A BITTER political row has broken out in Madrid over a series of planned late summer concerts by international superstar artist Shakira.
The Colombian singer is set to descend on the Spanish capital for a nine-day residency in September to bring an end to her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran world tour, a 103-show strong live run that has already raked in more than €360 million in revenue.
She is set to perform on September 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 and 7, and October 2, 3 and 4 at the so-called ‘Shakira Stadium’ in the city’s Villaverde district, a temporary pop-up venue designed solely for the singer’s shows.
But the string of gigs – and choice of arena location – has provoked a rift between the central government, Madrid’s regional authorities and local residents.
The government’s delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martin, wrote to city mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida to formally request that he abstains from authorising large-scale events at the venue until safety for attendees can be guaranteed.
In a letter sent on Monday, he urged the conservative Partido Popular (PP) mayor to ‘reconsider’ his position, citing ‘recent precedents’ that have cast doubt on the site’s ability to ensure accessibility, mobility and safety are effectively in place.
READ MORE: Shakira: ‘I was publicly burned at the stake by the Spanish tax authorities’
These include issues at the MadCool music festival and a concert by popular British musician Harry Styles, both previously hosted there.
Madrid struck back robustly, with the regional minister for housing, transport and infrastructure accusing Martin of being a ‘pawn’ of prime minister Pedro Sanchez.
“I guarantee that these concerts will take place, and they will do so with all the necessary safety measures – some of which fall under his responsibility,” said Jorge Rodrigo.
Caught in the crossfire are local residents living nearby, who have alerted the government to apparent serious structural failures at the site.
“It’s the wrong location, without proper access, and it only works by shutting down the entire industrial estate – something taxpayers pay for, not the venue itself,” said Gema Martin, an activist with Stop MadCool.
She added: “The so-called stadium is just a metal structure that will likely amplify noise. Noise limits will be exceeded, as always, and neither the council nor the promoter will do anything about it.”
But the Shakira residency is set to get ahead anyway, with Live Nation – organisers of the gigs – stressing that they believe the venue ‘works very well’.
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