“First responders provided initial aid at the scene,” a statement read. “Regrettably, the professional passed away at the hospital.”

Crew member killed in disturbing incident constructing Shakira concert stage in Brazil

"First responders provided initial aid at the scene," a statement read. "Regrettably, the professional passed away at the hospital."

Joey Nolfi

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul’s Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

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April 27, 2026 9:57 a.m. ET

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Shakira performing in 2025. Credit:

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- A crew member was killed while constructing Shakira's stage in Brazil.

- "Regrettably, the professional passed away at the hospital," a statement read.

- ** has reached out to local authorities and Shakira's team for comment.

Ahead of Shakira's headlining concert on Brazil's iconic Copacabana Beach, a construction worker was killed Sunday while assembling the stage for the event.

According to a Portuguese-language statement shared over the weekend to the Todo Mundo No Rio Instagram account, "event organizers confirm that an accident this Sunday afternoon (April 26) tragically claimed the life of a professional working on the assembly of the show's structures," per a Google translation.

"First responders provided initial aid at the scene, and the Fire Department was immediately called to transport the patient," the statement continued. "Regrettably, the professional passed away" at the Miguel Couto Municipal Hospital in the area.

Shakira performing on stage.

Lucía Flores/ObturadorMX/Getty

The event said that it extended "full support, care, and solidarity to the responsible company, its team, and the victim's family members."

In a statement to EW's sister publication, PEOPLE, the state fire brigade (CBMERJ) said of the incident: "A worker suffered crushing injuries to his lower limbs in a lifting system. Before the arrival of emergency teams, the victim had already been removed from the equipment by other employees present."

Speaking to international outlet France24, a witness described the scene.

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"Out of nowhere, we saw people running, and when we looked, the structure was on the ground," 51-year-old Antonio Marcos Ferreira dos Santos told the network. "People were saying that a man had gotten trapped underneath. People rushed over to pull him out."***** *has reached out to local authorities and Shakira's team for comment.

Ahead of the concert, Shakira called the upcoming set “the biggest show on the planet" and labeled it "the most dreamed-of concert of my life," as the oceanside environment has drawn crowds of around 2 million people for past events.

Shakira's planned performance is slated for May 2 on the world-famous waterfront locale, where other pop stars like Madonna and Lady Gaga have fronted similar sets that drew millions of attendees to the Brazilian shores.

Shakira at the 'Zootopia 2' premiere.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

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Last summer, an incident involving a reported bomb threat ahead of Gaga's concert was reportedly thwarted by Brazilian police.

Reuters reported at the time that the planned attack was allegedly "orchestrated by a group promoting hate speech and the radicalization of teenagers," and that "the suspects were recruiting participants, including minors, to carry out coordinated attacks using improvised explosives and Molotov cocktails." ******

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