Bad Bunny Explains Why He Chose Not To Tour In Mainland U.S.
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Bad Bunny attends Columbia Pictures’ ‘Caught Stealing’ premiere
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Key Takeaways:
Bad Bunny says one of the reasons he excluded the mainland United States from his world tour was due to concerns about potential ICE presence at concerts.
He emphasized fan safety and the emotional toll of performing under threat of immigration enforcement.
His move highlights how artists are navigating political realities that affect their audiences.
Puerto Rican rapper, singer and actor Bad Bunny is currently performing at his residency in San Juan and is set to go on an international tour starting in November. However, if you’re a stateside fan, you won’t be seeing him locally anytime soon.
The King of Latin Trap chose not to make any U.S. stops on his “Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour,” revealing that one of the reasons included concerns about ICE raids. The decision is based on trepidation over the safety of his fans.
“There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the [mainland] U.S., 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,” Bad Bunny said in a cover story interview with i-D published on Wednesday (Sept. 10). “I’ve enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the U.S. But specifically, for a residency here in Puerto Rico, when we are an unincorporated territory of the U.S. … people from the U.S. could come here to see the show.”
“Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world,” the famed artist continued. “But there was the issue of — like, f**king ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
ICE’s aggressive tactics under the watch of President Donald Trump — which have reportedly included detaining and deporting Latin Americans without due process — have fueled deportation fears among the Latino community since January. More recently, on Monday (Sept. 8), the Department of Homeland Security even announced plans to ramp up immigration enforcement operations in Chicago and Boston.
Bad Bunny’s “Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour” is in support of his sixth album of the same name, released in January 2025 to critical acclaim. The trek is expected to start in late November and conclude in July 2026.
