It was meant to be one of the biggest shows of her career, but some fans felt it was one of Shakira’s messiest.
The Colombian star was accused online of lip-syncing and having technical difficulties while belting hits to approximately two million people who packed Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
“She cannot sing at all,” one commented online.
Shakira’s performance on Copacabana Beach marked the biggest show of her career
Two million people showed up to the free concert on Rio’s famous shoreline on Saturday, May 2, marking the biggest show of Shakira’s entire career.
Lady Gaga performed in front of the iconic Copacabana Palace hotel last year, while Madonna performed the year before that.
Shakira addressed the crowd in Portuguese and said, “Brazil, I love you. It’s magical to see millions of souls together, ready to sing, feel, dance, and remind the world of what really matters.”
“I arrived here when I was 18 years old, dreaming about singing for you,” the singer added. “And now look at this. Life is magical.”
About two million people packed the beach to watch the Colombian singer take the stage
shakira caught lip-syncing 😭 pic.twitter.com/LhuUt6A8Y9
— proud black gringa 🦋 (@phonywizard) May 3, 2026
The show seemingly had hiccups right from the start and was delayed by more than an hour.
The singer finally took the stage when the clock struck 11:05 p.m. to the sound of “La Fuerte.”
Her pop-party setlist included hits like Hips Don’t Lie, Waka Waka, La Tortura, Whenever Wherever, She Wolf, and La Bicicleta.
Brazilian stars Anitta, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, and Ivete Sangalo joined her onstage at different points for duets.
It was meant to be one of the biggest shows of her career, but some fans felt it was one of Shakira’s messiest ever
. Why does shakira’s playback sounds off-key? 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/Ew87O6PZQl
— proud black gringa 🦋 (@phonywizard) May 3, 2026
The show was part of Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran or Women No Longer Cry world tour, named after her 2024 album.
“Us women, every time we fall we get up a little wiser,” the singer said during her show.
Although the concert was free, officials from the city of Rio de Janeiro estimated that her show generated 800 million reais ($161.45 million) for the city’s economy, with hotels, restaurants, and other businesses benefiting from the influx of visitors.
Fans complained about her performance online, with many accusing her of lip-syncing.
“Shakira caught lip-syncing,” one said, while another wrote, “all these clips of Shakira coming out are exposing her lip-syncing!”
all these clips of shakira coming out are exposing her lip-syncing! 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/7tG8ZC4OaA
— proud black gringa 🦋 (@phonywizard) May 3, 2026
“She’s been lip syncing her entire career,” read a third comment.
“What disgust and what a mockery!” a fourth said.
“One day we’ll have an honest conversation about Shakira’s singing,” read a fifth comment. “She cannot sing at all. Most of the times she’s lip-syncing. Her and Britney Spears are at the same level when it comes to singing which is BAD.”
“If ur gonna lip, at least make it believable,” read one comment online
Some claimed she was awkwardly left out of the display screens at the venue.
“I left halfway through the show because of that!” one said. “Besides not showing the interludes, they never framed what Shakira was doing right, leaving her out of the shot SEVERAL TIMES, the delay between sound and image was grotesque, and it looked like she was dancing randomly without any sync.”
PALHAÇADA ISSO AQUI GALERA ISSO É DESCASO COM O PÚBLICO QUE VEM PRO AO VIVO pic.twitter.com/KNiLd0CXOW
— ramonzim 🇵🇸 (@ramorehooker) May 3, 2026
The much-awaited show was broadcast on Brazil’s largest TV network, Globo, for the first time without delay.
This meant Shakira’s performance was broadcast in real time, while most artists opt for a delay of a few minutes so errors can be edited out before being telecast.
Local reports claimed that the singer’s performance was broadcast in real time without any delay
“That’s exactly why the broadcast is done with a 5-minute delay, so they can correct live all the errors that now even their own fans are complaining about,” one commented online. “But as always, Miss Shakira wants to stick her hand in everything and do it all her way.”
“Shakira made a mistake when she released the show without a delay,” another said. “Those glitches would have been easily cut with a 5-minute delay.”
“Zero delay. No 14-minute safety net like Madonna. No 4-minute buffer like Lady Gaga. Just real-time chaos,” wrote another. “Most superstars want control. Shakira just bet her entire show on not needing it.”
Amid the widespread criticism, many fans defended her and said she may have been dealing with some news about her father’s health scare.
A source claimed to local outlet Correio Braziliense that her father fell ill, and the artist may have asked for some more time, hence causing the delay in starting the show.
Organizers also claimed the delay was due to a “personal issue.”
“I noticed that she’s really kinda sad,” one commented online.
Another said, “What a great moment to drop news like this, and the person who did this hates Shakira.”
“It seems she left Brazil 🇧🇷 as soon as she got out of the show! That’s what I heard,” another claimed.
Some claimed Shakira received news about her father right before taking the stage
🗣️Minha opinião!
Shakira errou quando liberou o show sem delay.
Essas falhas seriam cortadas facilmente com um delay de 5 minutos.#ShakiraNaGlobo #lobacabanapic.twitter.com/FGBni8sKtD— Babi 🐍 (@Babihabla) May 3, 2026
The singer’s 94-year-old father, William Mebarak Chadid, was born in New York to Lebanese parents and moved to Colombia at the age of five.
He reportedly worked in the insurance and healthcare sector and wrote a Spanish book Al Viento y al Azar (In the Wind and at Random) in 2011.
Over the years, William has undergone several health issues and had a stroke in 2023. He was hospitalized in 2022 after a bad fall as well.
“She’s a horrible singer,” one commented online
