Madrid is rapidly establishing itself as an indispensable stop for major Latin artists on tour, reflecting a profound demographic and cultural shift that has pushed Latin rhythms from the margins into the mainstream of the Spanish capital. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny kicked off a series of 10 concerts on Saturday in Madrid, the most shows of his “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” tour outside his native Puerto Rico, where he previously staged a 31-show residency. Colombian pop superstar Shakira will follow with a 12-night residency beginning September 18 at a temporary venue under construction in southern Madrid that will hold roughly 50,000 people, marking the final stop on her “Women Don’t Cry Anymore” tour and her only dates in Europe. Leila Cobo, Billboard’s chief content officer for Latin music, told AFP that “Right now, Madrid is an indispensable stop for any major Latin artist on tour” and “Every single Latin star of note plays Madrid”.
That was not always the case, despite the city’s deep historical ties with Latin America. For decades, Madrid’s music scene was better known for Spanish pop, rock and flamenco, with Latin music relegated to nightclubs outside the city centre. But over the past two decades, Latin beats have increasingly taken the limelight, driven in part by rising immigration that has reshaped the city’s audience and music market. The number of residents in the Madrid region born in Latin America has risen from about 80,000 in 1999 to just over one million in 2024, roughly one in seven residents, according to the latest official figures. That demographic shift has pushed Latin rhythms into the mainstream, from reggaeton and hip-hop to pop and traditional styles, eased by a shared language.
Music by Latin artists was largely absent from Spanish radio in 2008, but by 2023 it accounted for 44 percent of all songs played on music stations, according to a Nebrija University study published last year. Latin artists have also become dominant on streaming platforms in Spain, with reggaeton and urban acts such as Bad Bunny and Karol G regularly topping annual charts. Nebrija University communications professor Lourdes Moreno Cazalla said young people have grown up listening to reggaeton and Latin urban music, so “it’s basically their natural soundtrack” and “For them, it doesn’t feel like foreign music; it’s the sound of their youth”.
The genre’s rise has attracted more producers and songwriters to Madrid and spawned new festivals dedicated to the genre, a trend that exploded in the 2010s. Colombian singer, songwriter and producer Mauricio Rengifo, who co-produced the 2017 hit “Despacito”, moved to Madrid in March after a decade in Los Angeles, telling El Pais that “It has become the capital of Spanish-language music. Madrid is very much in fashion — it’s a place where people live well, and that attracts talent”. Most major global record labels have offices in the Spanish capital and have stepped up their focus on Latin music, particularly artist development. Warner Music Spain has hosted multiple Latin artists at its creative hub, The Music Station, in central Madrid, since it opened in 2022, staging songwriting camps and other sessions bringing together Spanish and Latin American artists to collaborate. Annual events like Iberoexperia, focused on Ibero-American contemporary music, have also emerged since 2022 as showcases for talent bookers, with this year’s lineup including Colombian folk-protest singer La Muchacha and Venezuelan funk band Los Amigos Invisibles. Community of Madrid president Isabel Díaz Ayuso has called Madrid “the musical bridge between Latin America and Europe”, noting the region’s dedication to supporting new talent and hosting major events that expand its musical footprint.
