Reforzando La Industria: Latin Music Bolstering What Is Expected To Be Another Record Year

Three quarters into the year and one thing is evident: the live industry spurt post-pandemic continues upward and is trending toward another record year for many. The numbers are staggering, but what may be the most impressive are the names behind those figures, many of which are Spanish-speaking acts accomplishing what was unthinkable even five years ago.

There were 13 Latin artists featured on Pollstar’s recent Q3 Worldwide Top 100 Touring Artists Grosses chart, a figure that remains the same compared to the previous year, but there is a monumental difference in just about every other number. Those 13 chart-toppers accounted for a whopping $993,771,372 in grosses, a 145% spike from Latin artists’ totals in the 2023 Q3 chart, and 7,184,739 sold tickets, a 77.8% difference year-over-year.

And while reggaeton superstars Bad Bunny and Karol G are leaders of the charge with their tours earning $210,903,805 and $172,106,403, respectively, between Nov. 16, 2023, and Aug. 14, 2024, the Latin artists on this year’s list demonstrate that age is one number that doesn’t matter to Hispanic fans.

Luis Miguel, a 54-year-old crooner who is gunning for a total of 200 shows during his record-breaking run, was No. 2 with a $222,936,871 gross by appealing to fans of all ages and ethnicities, proving that Latin music’s appeal is multigenerational and global with shows in Europe.

“We finish in November, and we’ll [wrap up] with 200 concerts in two years. No one has ever seen that before,” Henry Cárdenas, founder and CEO of Cárdenas Marketing Network, tells Pollstar. “When you see the Bad Bunnys, Daddy Yankees and Aventuras of the world, you get about 100 shows, but not 200. Plus, the [average ticket price] is very high, so it’s amazing. … Obviously, it’s the No. 1 tour in my career, and I’ve been in the business for 40 years. I’ve never seen these numbers.”

That’s coming from someone who worked with Bad Bunny in 2022 when the Puerto Rican set the touring record for total gross in a calendar year with two treks (which has since been broken by Taylor Swift). Another one of Cárdenas’ clients, Aventura, reunited this year and is also having quite the run. The Bachata legends’ “Cerrando Ciclos” tour tallied $128,674,977 and ranked No. 11 on Pollstar’s Q3 chart.

Adding to the diversity of the list includes 32-year-old Colombian rapper Feid, 46-year-old reggaeton legend Don Omar, beloved Italian-born singer Laura Pausini (age 50), who found success with Spanish-language records, and Fuerza Regida, a group at the forefront of the current música Mexicana movement.

Los Temerarios are also finding great success at just about every stop as they say farewell to their fans after a storied career spanning four decades. The band of two brothers surpassed $30 million grosses, including two nights at SAP Center at San Jose which grossed $2,746,161 off 22,825 tickets.

Alejandro Arce, general director for Mexican promoter Zignia Live, said their tour set records in Mexico and expanded into Central America, fueling the notion presented this summer by Live Nation President and CEO Michael Rapino’s that demand is strong globally, and 2025 is going to be another busy year.

“In the United States, it’s no longer within the Hispanic market. It’s a market that is more mainstream,” Arce says about the growth of Latin music, especially that from Mexico. “Now that it is recognized globally, we will see markets grow where there is a population of Hispanic descent, and while artists continue to go out and tell their stories, I think the music will continue to appeal to fans.”

Latin music forges on with acts like Shakira launching global tours this fall and young artists like Junior H, Nicki Nicole, Grupo Frontera and Young Miko spearheading movements within their respective genres, it will continue to drive the business into a record 2024 and beyond.