords to Arab influences all wrapped up in one song. It’s a celebration of her roots, for sure, as Shakira was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, to Lebanese and Colombian parents.
The belly dancing continued throughout the show, especially when it came time to perform “Hips Don’t Lie,” the singer’s most famous offering. (The original 2006 release features Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean.)
The night also took on biblical proportions, Shakira-style. On the screens to the left and right of the stage, text detailed the story from the book of Genesis about Eve being created from Adam’s rib, but Shakira pushed back on the narrative.
“The first man was born from a woman’s hips,” the screen read before the singer began an elaborate dance break before formally going into the song. Dozens of fans wearing hip scarves of their own took the time to join in on the dancing.
Like most headliners at Grant Park this festival season, Shakira’s set closed out with an abundant fireworks show after she closed out with “Waka Waka,” “She Wolf” and her Bizarrap track.