San Juan.- The success of Bad Bunny’s concert season in Puerto Rico is allowing the island to “dream big” about becoming a global hub for the music and entertainment industry. However, challenges persist in achieving that goal.
That was the consensus among industry experts at the forum “Puerto Rico as a global driver in music and entertainment,” organized by GFR Media and Agencia EFE at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, where the “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí” concert series is being staged.
Jorge L. Pérez, regional manager of Legends ASM Global, the company that manages the Coliseo and other venues, stressed that Bad Bunny’s run of shows has generated more revenue in two months than in a full year, pulling in $20 million, compared with $17 million in what he called “an excellent year.”
“Thinking that this can be repeated is a little difficult, but I believe it lays the foundation for many other things, festivals, other types of entertainment, sports, and ensures the world keeps seeing Puerto Rico as a destination,” Pérez said, adding that the concert season has elevated the island “to a higher level.”
In his view, Puerto Rico has the facilities, highly trained production staff, and the warmth of its people, “all the elements to be an entertainment destination comparable with any other,” such as Miami or Las Vegas.
Producer Alejandro Pabón, who organized the residency through Move Concerts and Rimas Nation, emphasized that events of this scale have a major impact on “the hotel industry and all the production suppliers.”
“It’s not just the direct economic impact, but also the indirect impact of everything that mentions Puerto Rico—all the promotion on social media and in news outlets. It obviously helps more people want to visit,” he said.
More than 200,000 people have traveled or are expected to travel to Puerto Rico for Bad Bunny’s concerts, which are projected to generate a global economic impact of $377 million for the island.
“Nothing is impossible,” but challenges remain
For Pabón, Bad Bunny’s shows have managed to “lift Puerto Rico’s pride across the world” and prove that “nothing is impossible.” Pérez added that they give young people “the ability to dream and think big.”
“It teaches us to keep dreaming big, it puts us on the map, and it guides us toward becoming that global music hub,” said another forum participant, Carlos Fontán, former director of the incentives office at the Department of Economic Development and Commerce.
The panel on “The economic impact of the music industry” also included Enrique Ortiz, president of Claro Puerto Rico, and attorney Patricia Rivera.
The speakers stressed that more government incentives are needed to make the sector truly competitive, along with the ability to attract top international artists and build a larger-capacity venue.
Pabón pointed out that some artists require stadiums with 50,000 to 60,000 seats, while the Coliseo holds around 18,000. The Hiram Bithorn Stadium has a capacity of 35,000.
“To compete, to stage the kinds of shows we’d like to, it’s definitely necessary,” the producer said. However, he acknowledged that such a facility must be carefully planned to remain economically viable year-round.
The forum also included a panel on the evolution of urban music featuring Tuti Bou, vice president of Sony Music in Puerto Rico; singer, songwriter, and producer Mario VI; and veteran artists Ken-Y and DJ Negro.
