By Sarahí Gómez Esaa
A person who was working on setting up the stage for Colombian singer Shakira’s show on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, died after suffering an accident.
According to the organizers of the Todo Mundo no Rio competition, they reported that the tragedy occurred on Sunday, April 26. “An accident this Sunday afternoon tragically claimed the life of a professional who was working on assembling the structures of the show”says the competition statement.
According to the Reuters news agency, “the victim suffered serious crush injuries to his lower extremities after becoming trapped in a lifting system.”
The man was freed from the structure by other employees before the Fire Department arrived on scene. He was immediately taken to a health center by ambulance, but did not survive his injuries.
“Emergency services provided initial attention at the scene of the accident, and the Fire Department was immediately called to transport the patient. Unfortunately, the professional died at the hospital,” the competition’s statement said. “At this time, we are providing all our support, comfort and solidarity to the responsible company, its team and the victim’s family,” he concluded.
Antonio Marcos Ferreira dos Santos, a 51-year-old man who was on the beach at the time of the accident, told AFP what he saw at that moment. He said he “suddenly saw people running. And when we looked, the structure was on the ground.” He added that “a man was trapped underneath” and that people were rushing to “get him out.”
After the accident, civil police inspected the concert stage and workers resumed setting up the stage shortly after.
So far, Shakira and her team have not commented on this fatal accident. The Colombian star is the famous artist of the free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro as part of the “Todo Mundo No Rio” competition, which will be held on May 3. This competition began in 2024 with a massive free concert by Madonna, which brought together 1.6 million people. In 2025 it was the turn of the singer Lady Gaga, who gathered between 2.1 and 2.5 million people. Shakira’s concert is expected to surpass previous attendance figures.
“Preparing so many surprises for you: guest artists, new costumes, songs that you will love to hear… I can’t wait to be there… No altar enact planeta (at the altar of the planet)!!,” Shakira recently wrote in a post on social media.
This massive free concert marks the beginning of the 2026 stage of Shakira’s historic tour, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran Tour.
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