Shakira's 13-concert residency in Madrid drew more than 700,000 fans, many of whom flew in from other countries. The article examines whether this newer tour model cuts emissions or simply shifts them from artists to audiences. It cites estimates that attendee travel can account for 40% to 90% of an event's total carbon footprint. Using Adele's 2024 Munich residency as a comparison, the piece reports a rough figure of 9,100 tons of CO2e for fan travel, based on 140 kg CO2e per attendee. Air travel emits far more per passenger kilometer than cars or trains, and the story notes that more than 48% of Shakira's tickets were sold outside Spain. The broader takeaway is that concert residencies bring large economic benefits to host cities, but their climate impact remains poorly measured. Better data on how fans travel could help organizers and policymakers reduce emissions without killing the format.
