How did Shakira sell out Fresno stadium concert? Devoted fans turned out in droves
Thousands of fans braved triple-digit heat and long lines for Shakira’s sold-out concert at Valley Children’s Stadium on Thursday to see the beloved Latin mega star perform in Fresno for the first time.
It had been unclear whether the Shakira concert would sell out, given how many tickets were still available earlier in the week. But a last-minute rush of ticket purchases — propelled in part by diehard fans who didn’t want to miss their chance to see the star perform in the Valley — made Thursday’s concert the largest in Fresno’s history.
Jessica Guerrero Castillo, 41, traveled from Modesto for the concert. She said the Colombian singer has been a significant part of her life during difficult times, recalling how Shakira’s third album, Pies Descalzos, and Antología, helped her get through those moments. But beyond Shakira’s music, Castillo admires Shakira as a person.
“She’s intelligent, successful, multilingual, and always striving to make a difference. She’s a strong advocate for immigrants and is always in support of humanity. Her professionalism is inspiring, and I especially admire the way she carries herself as a mom with so much strength,” Castillo said. “In 2021, I even traveled to Colombia and visited Barranquilla just to experience the city she’s from.”
Shakira established her Pies Descalzos Foundation in 1997. It’s an organization dedicated to providing quality education, nutrition, and essential support to vulnerable children in Colombia.
Beyond her philanthropic work at home, Shakira has also been a longtime advocate for immigrants and vulnerable communities on the global stage, including through her involvement with the United Nations.
In a June interview with the BBC News, Shakira spoke candidly about the immigrant experience in the United States, describing it as a life lived in “constant fear.”
“Now, more than ever, we have to remain united. Now, more than ever, we have to raise our voices and make it very clear that a country can change its immigration policies, but the treatment of all people must always be humane,” she said in response to the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation tactics.
“She’s really political, but not in an aggressive way,” said Ariana Mendoza, 42, another fan who attended Shakira’s concert. “It’s not ‘believe what I believe or you’re not one of us.’ She’s who I would be if I could be out there and famous and had the courage to do all that she does.”
Mendoza said it’s important to her that Shakira speaks out for immigrants because she’s the first generation in her family to be a U.S. citizen. She bought tickets as soon as she found out Shakira was coming to Fresno.
“I was a preteen when I first discovered Shakira,” Mendoza said, “and I remember thinking, ‘How can someone that young be that talented?’ From the start, her music felt empowering. It gets me up and motivated, like, ‘Hell yeah, let’s conquer today.’”
Cole Robertson, 25, and Aaron Morales, 27, are best friends who attended Shakira’s concert in Fresno.
“I’ve only ever come to this stadium for football. This is the first concert I’ve ever seen here,” Robertson said. “We were telling all of our friends that Shakira came to Fresno. It’s crazy. To have an event like this in Fresno is really cool. It makes me really proud to be from here.”
Robertson and Morales recalled becoming fans of Shakira’s music around the time of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
“She’s been a celebrity crush of mine since I was a kid. When she did ‘Waka Waka’ in the World Cup in 2010, I was in love with Shakira,” Morales said.
This story was originally published August 8, 2025 at 1:17 PM with the headline "How did Shakira sell out Fresno stadium concert? Devoted fans turned out in droves."