BIG 2026: Macondo Park temporary city built for Shakira in Madrid

Stepping far beyond conventional concert arenas, the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has undertaken a massive project to transform the 185,000-square-meter Iberdrola Music venue in Villaverde, Madrid. Designed for Shakira's upcoming residency, the site has been converted into Macondo Park, a vibrant temporary cultural landscape built entirely around the spectacle of the shows rather than just hiding behind a stage.

Instead of a standard setup, the sprawling temporary town combines a massive stadium capable of holding over 50,000 spectators with colorful pavilions, bustling markets, food stalls, art installations, fashion spaces, a cinema, and dedicated children's areas.

Constructing this temporary universe required racing against strict time and scale limits. According to Fachini de Araujo, the design phase took around six months, while assembly of certain pavilions wrapped up in roughly ten days. The team utilized standard event components such as trusses, scaffolding, containers, and stage ground support systems, wrapping them in brightly colored fabric to give each shaded structure its own unique identity.

“Knowing from the start that it would be dismantled, we chose every element with its next life in mind.”

Fachini de Araujo

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Crucially, the temporary nature of Macondo Park guided what will happen after the final performance concludes. Every element has been curated for its next chapter: the structures and fabrics are designated for reuse, the artificial grass will find a second home in local schools and playgrounds, and over 500 trees will be replanted back in their nursery.