Shakira Saw the Women Who Made the World Cup Happen, and Gave Them a Night to Simply Feel Joy
Union workers, earthquake relief volunteers, and Colombian restaurant owners got more than tickets.
Last night in Brooklyn, Shakira filled her concert with the women most people never think to thank. And she chose each of them herself.
As part of her initiative Camina Con La Loba, which celebrates strong women by inviting them to walk out on stage with her at the start of her show, Shakira partnered with the New York City Mayor’s Office to give away tickets to her Brooklyn concert to three groups of New Yorkers: the volunteers at Lulla’s who have been supporting earthquake relief in Venezuela, the union workers whose labor made the World Cup possible, and the owners of Colombian restaurants who participated in the city’s $26 World Cup dining special, per Shakira’s team. Some of those union workers, many of them immigrant women, walked out on stage with her at the start of the show.
Who Shakira Chose to Honor at Her New York Concert
The gesture came from a simple yet invaluable recognition. Most of what made the World Cup memorable happened in places fans never saw, in the hotel rooms kept clean, and the stadiums kept running.
“So much of what made this World Cup special is the work that most fans never see: the thousands of hotel rooms kept clean, all of the stadiums that worked so smoothly,” Shakira stated. “I wanted to show my gratitude for the people of New York City who made this incredible experience possible. Thank you for all of your hard work; you are the true she-wolves, and it will be an honor to have you with me.”
Maya Handa, New York City’s World Cup Czar, said the moment reflected the spirit the city wanted to carry through the tournament. “New York City knows how to show up for the people who show up for us. The union workers, so many of them women, who are making this World Cup possible, the volunteers supporting Venezuela relief, and the Colombian restaurateurs who opened their doors for the community are the heart of this city,” Handa stated. “For Shakira to give them a night to simply feel joy is a beautiful gesture, and exactly the spirit we want this World Cup to carry. We’re proud to celebrate them.”
The Immigrant Women Who Walked Onstage With Shakira in Brooklyn
Among the union members in the crowd was Biviana Pereira Leiva, an NYHTC member and room attendant at a Manhattan hotel who came to New York City from Barranquilla, Colombia, ten years ago. “Getting to welcome the world to New York City for the World Cup means so much to me, and I can’t think of a greater honor than being recognized by Shakira herself,” Pereira Leiva stated. “I came to NYC from Barranquilla, Colombia 10 years ago and today, I am a proud union member and room attendant at a Manhattan hotel. I still can’t believe it.”
Sandra Leiton, a 32BJ member and Colombian porter from Queens, shared what the night meant to her: “Estoy tan emocionada de poder ir a ver a Shakira, una mujer tan resiliente que nos ha enseñado a levantarnos siempre si caemos. Ella se cae y se levanta y, como mujeres inmigrantes, nos identificamos con ella y con su fuerza. Estoy muy orgullosa de cómo representa a nuestro país y de que reconozca a mujeres trabajadoras y guerreras como ella.”
[I am so excited to go see Shakira, such a resilient woman who has taught us always to get back up when we fall. She falls and gets back up, and as immigrant women, we identify with her strength. I am so proud of how she represents our country and that she is recognizing hard-working, warrior women like herself.]
The Seven Colombian Restaurants Behind New York’s $26 World Cup Dining Deal
The restaurant owners who received tickets had spent the summer participating in Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s $26 World Cup dining special, a six-week program run in partnership with nearly 300 restaurants across the five boroughs. The program offered prix fixe meals, food-and-drink combinations, or drink deals at $26 at participating restaurants while World Cup matches were being played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. “Whether you are watching the match from a restaurant in Jackson Heights, a bar in the Bronx, or a cafe in central Brooklyn, the World Cup should be something every New Yorker can take part in,” Mamdani stated.
The seven Colombian restaurants that received tickets span Brooklyn and Queens: Palenque in Williamsburg, Romeo & Juliet Colombian Coffee in Midtown, Para Ti Colombia Con Sabor in Jamaica, Rico Pan Bakery and Pollos a la Brasa Mario in Woodside, Casa Margaritas in Queens, and Leo’s Restaurant & Sports Bar in Jackson Heights.
For Shakira, the guest list was the point. The people who show up every day in invisibility got a night in the spotlight, in Brooklyn, front row.