Shakira returned to the stage in 2025 after a seven-year break, captivating audiences across North and South America with her charisma, unmistakable voice, and a repertoire full of hits.
For her world tour Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, the Colombian superstar wanted a sleek design with big, bold looks for stadium shows, and that is exactly what lighting designer Dan Norman from the design firm Silent House achieved with the help of 202 Elation PROTEUS HYBRID MAX luminaires, supplied by PRG.
The overall idea was to make it as large as possible to fill the stadium and give Shakira’s fans the best show possible. She doesn’t like overly complex rigs; she prefers a super clean design with massive looks and minimal set pieces. The intricacy comes from the programming. We arranged the luminaires into a large, cohesive system that could be activated with the music, and the PROTEUS HYBRID MAX played a key role in that, Norman said.
Norman joined the project in late 2024 for the production phase, and the stadium tour kicked off in Rio de Janeiro on February 11. The tour has spanned South America, North America, Mexico, and Latin America, and is scheduled to conclude on December 11 in Argentina. Creative direction was handled by The Squared Division in close collaboration with Shakira, with production design by Yellow Studio.
Main beam light
The impressive stage design includes hydraulic platforms, a 25-meter catwalk, and a 50-meter-wide LED wall, all complemented by around 800 luminaires. Forming a major visual element, the 202 PROTEUS HYBRID MAX units are placed above and on the sides of the LED screen, wrap around the stage edge, and line the catwalk into the audience, creating dramatic lines of light that cut through the screen’s intensity and connect the stage visuals with the crowd.
This is Norman’s first time using this multifunctional luminaire, which he selected as the main beam light after a comparison test organized by PRG. PRG has worked with Shakira since her Times Square album release event in 2024 and supplies lighting, video, and camera systems for the current tour.
PRG and PROTEUS
For PRG, the ideal luminaire needed the right size, the right output, and an IP65 rating.
An important factor was its IP rating: the front structure of the stage is exposed to the elements, so we needed something that could withstand harsh weather conditions. The PROTEUS HYBRID MAX is a fairly small luminaire but very powerful, and its arc lamp provides that extra definition needed for long-throw stadium situations, explained Burton Tenenbein, PRG Account Executive.
Beams and more
Norman made sure to have enough luminaires to achieve an extremely energetic production, but with slower ballads included in the setlist, he also needed equipment that could deliver more intimate moments when required. “I knew Shakira loves beams and wanted an IP-rated luminaire that not only offered powerful beams but also a wide zoom range for sparkly gobos and other zoom-pop effects”, he explained. “I didn’t want a beam-only unit that could do just one thing; I needed something more versatile. It offered the functionality needed to achieve the effects we wanted”.
Fast and consistent
Shakira was highly involved in the lighting design, Norman notes, and timing was everything—she needed fast and precise luminaires.
I wanted to use the same type of luminaire throughout the show to ensure consistent colors and uniform timing in intensities, color changes, and more. When we send beams into the sky, I need them all to have the same color temperature for the cameras, and when we turn everything on simultaneously, it needs to be precise. In our tests, the HYBRID MAX provided faster response in color, intensity, movement, and zoom than the other options we reviewed, he said.
The output of more than 22,000 lumens was also decisive. “The output in beam mode surpassed everything else we tested”, he noted. “It was the brightest and fastest option, with extremely quick pan and tilt”. With the large LED wall and rigging limitations, the PROTEUS HYBRID MAX offered a compact yet powerful solution that balanced size and performance.
Bold beams, soft accents
Norman, who also took part in the programming, created visuals that match the music perfectly, delivering a unique atmosphere for each song. The HYBRID MAX is used as a beam luminaire, but it can shift to softer accent effects depending on the song’s mood. For the classic Hips Don’t Lie, for example, he created a look full of beams using layers of CTO and amber, slightly opening the zoom to generate a luminous background that extended the screen content into the air.
Overall, the lighting maintained a clean and slightly futuristic style. “Many of her songs are fast, electronic, and very danceable, and the key to achieving that impact was using all the beams or all the strobes around the screen”, Norman explained. “Much of the visual content is IMAG, supported by clean beams projecting outward from the stage. And in the moments that required less intensity, we opened the zoom to expand the gobos and project them over the audience”.
Efficiency and intelligent control
Tenenbein from PRG also highlighted the PROTEUS HYBRID MAX’s variable lamp technology, which allows the intensity of the arc lamp to be adjusted depending on the application without compromising quality, increasing the unit’s versatility for different production needs while saving energy.
Technically, one of the most interesting features is its smart ballast. For example, when filming for television, you don’t need as much power as in a stadium show. With the HYBRID MAX, you can adjust the output according to your needs while maintaining all the luminaire’s features. This versatility works very well for our different business units, he said.
A triumph in both production and performance, Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World tour has been a historic success. Her 12 concerts at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City set a record for the highest number of performances by a single tour at the venue, drawing 780,000 fans across 12 sold-out shows.
