Shakira Will Bring World Tour to Kyrgyzstan

Last month, it was still unclear whether Shakira would perform in Kyrgyzstan. No longer. Shakira will be at the Bishkek Arena on October 18 as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran world tour, her official website says. Kanybek Tumanbaev, head of the presidential affairs department, had earlier teased the concert in a social media post that stirred fans and was widely reported by Kyrgyz media. The government-run GovTicket platform is offering ticket prices ranging from $137, or 12,000 Kyrgyz som, for a restricted view in the stands; to $309, or 27,000 som, for the “main standing area behind the fan zones, with a direct stage view” to $2,059, or 180,000 som, for the most exclusive VIP box seats. “It's a stadium show with hits from across her career — Hips Don't Lie, Whenever, Wherever, Waka Waka, She Wolf — plus songs from her latest album,” the ticket website says. More than 13,000 tickets for Shakira’s show were sold on the first day after they went on sale, with purchases made from 22 countries, Kyrgyzstan's Channel 7 reported. Citing the presidential administration, it said most of the foreign buyers were from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The newly constructed Bishkek Arena has a capacity of 51,000 people. Its design was inspired by the yurt, the traditional tent used by Central Asian nomads, and the stadium hosted the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games in August. Excitement is building in Kyrgyzstan ahead of the concert. Bishkek Petroleum, an oil and gas company, says it is giving away two tickets with an excellent view of the stage. The winner will be “randomly selected” from those who fill up at one of its gas stations and post about it on social media, the company says. Just last month, there were reports in Kyrgyz media that it was unclear whether the concert would happen. Some accounts said it might happen in November. Tumanbaev, the presidential official, hinted at the concert in an Instagram post to his nearly two million followers several weeks ago. “We'd like to see her at the Bishkek Arena!” he said. “Are you waiting for it?”