On Jan. 13, 2025, exactly 10 days after the release of his instant No. 1 album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, Bad Bunny took to Instagram to announce his 30-show-long residency in none other than his hometown, Puerto Rico. In the post, he expressed, “I’m in Puerto Rico, I’m home, I’m having fun and, to be honest, I don’t want to leave.” The residency is titled No me quiero ir de aquí [I don’t want to leave], a nod to his song from Un Verano Sin Ti, “El Apagón.” The shows took place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through a limited 10-week run in Puerto Rico’s largest indoor arena, El Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot. It has been 10 weeks since the residency began on July 11, 2025, and what was supposed to be the last concert this past Sunday has been replaced by one final, commemorative show on Sept. 20. The show will be livestreamed and available on Amazon Prime until Sept. 22, bringing the once-in-a-lifetime experience to homes across the globe. Back in Puerto Rico, tickets are only available for local residents, much like the first nine shows of the residency, where ticket sales were strictly limited to locals.
The show itself has been regarded as a spectacle by all who attend — Benito Martínez (Bad Bunny) performs for three hours, singing approximately 30 of his songs, most of them from his latest album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. Some fan favorite performances include “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” “Si Estuviésemos Juntos” and the No. 1 title track “DtMF.” The set immerses you in a tropical paradise — the main stage is a mountain meant to mimic the lively rainforests of the island, with an imposing “billboard” serving as the jumbotron and a bright flamboyant tree where he sings his emotional acoustic ballads. On this green utopia, Bad Bunny is accompanied by local musicians known as salseros and pleneros, playing instruments like güiros, maracas, trumpets and bongos. The second stage is the “casita,” a little pink house (yes, an actual house), right in the middle of the arena’s floor. Here, the vibe of the concert shifts to a house party-like celebration. Martínez sings his most rhythmic tunes on the casita. These include “Yo Perreo Sola,” “EoO” and “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR.” Josie Melendez reflects her concert experience for ELLE saying, “With salsa, plena, bomba and reggaeton at the forefront, the show is a reinvigorating trip through time and Puerto Rico’s musical history, from the jíbaros and campesinos living in the countryside and by the coast to present-day locals dancing to the greatest artists of the island from their garages.” During the residency, no concert was the same as another — some featured special appearances and guest performances from past collaborators as well as celebrities including Rauw Alejandro, The Marías, Rainao, Chuwi, Young Miko, Lebron James and Penelope Crúz.
On May 5, he announced the remaining stops of his DTmF World tour beyond Puerto Rico, including 54 stops in cities like Milán, Madrid, Tokyo and Lima — to many’s dismay, there were noticeably no US dates. When asked why Martínez was unwilling to tour the US for i-D magazine, he said, “People from the US could come here [Puerto Rico] to see the show. Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world, but there was the issue that ICE could be outside (my concert venue). And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.” With the Trump administration’s discriminatory policies targeting Latino communities in major cities, it’s no surprise Martínez held out on touring the States. Additionally, Bad Bunny has had a long reputation of rejecting American colonialism in Puerto Rico in his music and in his personal life. Back in Nov., he endorsed Juan Dalmau, the Puerto Rican Independence Party candidate, for governor in the elections, strictly defining his stance as an anti-statehood and anti-colonialism voter. His politics reflect in his music as well; in DtMF his song “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” has lyrics that condemn U.S. imperialism and how it’s forced many Puerto Ricans to flee the island in pursuit of a brighter future: “Aquí nadie quiso irse, quien se fue sueña con volver / Si algún día me tocara, que mucho me va a doler [Here, nobody wanted to leave, those that left dream of coming back / If it were to happen to me, how painful it would be].”
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS and the No me quiero ir de aquí Residency are a love letter to Puerto Rico — for those who stayed and for those who left and dream of coming back. In her article for ELLE, Josie Meléndez writes on her feelings amid the residency towards her own Puerto Ricanism: “the energy at Bad Bunny’s residency was a reminder that while things may transform and the island faces its numerous difficulties, the spirit of its people persists. ... But the time spent this summer at the residency has taught me that, while she may be gone, I will never stop being Puerto Rican, and the island will never stop being my home. Puerto Rico will always be ready to welcome back those who have had to leave, including myself.” Not only has the residency contributed culturally, but Puerto Rico’s economy has witnessed a boom due to the revenue generated from the shows. The New York Times reports that an estimated 600,000 attendees had a direct financial impact of $400 million on the local economy. As the residency comes to an official end this Saturday, I can’t wait to celebrate watching Bad Bunny take his final bow, concluding a historical event that will be remembered for years to come. To quote “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR,” “Acho PR es otra cosa! [Puerto Rico is something else!]”
Paulina Delgado is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at pmd99@cornell.edu
