Bad Bunny set to consolidate rise in Brazil with historic first-ever performances

Описание: (21 Feb 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sao Paulo, Brazil - 20 February 2026
1. Various of crowd of fans celebrating in line to enter Allianz Parque Arena for the first Bad Bunny concert in São Paulo
2. Bad Bunny t-shirts on sale at the line to enter the concert
3. Lisa Rosales, tourist from El Salvador that lives in Texas, showing the El Salvador flag along with her friends in line
4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Lisa Rosales, 27, vendor:
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“We are all Latino because we are part of Latin America. Even though some speak Portuguese, I believe that as a Spanish speaker it’s important for me to learn Portuguese as well, so that I can feel part of that culture. So, I believe that we are all brothers and sisters."
5. Billboard sign: (Portuguese): "Only love is more powerful than hate" with puppets representing Donald Trump, Elon Musk, ICE, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos
6. Woman kicking Donald Trump's puppet in line for the concert
7. Fans wearing Bad Bunny shirts and props taking a picture
8. Various of people waiting in line to enter the arena
9. Bárbara Machado entering the arena along with her boyfriend
10. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Barbara Machado, 32, product designer:
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“He’s a very expressive artist worldwide, one of the most listened to, and we’re having the opportunity to see him at home, I think that’s very important. And he’s at a very high point in his career. His album is important musically and politically, and he did a wonderful show at the Super Bowl. So, I think that made people even more eager to see his show live.”
11. Fans entering Allianz Parque arena
STORYLINE:
While Bad Bunny has dominated global charts, the superstar has not had quite the same success in Brazil, a country notoriously hard for foreign stars to win over due to the devotion to national artists.

But a shift that has already been underway since his Grammy-winning album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” may accelerate further after his first-ever gigs in Brazil on Friday and Saturday in Sao Paulo.

Bad Bunny has come to Brazil at the peak of his career so far, following the phenomenal hype around his performance at the Super Bowl halftime show.

For years, the Puerto Rican artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio has been one of the most-streamed artists on the planet.

But neither the singer, nor his album, nor his songs were among the most played last year in Brazil, according to Spotify. The most streamed artists in the country on the platform in 2025 were all Brazilian.

In the land of samba, funk, bossa nova, choro, sertanejo, forró and pagode, among other Brazilian music genres, 75% of streaming consumption in Brazil focuses on national artists, according to Luminate's 2025 midyear music report, a company specializing in entertainment industry data.

Still, particularly since “Debí Tirar Más Fotos," a fever around Bad Bunny has made headway in Brazil. Only one performance was initially scheduled at the Allianz Parque arena, but it sold out so quickly the artist added an extra date, which also sold out.

By mid-afternoon on Friday, long queues had formed. Brazilian fans mixed with people from El Salvador, Colombia and Venezuela. Many came wearing straw hats - used by Bad Bunny and traditionally worn by jíbaros, Puerto Rican rural farmers.

Tickets on TicketMaster, the official vendor, ranged from $50 to $210, but resellers on Friday were selling tickets for that same night for more than $830 – more than 2.5 times the minimum monthly wage in Brazil.



AP Video by Thiago Mostazo



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