Here’s Why Bad Bunny Is Not Touring the U.S. Following Puerto Rico Residency
Photo by Eric Rojas.
Bad Bunny finally spoke up about why U.S. dates aren’t included on his upcoming DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour. On Sept. 10, i-D Magazine published a new interview with the Puerto Rican icon where he touched on the subject that many U.S. citizens have long speculated about.
After revealing his summer “NO ME QUIERO IR DE AQUÍ” residency plans in San Juan, Bad Bunny announced his DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour with stops in Europe, Australia, Asia, and Latin America. Following the historic residency, Benito will pack his bags and continue touring in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Nov. 21. He will then perform following shows in Mexico City, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and more.
While a world tour was a win for international fans, stateside fans were curious about why Bad Bunny skipped the U.S. Now, we officially know why. When asked by the publication if the decision had to do with the mass deportations of Latines in the U.S., Bad Bunny said yes. “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,” he told Suzy Exposito in the interview. “But there was the issue of—like, fucking ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
He continued by saying that though he’s “enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the US,” they can travel to Puerto Rico, pointing out that the island is an incorporated territory of the country. “All of [the shows] have been successful. All of them have been magnificent,” he noted.
ICE’s mass deportations have been a growing concern in the U.S., especially since January, when President Trump’s crackdown on immigration began. Since then, artists have publicly talked about the ongoing political climate looming over the industry and our communities in general. Will more major Latine pop stars exclude the U.S. like Bad Bunny did to avoid ICE’s presence in shows?