Shakira arrived in Madrid sporting a distinctive Dior bustier and matching trousers, marking her return to Spain for her "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour." The performance comes four months after she secured a €55 million tax refund from the Spanish government, concluding a lengthy legal battle.
The singer was greeted at the airport by Spanish musicians and dancers, signaling a celebratory return. This engagement is her first in Spain in eight years, with plans to perform a 12-night European residency at the Estadio Shakira in Madrid. The tour is set to conclude on October 11.
The legal dispute involved allegations of fraud related to her 2011 tax return. While Shakira had previously confessed to six tax fraud crimes for the years 2012, 2013, and 2014, accepting a suspended prison sentence and a fine, the recent ruling by the Audiencia Nacional Court in Madrid favored her regarding the 2011 tax return. The court determined that Spanish authorities failed to prove she spent the minimum 183 days in Spain in 2011 to be liable for taxes there.
Shakira's legal team stated that the ruling was a relief after an eight-year ordeal. They emphasized that while Shakira had the resources to defend herself, such administrative practices can be overwhelming for anonymous taxpayers. The singer herself commented that the court had "finally set the record straight," asserting that "there was never any fraud" and that the administration "was never able to prove otherwise."
According to her representatives, Shakira was on a world tour in 2011, performing in 120 concerts across 37 countries, and did not have a home, children, or business center in Spain during that year. They argued that pursuing her for taxes on her total tour earnings without considering expenditures led to "unfair and unfounded persecution."
The Spanish Tax Technicians Association (Gestha) offered a different perspective, suggesting that earlier estimates of Shakira's refund were inflated. They maintained that Spanish tax regulations are protective and that the Tax Agency had not acted in bad faith.
This legal victory and her return to the Spanish stage follow a period of intense public scrutiny. Shakira had previously used lyrics from Rihanna's song "B***h Better Have My Money" on social media to allude to her tax refund.