Inside the Latin Touring Boom
As Latin music has continued growing around the world, live demand has followed — both within Latin America and beyond.
After CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso's sold-out performance in Madrid on September 17, Movistar Arena GM Paz Aparicio observed a significant shift in the Latin touring industry. In 2019, the venue hosted six concerts by Latin American stars, but this year, that number will be between 55 to 60. Aparicio remarked that artists from Latin America are selling more tickets and drawing larger audiences than their English-speaking counterparts.
The pandemic has significantly contributed to the rise of Latin artists as dominant international touring stars. In 2024, five performers, including Bad Bunny and Karol G, grossed over $100 million each, as per Billboard Boxscore. Last year, Shakira set a record with the highest-grossing Latin tour for a female artist.
As Latin artists like Bad Bunny and Peso Pluma have become global pop sensations, they've dominated performances in Spanish-speaking countries worldwide. This trend has prompted officials and promoters in cities such as Medellín, Colombia; Lima, Peru; and others to build new arenas. In July, Live Nation announced its partnership with a São Paulo city district to construct a 21,000-capacity venue.
OCESA Colombia celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Vive Claro Distrito Cultural open-air arena, which has accommodated 40,000 attendees and sold over 300,000 tickets in the past year.
Colombian promoter Breakfast Live plans to inaugurate DAVIarena in October, the first state-of-the-art covered arena in Medellín. Juan Toro, vp at agency THE·TEAM, stated that agents and managers used to have a "fear" of touring in Latin America, but since the pandemic, they have become more optimistic. Toro explained that industry professionals are now recognizing the economic viability of these markets, as Latin artists are consistently generating substantial revenue.
For instance, Mexico has witnessed increased willingness for artists to tour due to newer venues like Arena Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey. OCESA, the world's third-largest event promoter, is also benefiting from this boom, with Live Nation increasing its stake in the company from 51% to 75% last year.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
