The Puerto Rican rapper is among a number of artists being forced to skip U.S. concert dates due to the Trump administration’s destructive, chaotic immigration policy
Bad Bunny’s eagerly-anticipated world tour is set to hit stadiums everywhere – except in the United States. The Puerto Rican rapper has revealed in a new interview with style magazine i-D that his “Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour” – which has already sold more than 2.5 million tickets across multiple continents – will skip the U.S. due to fear that masked mass deportation agents could stalk concertgoers outside his shows.
“You said you wouldn’t be giving any concerts in the United States,” said writer Suzy Exposito. “Was this out of concern about Latinos in the United States?” Bad Bunny responded without hesitation. “Man, honestly, yes. There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the US, and none of them were out of hate—I’ve performed there many times. All of [the shows] have been successful. All of them have been magnificent.”
The “I Like It” singer noted that while his fans have had the opportunity to see him in concert as part of his recent residency in San Juan, Puerto Rico, worries about a potential ICE presence at his shows have given him no choice but to scrap all U.S. mainland shows ahead of the upcoming world tour. “People from the US could come here to see the show,” he said about his historic San Juan residency, which closed out with a record-breaking livestream this past weekend. “Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world. But there was the issue of—like, fucking ICE could be outside. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
“Bad Bunny has been vocal about his distaste for ICE and the Trump administration,” Rolling Stone notes. “Back in June, he seemed to witness an ICE raid in Puerto Rico, and posted a video on his Instagram of the moment: ‘They came here… Sons of bitches, instead of letting the people alone and working.’”
The “Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour,” which kicks off in November, will visit stadiums in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, where promoters added a second show in Sydney due to demand. “Madrid initially announced two shows and added eight more, while Mexico City began with two dates and expanded to a total of eight, demonstrating how Bad Bunny is also dominating sales records,” Live Nation said.
None of these shows, however, will be in the United States. That’s a loss not just for fans. U.S. cities will also stand to lose out on the critical fiscal boosts that both tours and ticketholders bring to their local economies. Music festivals, for example, “create jobs, stimulate local businesses, and enhance community engagement, contributing to the economic and social vitality of host cities and towns,” as independent music publication Illustrate Magazine said last year. Taylor Swift’s record-breaking “Eras Tour” was even credited with helping local areas recover from the pandemic-era economy, CNN reported.
“Downtown areas experienced higher traffic and occupancy rates due to the influx of visitors. Swift fans often extended their stays in cities that hosted multiple shows, which further boosted local revenue,” noting that many concert-goers easily spend “an average $1,300 on travel, hotels, food and merchandise.” In Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh “had its highest weekend occupancy at hotels post-pandemic and the second-highest weekend occupancy in its history,” CNN noted. In the L.A. area alone, Swift’s concert generated an estimated $320 million bump to the local GDP and about 3,300 jobs, the California Center for Jobs & the Economy noted last year.
Bad Bunny’s San Juan residency, “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí,” has also been credited with bringing in an estimated $400 million in business for the local economy. “That money includes 48,000 hotel stays at a time when bookings are famously light in preparation for hurricane season,” Digital Music News reported. “It also covers restaurant meals and dining, take-home souvenirs, ground and air transportation—and even salsa dancing lessons.”
Bad Bunny also isn’t alone in canceling concert dates or reconsidering traveling to the U.S. due to destructive, increasingly chaotic Trump administration policy. “Coming to America has become a gamble — and for many artists, it’s not worth the risk,” Rolling Stone reported in April.
“Canadian singer-songwriter Bells Larsen was preparing to head out on an American tour when U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement posted a policy update that it only recognizes two sexes – male and female – as assigned at birth,” NPR reports. “Larsen’s new album chronicles his transition, and he had already changed the gender marker on his passport. After seeking legal advice, he realized he had no choice but to cancel his U.S. concerts.”
In July, event organizers in Chicago announced the abrupt cancellation of this summer’s Michelada Fest, citing “‘uncertainty around artist visas and the shifting political climate’ under the Trump administration,” The Hollywood Reporter said. “Among the artists who were slated to perform at the festival were Grupo Firme, Anitta and Danny Ocean.”
“This was not an easy decision for us to make,” festival organizers said in a statement that recognized losses that will also hit small businesses that were working with the festival. “Your trust, time and hard-earned dollars mean everything to us, and we believe in giving you the experience you deserve. Canceling affects more than just us. It also impacts the local vendors, small businesses, artists and community partners who help bring this fest to life. We are endlessly grateful for each and every one of you. We wouldn’t be where we are today without your support.”
“In July, the duo TwoSet Violin postponed a number of U.S. dates when its member Brett Yang, an Australian violinist, had his initial visa application rejected,” NPR continued. Rolling Stone’s April report said Canadian band Shred Kelly had dotted all the immigration i’s and crossed all the immigration t’s ahead of a planned appearance at Idaho’s Treefort Music Festival but had second thoughts after a slew of news on the detention of Canadian and German tourists. “We weren’t confident with crossing the border,” said band member Sage McBride. “We needed more time. We couldn’t take the risk. It just didn’t feel like it was worth it.”
And just this month, K-pop group BE:MAX was forced to pull out of the KPop MinneCon in St. Paul, Minnesota, when members “discovered their visas were canceled as they prepared to board a plane for Minnesota,” The Star Tribune said. The visas had previously been approved, the report said. “‘This also affects all of BeMax’s U.S. tour dates and stops, not just KPOP MINNECON,’ The convention organizers’ post read. ‘We exhausted every option—escalations, appeals, and alternative routings—to bring BeMax here. Unfortunately, the visa decision could not be reversed in time,’” The Star Tribune continued.
The cancellations raise alarms about events like the 2028 Summer Olympics, which is slated to take place in one of the epicenters of the administration’s anti-immigrant campaign. Much like the members of Shred Kelly and other artists, prospective Olympians traveling from abroad may be seriously considering whether competing in America is worth the possibility of getting harassed and detained for two months in immigration detention that’s getting funded at the expense of working families.
“Hosting global events is more than a point of pride — it’s a test of openness, security and competence,” Stephen Yale-Loehr, a retired immigration law professor at Cornell University, wrote at The Hill in July. “A successful World Cup and Olympics would show the world that the U.S. remains dynamic, open and capable. But if fear and red tape define the visitor experience, we would send another message entirely: America isn’t worth the trouble.”
