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Crew Member Dies While Assembling Shakira’s Upcoming Rio de Janeiro Concert

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Workers and machinery remain idle after the death of a worker in an accident that occurred during the setup of the stage for Colombian singer Shakira at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 26, 2026. On April 26, a worker lost his life in Rio de Janeiro in an accident that occurred while setting up the stage where Colombian singer Shakira is scheduled to perform a free mega-concert on May 2, authorities and organizers reported. (Photo by Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP via Getty Images)

A crew member working on Shakira’s upcoming Rio de Janeiro concert died on April 26. Todo Mundo, the event’s organizers, confirmed the news on social media on Sunday.

Reuters reported that the victim suffered “severe crushing injuries to his lower limbs after becoming trapped in a lifting system.”

Todo Mundo said first responders were at the scene, and the fire department was called immediately to transport the patient to a local hospital.

“Regrettably, the professional passed away at the hospital,” Todo Mundo wrote in its statement. “At this time, we are extending our full support, care and solidarity to the responsible company, its team and the victim’s family.”

Shakira released a statement to USA Today expressing her condolences to the worker’s family.

“I am deeply saddened for the family, friends and colleagues of Gabriel de Jesus Firmino, a local worker who lost his life yesterday at the site,” Shakira said. “My heart goes out to his family and loved ones.”

Shakira is performing a free concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on May 2. The singer’s elaborate production is a big undertaking, and her tour hit a few snags last year, with show cancellations at Boston’s Fenway Park and Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., and a few postponed dates in South America.

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