Let’s break down my Benito World Tour concert experience, from getting VIP tickets for the first time to standing in the pit and traveling across the world for an artist Ilve loved for years. Last May, my boyfriend and I purchased tickets for Bad Bunny’s World Tour, and in the blink of an eye, we were standing at the barricade in front of the famous Puerto Rican pink Casita stage. I have been a loyal listener for a decade now, and my admiration for Bad Bunny runs deeper than his popularity. It’s rooted in the value of his lyrics, the impact of his music-industry decisions, and the unique creative legacy he has consistently built.
I have been a Bad Bunny fan since 2016, listening to “Diles” with my sister, and in 2018, I continued to follow his music, from his debut album X 100PRE to his collab album with J Balvin, OASIS. He released singles like “I Like It” with Cardi B and J Balvin, and “MIA” with Drake, leaving an impact with every collaboration and pushing his culture through every major breakthrough.
In 2022, I attended my first concert of his at San Diego’s Petco Park stadium for his album Un Verano Sin Ti. My second was for Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, and this third one for DeBĺ TiRAR MáS FOToS was the cherry on top. Bad Bunny is world-renowned, bringing recognition to his home country, Puerto Rico, throughout his success. He uses his music to highlight injustices, from transgender stigma to mass power outages in Puerto Rico to political corruption. DeBĺ TiRAR MáS FOToS won album of the year, and his lack of U.S. tour dates reflects a powerful statement about the treatment of Puerto Rico and U.S. immigrant communities.
I flew to Spain to see Bad Bunny because he had no performances in the U.S., and I did so proudly. We were fully ecstatic throughout the five days leading up to the actual concert and grateful it gave us an opportunity to explore the world a bit. On the day of the show, we planned our hour-and-a-half commute to arrive at the stadium by 4:30 p.m. for VIP early access.
We stood in the hot sun for three hours waiting for Bad Bunny to come out, and once he did, we experienced the next best three hours of our trip in the best way possible. He opened with “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” and continued performing a mix of some of my favorite old and new songs, from “Monaco” to “EoO” to “DtMF.” I danced all night long in my little space, from jumping to salsa to perreo! I was standing less than a foot away from him at one point, but the real takeaway wasn’t his proximity – it was the impact his stage energy made on everyone attending. As an audience, we felt alive. We felt free. We felt proud of the Latin culture that was being celebrated across continents. As a Mexican American, flying to a European country to stand front row at a reggaeton concert meant so much more than the view; it symbolized a culture being celebrated globally.
Diversifying nations throughout every beat, Bad Bunny is an artist who has built connections worldwide and, at his core, has stayed true to himself. Through this experience, I feel inspired to always stay true to myself and my wonderful Latin roots in everything I do in the U.S. The concert was more than worth it, and the memories I created through Bad Bunny’s music go far beyond this one incredible night.