Shakira’s European residency in Madrid is just around the corner. The first concert will be on Friday, September 18, and the setup of the stadium, named after the Colombian artist, will begin in early August. Live Nation, the event promoter, revealed this Friday the details of the eight pavilions that will be part of Macondo Park, a small city created within the Iberdrola Music venue to host the successful Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour. Each space will be understood as a pillar of the experience: music, fashion, gastronomy, literature, art and cinema, children’s culture, Shakira’s artistic universe, and Macondo. Live Nation president, Pino Sagliocco, announced at a press conference that Macondo Park will be “a manifestation that will inspire the world” and a celebration of Latin culture. However, as is usual with large-scale events held in the Villaverde area, the local community is fearful of the effects that an activity of such magnitude will have.
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In March, Shakira posted a video on social media with a small preview of the stadium where she will offer the 12 concerts scheduled in Madrid. A large stage with a giant screen and an environment named Macondo Park, full of colors and vegetation. It is a small city inspired by the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez and, of course, the music of the Colombian artist. The 12 concert dates are as follows: September 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27, and October 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11.
Eight pavilions “with their own identity” will be located around the Shakira Stadium. Each one will be activated through programming, content, immersive experiences, talent, partners, and special proposals during the residency dates, all curated by the artist under the concept Es Latina. Sagliocco specified that the pavilions will bring Latin culture closer to the 50,000 attendees who will enter the venue for each concert. There will be 12 dates for nearly 600,000 attendees. “Macondo Park will be a before and after for us,” says the president of Live Nation. And he anticipates that it “will put a global focus on understanding that, today more than ever, Latinos are very important.”
Macondo Park will be an ephemeral city that will exist exclusively for Shakira’s residency. The children’s culture pavilion (Macondito) will be available for schoolchildren to visit between Monday and Thursday, when there will be no concerts. Sagliocco values this option as an opportunity to bring Latin culture closer to children. Live Nation is working with the Community to organize school visits.
The venue is designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, which has shown renders of how it will look once the setup is complete. The vegetation and colors promise to immerse attendees in a universe that defines the artist’s essence, with trees, palm trees, shaded areas, a fan zone, and colorful paths leading to each pavilion.
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With several dates sold out, (all sold) Live Nation has announced that it will put VIP experience tickets on sale at “affordable prices,” which will not exceed 750 euros. The Garden space is presented as a “design oasis inspired by nature,” and the Terrace space, “designed for those seeking a privileged and uninterrupted panoramic view of the entire stadium.” VIP packages will go on sale on Monday.
Local Opposition
Shakira’s residency is at a high-tension point. The Iberdrola Music space, in Villaverde, is the same area where the Mad Cool Festival takes place. Local opposition is constant due to the impact that large-scale events have on the area, especially regarding mobility. “We fear the worst,” warns Gema Sánchez, spokesperson for the Stop Festivales Villaverde platform. The list includes: exceeding the decibel limit, road closures on access routes to Getafe and Colonia Marconi —a residential and industrial area near the Iberdrola venue— and the collapse of public transport. “We must not forget that there are concerts on Fridays, that there are schools, and traffic and bus restrictions usually begin at three in the afternoon. Many residents move between Villaverde/Getafe/Colonia Marconi and, of course, the industrial estate workers, we will have many mobility problems. We foresee chaos for residents,” complains Sánchez.
Live Nation has explained that with the activities in each pavilion of the Shakira Stadium, they expect attendees to arrive in a staggered manner, thus avoiding crowds. Doors will open at noon and close at midnight. Shakira will be on stage at 8:30 PM. “There will be no music after 11 PM,” responds the promoter, assuring that regulations will be complied with and permitted decibel levels will not be exceeded.
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