One of the most beautiful aspects of a major music festival is its ability to facilitate a global stage for artists of all generations and genres to deliver an unforgettable experience while thousands of music lovers build lasting memories and tear up the dance floor. Even more so, festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza have become cultural zeitgeists, attracting not only diverse music fans, but also people interested in fashion, art, and technology. This increasingly inclusive environment is creating a space where all types of music and people can unite to celebrate, and as such, is why Colombian megastar Shakira is a U.S. festival headliner we deserve.

With a career spanning three decades, over 80 million albums sold, and countless global records, Shakira has long transcended cultural boundaries. Her musical prowess as a songwriter, unique voice, and dynamic performances have led the star to being entrusted with some of the world’s most defining moments, and she’s always delivered, so it’s almost unfathomable to think that she hasn’t already performed at a major U.S. festival.

In the span of just 14 years, Shakira not only performed at three consecutive FIFA World Cups and penned the 2010 global anthem “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” which garnered billions of views and sold over 10 million singles, but she also co-led the 2020 Halftime Show at Super Bowl LIV alongside Jennifer Lopez. The “ultimate example of Latina empowerment,” according to Bustle, the Emmy-winning performance is YouTube’s most-watched halftime show of all time. Only time will tell if the record holds up as Shakira’s “Can’t Remember to Forget You” collaborator Rihanna makes her highly-anticipated appearance at this year’s event.

Nevertheless, time and again, Shakira has proven she’s a versatile performer with a discography of diverse sounds, including Latin pop, rock, reggaeton, and world music, making her an ideal yet unpredictable headliner for a variety of music festivals. Whether thrashing on the guitar or rising on a platform from below a stage while belly dancing, singing, and balancing a candle chandelier on her head, Shakira’s otherworldly and borderless performances are treats meant to heighten all of the senses while masterfully interweaving memorable storytelling. A combination sure to leave festival-goers in awe, pumped up, and dancing along.

The best-selling female Latin artist of all time, Shakira has an arsenal of bilingual hits from her global #1 single “Hips Don’t Lie,” to “Whenever, Wherever,” “Ojos Asi,” “She Wolf,” and recent anthems like “Te Felicito” with Rauw Alejandro and “Monotonía” with Ozuna. Even presently, “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” her earth-shattering collaboration with Argentine producer Bizarrap, has again proven her unwavering staying power, having just reached #1 in 16 countries, including her 12th #1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, and her first Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 since the Beyoncé-featured “Beautiful Liar.”

So, why Shakira, and why now? Over the last five years, Latin music has continued to see record-breaking growth in the U.S., with RIAA recently sharing that “building on 35% growth in 2021, U.S. Latin music revenues increased 23% in 2022,” with that growth “outpacing overall U.S. music revenues” to reach a record-high 6.6% of total revenue. The effects of this ongoing ascent has already started spilling over into festival culture, with Colombian artist J Balvin becoming the first Latin artist to headline Lollapalooza in 2019 and Bad Bunny set to become the first Latin headliner of Coachella in 2023.

While some might scoff at the very idea of Shakira headlining a U.S. festival, she’s the only living female artist in the Top 10 of Billboard‘s Greatest of All Time Latin Artists, and aligning artists of this stature to produce iconic moments alongside newer acts on a bill are what major festivals are all about. From Elton John at Bonnaroo 2014 and Guns N’ Roses reuniting at Coachella 2016 to living legend Paul McCartney at Austin City Limits 2018, legacy artists are fixtures of these culture-shifting events enabling fans to enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

A 3x Grammy, 12x Latin Grammy, and 7x Billboard Music Award-winning artist, Shakira has made significant crossover contributions to Latin American culture and continues to do so with each new release proving she’s as relevant, interesting, and entertaining as ever. Now, as she prepares to release her first album in five years, as shared in an Elle exclusive, it’s time for Shakira to join the elite rank of artists that have graced these stages and left a lasting mark on its history.

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Cover photo courtesy Kayt Jones/RCA Records