Shakira has been forced to postpone tonight’s show at Estadio Atanasio Girardot in Medellín, Colombia, due to safety concerns.

Promoter Páramo Presenta said the roof of the stage installed by local production was damaged, posing a safety risk to the performers, the crew and the crowd.

“During the assembly process of the show scheduled for 24 February, the roof of the stage installed by the local production suffered damage that puts at risk the safety of the artist, her staff and, most importantly, that of the audience,” reads a statement by Páramo Presenta.

“The promoter and the artist’s team are working together and hope to reschedule the date in the future. We understand that this decision may be annoying for the public who were anxiously awaiting the show, but the most important thing is everyone’s safety.”

Shakira — who was forced to reschedule another Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour date in Lima, Peru, last weekend, when she was hospitalised with an “abdominal” condition — expressed regret regarding another unexpected concert postponement on Saturday.

“It hurts me a lot not to be able to get on stage and sing for you as much as I wanted to”

“My people from Medellín! It hurts me a lot not to be able to get on stage and sing for you as much as I wanted to,” she wrote in a post on X. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, especially for those who have travelled. It’s out of my hands and those of my production team, but I’m sure we’ll soon find a new date to celebrate together.”

Concert promoter Páramo Presenta said Shakira’s performance would be rescheduled, adding: “Together with Shakira’s team, we are working on new concerts for Colombia in the second half of this year, news that will be celebrated by more than one city in the country.”

The Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour continues on 26 February at Estadio El Campín in Bogotá, Colombia.

Next month, the Colombian superstar will make history by becoming the first artist to have seven consecutive shows at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City.

The Mexican residency is set for 21-30 March, kicking off the North American leg which reaches the US on 13 May at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, before making stops in Montreal, Toronto, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and more before wrapping up on 30 June in San Francisco at Oracle Park.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Live Nation has expanded its presence in Latin America by acquiring a majority stake in leading Colombian promoter Páramo Presenta.

The deal was executed via Mexico’s Ocesa, in which LN secured a controlling interest in December 2021.

Páramo is best known for its flagship four-day event Estereo Picnic, the biggest music festival in Colombia. Held in Bogotá, its most recent edition in March was headlined by Twenty One Pilots, The Chemical Brothers, Drake and Billie Eilish.

The firm’s festival portfolio also includes Bogotá’s Baum Festival and Knotfest.

“Páramo is fresh off of a record year and their team are some of the best in the business,” says Live Nation president and CEO Michael Rapino. “Colombia is a booming market, and we’re looking forward to working with our new partners at Páramo and longtime partners OCESA as we continue our expansion across Latin America.”

“We are excited to build upon our deep relationship with Live Nation, and welcome Páramo as a partner,” adds Ocesa CEO Alejandro Soberón Kuri. “Together, we will continue to elevate the live entertainment landscape in Latin America, adding Páramo’s top festivals and concert roster to Ocesa’s large scale events in Colombia.”

“Almost 20 years ago, we embarked on this journey because we saw the opportunity to bring more artists we love to Colombia”

All future events will be ticketed through Ocesa’s Colombian ticketing entity Eticket as part of the partnership.

“Almost 20 years ago, we embarked on this journey because we saw the opportunity to bring more artists we love to Colombia,” says Páramo Presenta CEO Gabriel García.

“After being raised in an era with very few shows in the country, and being part of an exponential rise of live music, today we celebrate this historic merge with Live Nation and Ocesa, two of the most important entertainment companies in the world, with the firm conviction that it will propel us to new heights and provide even more unforgettable moments between artists and fans, becoming a key part of the country’s growth and strengthening our market to be increasingly competitive on the global stage of live entertainment.

“All of this was made possible thanks to the public and the sponsors who have believed in and supported our work.”

Live Nation’s Ticketmaster business recently strengthened its foothold in Latin America by launching new operations in Brazil and Peru, adding to its existing operations in Argentina, Mexico and Chile. LN’s C3 Presents and Rock City also took control of Lollapalooza Brazil earlier this year.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Drive-in shows are becoming increasingly popular in Colombia, where promoters have been experimenting with the outdoor format.

Cúcuta, a Colombian city at the Venezuelan border, held its first drive-in concert last weekend (24 October) with a format that could cater to a maximum of 480 people.

The site, outside of Unicentro Shopping Center, was split into 60 ‘boxes’ to accommodate a maximum of eight people and one car.

Each box was equipped with its own sanitisation station and an individual bathroom and a waiter was designated to each one, ensuring that no party mixed with another.

Patrons were required to have their temperature taken and to sanitise upon arrival.

The event was supported by the Cúcuta Mayor’s Office which is promoting the safe restart of events to maintain employment and income in the sector. The event is said to have created a total of 300 jobs, directly and indirectly.

Caravana will comprise a total of 20 shows, featuring performances from Santiago Cruz and Lospetitfellas

The Cúcuta event was based on the drive-in cinema model, which has also become popular in Colombia, with theatres popping up in Medellín, Cali and Villavicencio.

Elsewhere, Colombian promoters Ocesa Colombia, Páramo Presenta and Live Nation are part-way through their drive-in concert series, Caravana.

The series launched on 7 October and will run until 28 November, taking place in the car park of the Salitre Mágico theme park in the capital, Bogota.

The 17,800 square-metre site comprises three locations (two exclusively for cars and one for trucks and vans) and can accommodate 280 vehicles each with up to four people.

The series will comprise a total of 20 shows, featuring performances from Santiago Cruz, Vincente Garcia and Lospetitfellas.

The first drive-in shows in Latin America took place in Puerto Rico in July, courtesy of Move Concerts, closely followed by similar events in Mexico.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Colombian promoters Ocesa Colombia and Páramo Presenta have announced the country’s first drive-in concerts.

The shows, staged in partnership with Live Nation, will be held in the car park of the Salitre Mágico theme park in Bogota. Organisers expect the first concerts, which will include a range of artists and genres, to take place in early October, Páramo Presenta’s Sergio Pabón tells radio show La W.

Initially only open to cars, the shows will be opened up to motorbikes towards the end of the year, he adds.

In Colombia, concerts and other large events are excluded from a loosening of coronavirus restrictions scheduled for 30 September.

“We want fans to enjoy the music and have fun from their vehicles”

Ocesa Colombia’s Luz Ángela Castro says there will capacity for 290 vehicles, “with a minimum of two people in the car and a maximum of four”.

The promoters expect to announce dates and an initial line-up next month. “We have complied with what the public asks of us, and that is also what we want: That fans enjoy [the music] and have fun from their vehicles,” adds Ángela Castro. “Now the public must help us” by buying tickets, he says.

The first drive-in shows in Latin America took place in Puerto Rico in July, courtesy of Move Concerts, closely followed by similar events in Mexico.

Ocesa Colombia’s Mexico-based parent company, Ocesa, was supposed to have been acquired by Live Nation this year. However, the deal was controversially called off in May after LN, reeling from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, said it could not agree revised terms with Ocesa owners CIE and Televisa Group.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.