Fans are still awaiting details on why superstar singer Shakira's concert at Boston's Fenway Park was canceled last-minute Thursday. The Jason Aldean and Brooks & Dunn show scheduled for Friday was also canceled.
But the next leg of Shakira's tour was also abruptly canceled, this one a concert at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. That show was part of the WorldPride DC welcome.
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WATCH HEREThe venue said in a statement that the concert had to be canceled because of complications from the Boston show that meant the tour couldn't make it to the nation's capital in time.
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SIGN UP When the Boston show was first canceled, Live Nation said in a statement: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Shakira and Jason Aldean and Brooks & Dunn performances originally scheduled for May 29th and May 30th respectively at Fenway Park have been canceled. Refunds will be available at your point of purchase. We apologize for the inconvenience." They later provided an update saying that during a routine pre-show check, "structural elements were identified as not being up to standard," leading the shows to be canceled.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Friday said it was Live Nation's decision to call off the shows — city inspectors only get involved with issues on permanent structures.
"Unfortunately, safety always is the No. 1 concern and, in this case, the organizers decided, out of an abundance of caution, safety had to come first and the show could not move forward," Wu told NBC10 Boston and Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra. "The city always defers to the organizers when they decide that there's an issue."
She also reiterated how disappointed she knows people must be to miss the shows.
"We were very much looking forward to welcoming these incredible stars. I know I heard from many, many people who were ready to cheer on Shakira," the mayor said.
With so many people tight-lipped about the exact circumstances surrounding the concert cancellations, NBC10 reached out to a former Boston Inspectional Services commissioner to get insight. William “Buddy” Christopher served in that role during the tenure of Mayor Marty Walsh.
Christopher said there are months of planning between city officials and concert organizers before big shows. He added there is always a final inspection to make sure everything meets safety guidelines.
Given the abrupt cancellation, Christopher believes something surfaced during that review, which could not be quickly repaired.
“It’s the proper thing to do,” Christopher said. “If there was a question of safety at all, it should be stopped immediately because this was purely for recreation and entertainment. Not that we shouldn’t be entitled to that, but not at the expense of anyone getting hurt.”
An OSHA spokesperson told NBC10 the federal agency has reached out to Live Nation to gather more details about what went wrong.
Thursday's show was part of Shakira's The Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women No Longer Cry) tour, which has had several setbacks in the last few weeks.
The "Hips Don't Lie" singer fell on stage in Montreal last week. Before that, her show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey was the subject of a warning from health officials over a possible measles exposure — someone with the infectious virus attended the show.
The Shakira concert in Boston was the opener of the 2025 Fenway Concert Series. Fans were already starting to line up outside when they learned there would be no performance.
"Right when we walked up to here, we asked if this was the line and they were like, 'It's canceled,'" one fan said.
Another said, "This was like a dream come true for me, to do this, so this was very upsetting."
Shakira shared a statement on Instagram Stories on Saturday about the canceled shows.
"Nothing more painful for an artist than having to cancel two sold-out stadium shows like Boston and DC for reasons beyond one's control," she said. "Thank you for being there in the good times and the not so good. We've cruised together through every bump in the road, and you always take me to the other side. Los quiero con todo."
The other artists have yet to release statements, though Aldean and Brooks & Dunn shared the statement from Fenway Park on social media.
