Thirty-three performances by Latin artists — including Christian Nodal, Camilo, Emilia, Nicki Nicole and Eladio Carrión — are set to take place this year at the WiZink Center arena in Madrid, for a total of 97 scheduled concerts. That's three times the number of performances by Latin artists that appeared at the venue in 2019. Nearby, at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, which will soon reopen after three-plus years of renovation, Mexican star Luis Miguel will be the first artist to play two back -with the back shows at the venue when it headlines in July.
The numbers provide a taste of Spain's changing musical tastes and exploding touring market. According to the country's Association of Music Promoters, ticket revenue in 2022 reached a record gross of 459 million euros ($492 million). the 2023 Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona attracted 500,000 fans over two weekends, according to the association of concert promoters. In terms of touring in Spain, the pandemic has also marked a distinct before and after, with Spanish-language acts from Latin America and the United States now touring Spain more than English-speaking acts.
“We could, perhaps, consider Rosalía as a precursor since it was introduced and spread internationally [an urban] style that had not yet fully taken off in Spain and is now incredibly popular and growing day by day,” says WiZink Center director Paz Aparicio.
Rosalía's global appeal has been a catalyst for change, along with listeners now more open to music in a variety of styles beyond Spain's long-dominant traditional pop. And the growth of Latin music in the United States — where the genre's revenue has topped $1 billion with 24 percent growth that outpaced the overall market, according to the IFPI — has also boosted demand overseas.
“The USA is the country with the greatest power and influence in the development of cultural and commercial phenomena. In fact, Spain and Europe have always looked more at what came from there. It has always been our main reference,” explains Alfonso Santiago, CEO of Last Tour, which promotes festivals such as Bilbao BBK Live and BIME Live. “I think the large number of Latinos in the U.S. is key, [and] The fact that music in Spanish is taking up more and more space there every day is very important.”
Today, Spain's Latin touring scene is very eclectic, making the country a key market for young Latin artists.
“In the past, very little Latin [music] it was produced in Spain and scheduling more alternative artists was very difficult because they didn't have good box office,” adds Santiago. “Now, thanks to the digital age and younger consumers who stream music with less judgment, we're able to bring more Latino artists into our programming — something that was once criticized but is now normalized.”
This story will appear in the March 9, 2024 issue Advertising sign.
