Bad Bunny is making history once again, this time with a 30-date residency at Puerto Rico’s most iconic venue, the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, affectionately known as El Choli. The residency, titled “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí” (“I Don’t Want to Leave Here”), is not just a concert series—it’s a cultural statement, a love letter to his island, and an undeniable flex of his massive influence in both music and politics.
After selling out 125,000 tickets in Puerto Rico alone, Bad Bunny expanded the residency from 21 to 30 shows, accommodating overwhelming demand from both local and international fans. The first nine shows are exclusively for Puerto Rican residents, with in-person ticket sales at local spots to ensure the community has first access. The remaining dates, stretching from August to mid-September, are open to global audiences.
The residency isn’t just about performing—it’s a deeper extension of his latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Often described as his most Puerto Rican project yet, the album merges traditional folk sounds like plena and bomba with modern reggaeton, all while weaving in messages about gentrification, displacement, and the struggles of Puerto Rican identity. His single Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii paints a stark parallel between Puerto Rico and Hawaii, two places that have faced exploitation under U.S. control. Through his music and residency, Bad Bunny is amplifying the fight to preserve Puerto Rico’s culture, land, and history.
Selling out 30 shows at El Choli is an unprecedented feat. Over 2.5 million people registered for online pre-sale, with his team actively blocking scalpers and bots to prioritize real fans. By the end of the sale, over 400,000 tickets had been sold, making this one of the most significant live event moments in Puerto Rican history.
But it’s not just about the numbers—Bad Bunny’s commitment to Puerto Rico runs deeper than just music. His residency is taking place at a time when concerns about tourism, foreign real estate investors, and local displacement are at an all-time high. His decision to limit ticket access for the first shows to locals ensures that the residency remains, first and foremost, a celebration for Puerto Ricans, rather than a spectacle for outsiders.
This isn’t just another tour—it’s a homecoming, a statement, and an act of cultural preservation. Bad Bunny is proving that his success doesn’t have to come at the cost of his island, and he’s using his platform to make sure Puerto Ricans have a front-row seat to their own history. Whether he’s breaking records or breaking barriers, one thing is clear: Benito is not leaving Puerto Rico anytime soon, and Puerto Rico isn’t letting him go either.
