Shakira Returns to Colombia’s Cali Almost 2 Decades Later: ‘No Better Reunion for a Wolf Than This’

With her visit to Cali, Colombia, Oct. 25-26, Shakira‘s concerts were the biggest in the city in recent years. As part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, the Barranquilla-born artist transformed the Pascual Guerrero Stadium into a massive gathering place for more than 77,000 attendees (between both nights), generating a historic economic impact in the capital of Valle del Cauca and positioning herself as the artist with the largest audience at that venue.

Days before, the city was buzzing with intense preparations and great anticipation. Restaurants, hotels, shops and cultural services saw a significant increase in activity, with estimates of between 2,500 and 4,000 temporary jobs created by the event. Each of Shakira’s performances brought in up to $20 million in revenue for Cali, making the artist a driver of cultural and economic development, as she did in her performances in Medellín, Barranquilla and Bogotá.

According to official figures from the Ministry of Tourism and Cotelco, hotel occupancy reached 100% with the arrival of nearly 24,000 domestic and international visitors. But beyond the figures, Shakira’s return to Cali had symbolic value: almost 19 years had passed since her last visit during the Fijación Oral Tour. This reunion sparked a wave of nostalgia and excitement among those in attendance.

The atmosphere inside the Pascual Guerrero stadium was one of celebration. Before Shakira appeared, Grupo Niche got the party started with iconic songs such as “Mi Valle del Cauca,” “Gotas de Lluvia” and “Cali Pachanguero,” setting the stage for a night of fusion between global pop and local salsa flavor.

At around 10 p.m., the lights went out and the crowd erupted in cheers. Shakira appeared, walking to the center of the stage with her usual energy and a special sparkle in her eyes. Dressed in a metallic outfit, she took the microphone and greeted the crowd with emotion: “I’m here, and I’m going to give it my all tonight. There’s definitely no better reunion for a wolf than this.”

With those words began the first of the evening’s highlights: her declaration of love for Cali and her promise not to take so long to return. “How wonderful to be back home! How exciting to see you all after so long! Cali is one of the cities I most wanted to visit on this tour. Cali tastes like sugarcane, sounds like drums, and its joy is contagious,” she said to an ecstatic audience.

The second key moment came shortly after 11 p.m., when the Pascual Guerrero arena witnessed an unexpected collaboration. Grupo Niche returned to the stage to accompany Shakira in a unique performance of “Sin Sentimiento,” a classic song by the group from 1990.

The mix of salsa and pop sparked a wave of applause and collective excitement. Videos of the collaboration quickly went viral on social media, becoming one of the most talked-about topics of the weekend and sealing a historic chapter.

As part of her dynamic performance of her fan-favorite classics, Shakira reappeared in a dazzling new gold outfit that sparkled under the stadium lights to perform “Día de Enero,” a track released 19 years ago, around the time she last visited the capital of the Valle del Cauca department. It was an emotionally charged performance, in which the artist showed herself to be close to and grateful to the audience.

Before the final sequence, which included the No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart — “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” — the Barranquilla native addressed the audience and made them a promise: “Thank you, Cali. You made me feel at home. I promise I won’t take so long to come back.”

This review was originally published by Billboard Colombia.

Billboard’s Live Music Summit will be held in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. For tickets and more information, visit the event’s website.