tour
Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour has been making waves across the globe, selling out stadiums, smashing records, and solidifying the Colombian superstar’s legacy as one of the most powerful voices in music and culture. But behind the eye-popping performances, emotional highs and dazzling fashion, French photographer Nicolas Gerardin has been translating the energy, intimacy and humanity of it all into images that speak louder than words.Known for his work with celebrities across industries — including Lisa of BLACKPINK, Nick Jonas, Jeff Bezos, Leo Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo — the fashion and celebrity photographer brings a unique mix of precision and emotional storytelling to his photography. His collaboration with Shakira began two years ago, right around the time of her groundbreaking Bizarrap release that marked a new milestone in her career. Since then, Gerardin has become an integral part of her creative team, joining her on her current world tour, which kicked off in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 11.
“When photographing Shakira, I focus on capturing what makes her a legend — her presence, energy, and the essence that has made her an icon for decades,” Gerardin tells Billboard Español, who also shot her on recent magazine covers for GQ, Elle, and Marie Claire. “It’s about telling her story in every shot. I always aim to showcase her true essence, her artistry, and the depth of her impact.”
“She’s aware of everything, from production to lighting. She knows everything about cameras. She knows what’s best for her,” he explains, noting how her hands-on approach ensures every moving piece of her tour aligns with her meticulously curated vision.
Despite her global fame, Gerardin credits her sensitivity and emotional connection with her art as the driving force behind her appeal. “She’s very involved emotionally in everything. She always wants the best for her fans. She’s a woman full of emotion, very sensitive. She’s caring for everyone… She wants to give the best for the fans,” he shares.
His dedication to capturing Shakira’s tour goes beyond the stage or performance photography. Gerardin’s work often focuses on backstage moments, the quieter fragments of her life away from the spotlight that tell their own story. “My vision is to create an iconic image that’s going to stay forever,” he says. “It can be her putting her makeup on or her after finishing the last song exhausted.” These fragments come together to create a portrait of a woman in motion — a legend embracing transformation in real-time.
Among his favorite images he took is a high-concept promotional shoot for her latest album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. In one particularly striking shot, Shakira is captured arm wrestling a man. “It was an exciting challenge because I wanted to capture both her strength and the bold energy of the album while keeping the visual storytelling dynamic and impactful,” recalls the photographer.
For this shoot, Shakira granted him full creative freedom, an example of the trust and respect their working relationship has cultivated.
Despite touring with Shakira, Gerardin emphasizes that he does not define himself as a concert photographer. His background in fashion photography shapes the unique angle he brings to his work — whether backstage or during live shows. “Most global artists that work in the music industry, when they take me on tour, they don’t expect me to shoot the live show. I’m here to capture the fashion side of the tour,” he explains. With Shakira, he adds, “We just want to create history at this point.”
Check out the gallery below for an exclusive look at Gerardin’s stunning photography.
Blink-182 announced the dates for their 2025 Missionary Impossible U.S. tour on Tuesday morning (April 8). The late summer/fall trek will hit arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums across the country. The Live Nation-promoted outing is slated to kick off on Aug. 28 at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL and will include stops in Tampa, […]
Shakira continues being unstoppable! The Colombian superstar announced on Monday (April 7) four additional dates for her historic Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour in Mexico, once again surpassing her own record with a total of 26 concerts in the Latin American country. The new cities hosting her shows are Tijuana, Hermosillo, Chihuahua, and Torreón, according to promoter OCESA.
“Due to the enormous demand and the cultural impact Shakira has in Mexico, four new dates have been added to the artist’s return in August. This second leg of her tour in the country will take her to new territories, reaching every corner to reconnect with her ‘pack’ and meet her fans where they are,” the promoter said in a press release.
Consequently, Shakira will bring her show to the northern part of the country, performing on August 11 at Estadio Caliente in Tijuana, Baja California; on August 14 at Estadio Héroes de Nacozari in Hermosillo, Sonora; on August 17 at Estadio UACH in Chihuahua; and on August 20 at Estadio Corona in Torreón, Coahuila.
Trending on Billboard
After making history with seven consecutive sold-out shows at Estadio GNP Seguros, the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour will return to Mexico City for another four concerts at the stadium on August 26, 27, 29, and 30, for a total of 11. This will make Shakira the first artist to achieve such a number of dates at this major venue (formerly known as Foro Sol).
Shakira, who has been adding dates to the tour as tickets continue to sell out, now ties the record of seven dates at Estadio GNP Seguros with Grupo Firme, who are set to give their eighth show there on June 28.
The success of her monumental stadium trek has led the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer to top Billboard‘s Top Tours chart in February, when she kicked off the tour in Brazil, making her the first Latina solo artist to achieve this feat. Shakira’s tour has left an indelible mark across Latin America, gathering more than a million attendees, according to OCESA.
The Barranquilla-born artist was also named by Billboard as the No. 1 star among the Best 50 Female Latin Pop Artists of All Time last month.
Contemporary Christian Music hitmaker and five-time Grammy winner Brandon Lake is set to release a new album and launch a massive arena headlining tour this year.
Lake — whose song “Hard Fought Hallelujah” has spent 16 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart and gave him his all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart debut — will release his upcoming album, King of Hearts, on June 13. Lake co-wrote each of the album’s 16 songs and the project will include his 10-week Christian Airplay hit “That’s Who I Praise” and the Jelly Roll collaborative version of “Hard Fought Hallelujah.” Other songs on the album include “I Know a Name” with CeCe Winans, “Right in the Middle” with Hulvey, and “Remember the Miracles” with Hank Bentley.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
In an Instagram post, Lake shared, “I’m not sure if I knew who this record was for when I started writing it, but as the songs came the more I realized it was not for the seemingly put together, but rather those who are honest about their brokenness, but also have a desire to connect with their creator and experience Him in everyday life.”
Trending on Billboard
He added, “This creator is King of the universe, King of Nations, King of creation, but none more important than King of hearts. ♥️”
In addition to the album, Lake will embark on his 48-city King of Hearts arena headlining tour starting Oct. 2 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL. The trek will visit cities including Salt Lake City, Detroit, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, Atlanta and more, before wrapping next May in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. We The Kingdom bandmember-turned-solo artist Franni Cash will open shows on the fall 2025 dates on the tour. Lake’s fall 2025 and spring 2026 tour dates will follow his upcoming Summer Worship Nights 11-city tour with Phil Wickham.
The full list of Lake’s King of Hearts tour dates can be found at brandonlake.co.
Lake will also appear on American Idol on April 20, as part of a three-hour Easter special episode that will also feature performances from Winans, Jelly Roll, Roman Collins and The Brown Four.
See the tracklist for King of Hearts below:
1. “Plans” (Brandon Lake, Jacob Sooter, Hank Bentley, Jordan Colle)
2. “King Of Hearts” (Brandon Lake, Jacob Sooter, Hank Bentley)
3. “Hard Fought Hallelujah” with Jelly Roll (Brandon Lake, Steven Furtick, Benjamin William Hastings, Chris Brown, Jason Bradley DeFord)
4. “Daddy’s DNA” (Brandon Lake, Hank Bentley, Jacob Sooter)
5. “I Know A Name” with CeCe Winans (Brandon Lake, Steven Furtick, Jacob Sooter, Hank Bentley)
6. “As For Me & My Home” (Brandon Lake, Benjamin William Hastings, Jacob Sooter, Hank Bentley)
7. “The Great I Am Can” (Brandon Lake, Hank Bentley, Jacob Sooter, Micah Nichols)
8. “Remember The Miracles” with Hank Bentley (Brandon Lake, Hank Bentley, Jacob Sooter, Jordan Colle, Brandon Breitenbach)
9. “Right In The Middle” with Hulvey (Brandon Lake, Chris Hulvey, Micah Nichols, Zac Lawson, Benjamin William Hastings)
10. “But God” (Brandon Lake, Micah Nichols, Benjamin Williams Hastings, Zac Lawson)
11. “Watch This!” (Brandon Lake, Steven Furtick, Hank Bentley, Jacob Sooter)
12. “Spare Change” (Brandon Lake, Hank Bentley, Jacob Sooter, Micah Nichols)
13. “Ghost Stories” (Brandon Lake, Jacob Sooter, Hank Bentley, Jordan Colle)
14. “SEVENS” (Brandon Lake, Micah Nichols, Hank Bentley, Jacob Sooter, Steven Furtick)
15. “That’s Who I Praise” (Brandon Lake, Benjamin William Hastings, Micah Nichols, Zac Lawson, Steven Furtick)
16. “The Half Has Not Been Told” (Brandon Lake, Steven Furtick, Jason Ingram)
With all the announced dates sold out so far, Lady Gaga has added 13 new nights to her anticipated Mayhem Ball world tour. The new stops will including second nights in Manchester and Stockholm, as well as third nights in Las Vegas, Seattle, Miami, Toronto, Chicago and Barcelona and fourth shows in both London and […]
Kesha is gearing up for her biggest headlining tour to date. The “Yippee-Ki-Yay” singer announced the dates for The T-ts Out tour on Thursday (April 3), which will also feature disco pop act Scissor Sisters joining her on all the dates for the latter’s first North American live run in more than a decade; Slayyyter and U.K. singer Rose Gray will join on select dates.
The Live Nation-produced outing is slated to kick off on July 1 at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre in West Valley City City, UT and play arenas and amphitheaters in the U.S. and Canada through an August 10 gig at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, FL on August 10. The run will include Kesha’s first-ever solo headlining gigs at a pair of iconic venues: L.A.’a Kia Forum (July 5) and New York City’s Madison Square Garden (July 23).
“The most political thing we can do right now is love. Love ourselves and love each other,” Kesha said in a statement about the tour that is partnering with the Feeld dating app for the open-minded. “Americans need to have more safe, consensual sex. Our administration is so disembodied and disconnected. I’m going T–S OUT this summer to bring as much safety, fun, acceptance, love, connection, and celebration to this country because we are just as much the fabric of this FREE nation as anyone else. We will not be quiet, and we will fight through joy! I think it’s time to make LOVE, not content. LOVE, not anger. LOVE, not hatred, and love, not war.”
Trending on Billboard
The singer who is gearing up to release her sixth album, . (Period), on Kesha Records on July 4 — her first independent release since her departure from Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe Records — added, “I’m committed to bringing my newfound freedom to a city near you. A celebration is in order. I have partnered with Feeld, a dating app for open-minded people, in order to bring our sexually liberated selves and give us a place to flirt, meet, connect, and dance. Color-coded options will be available soon, but this summer wear RED if you are single, horny, and down to flirt! Let’s fight chaos with love, so let’s see how much love we can bring to the summer of 2025.”
And, not for nothing, Kesha said she’s looking for a “sugar daddy,” telling fans that they will get “extra animal points” if they bring along a “tall, hot, single friend.”
Sign up now for access to a pre-sale beginning on April 8 at 10 a.m. local here or here, with additional pre-sales slated throughout the week. Remaining tickets will be available in a general on-sale on April 10 at 10 a.m. local. Kesha will celebrate the roll-out of the dates with a Boiler Room set in Miami on Thursday night.
“We are stoked to extend our reunion to the US and Canada this summer alongside Kesha,” said the Scissor Sisters, whose reunited lineup features members Jake Shears, Babydaddy and Del Marquis. “There has always been a bit of anarchy and chaos to both of our live shows – and we can’t wait to bring that ‘anything can happen’ energy across North America again.”
To date, Kesha has released the singles “Joyride,” “Delusional” and the new country-leaning “Yippee-Ki-Yay,” featuring T-Pain from the upcoming album.
Check out the dates for Kesha’s 2025 North American T–s Out tour below:
July 1 – West Valley City, UT @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre ^
July 3 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre ^
July 5 – Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum ^
July 6 – Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre ^
July 8 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion * ^
July 10 – The Woodlands, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion ^
July 12 – Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre ^
July 13 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre ^
July 15 – Nashville, TN @ Riverfront Park – Ascend Amphitheater ^
July 16 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center ^
July 18 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center ^
July 19 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre #
July 21 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage #
July 23 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
July 24 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center #
July 26 – Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake #
July 28 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center #
July 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ TD Pavillion at The Mann #
July 31 – Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater #
August 2 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater #
August 3 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek #
August 5 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion #
August 7 – Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre #
August 9 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre #
August 10 – Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre #
^ w/ Slayyyter
# w/ Rose Gray
Billboard Women in Music 2025
The she-wolf has a name: It’s Isabel. And no, it’s not just a stage prop or an imposing figure decorating the set as one of the most powerful elements of the tour to convey a message that has crossed borders: “Las mujeres ya no lloran, las mujeres facturan” (“Women don’t cry anymore, women cash in”). It carries an entire connotation.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The she-wolf is Shakira’s alter ego, almost an extension of her own being — not only as an artist but also as a person — a symbolic manifestation of her rebirth and the woman who has built a new empire through her art, her music, and her resilience. For this reason, it’s no coincidence that this stage companion, which has become a symbol of strength and empowerment for her pack, was named after the Colombian artist’s middle name (Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll).
Isabel embodies the very essence of the artist and the woman who now reveals a new facet after having been a wounded she-wolf. A transformation of tears into diamonds that has been reflected not only in her music but also in the most ambitious tour of her more than 30-year career — her first stadium trek: the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour.
It’s a tour of colossal proportions, featuring a monumental stage weighing over 62 tons and a giant 50 x 12-meter screen that brings to life an AI-created avatar showcasing the show’s visuals, alongside musicians and dancers. But above all, it’s the existence of an all-terrain team of more than 150 people who serve as the backbone of everything, making the tour possible while becoming a pack that helps the she-wolf shine.
The Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour is almost like a mini-Tower of Babel, where languages and people of different nationalities come together to accompany the Barranquilla-born artist and bring to life the spectacle seen on stage each night. The team includes individuals from the United States, England, Ireland, Belgium, South Africa, Scotland, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Australia, and the Dominican Republic.
“A tour of this size is only possible thanks to all the people who travel with it. For example, the technology, the lights… It’s not just about the technical team; if you don’t take into account the people who do all the work, you really have nothing,” explains Marty Hom, the director of the LMYNL World Tour, who has been working with Shakira for 16 years. He has also been the longtime tour director/tour manager for Fleetwood Mac, Barbra Streisand and Stevie Nicks; more recently, he worked with the Rolling Stones, Beyonce and Olivia Rodrigo.
Upon entering the backstage area, the first thing you notice is the meticulous precision with which a team of this magnitude operates. Inside El Campín in Bogotá, or any other venue on the tour, many individuals have their own workspaces with computers and offices, and each zone has a designated person in charge to ensure that not even the smallest detail is overlooked. From these offices, everything is managed — from the arrival of refreshments to preparations for upcoming tour dates. And such logistics are necessary: when Shakira travels across the continent, she moves a total of 249,000 kilograms of equipment alone.
The artist’s security is also coordinated from this location, covering both the infrastructure and setup of the show as well as the personnel essential to ensuring Shakira enters and exits the venue safely. Hours later, as showtime approaches, the she-wolf’s pack witnesses the security operation unfold. At El Campín, between 50 and 70 officers are strategically positioned, giving the appearance of being bolted to one side of the stadium to ensure order for an unforgettable night.
Shakira’s health is also a priority, which is why the artist travels with two therapists, several masseuses and her own chef. Her diet, with the occasional indulgence, has to be quite strict, as does her training routine. The two-and-a-half-hour performance on stage demands constant discipline to maintain the physique, vitality, and stamina of a world-class pop star who, at 48 years old, continues to prove that her hips don’t lie.
For nearly a year and a half, her team worked tirelessly, with shifts lasting up to 16 hours a day, to bring to life the idea of a tour of this magnitude — an idea that initially came about during a casual conversation while creating a song in the studio. However, it has been Shakira herself who has led the charge, serving as the creative mind behind the tour, the hardest worker, and the driving force pushing the limits of what’s possible to ensure every detail bears the mark of the she-wolf.
The Challenge of Bringing Shakira’s Dream to Life
The staging is not just a technical matter but also an economic one. Marty Hom reveals that one of his greatest challenges as the head of the show has been balancing Shakira’s artistic vision with the financial realities of executing a tour of this magnitude. “The hard part for me is seeing the financial and economic impact of doing a tour of this scale,” he says. “The challenge is to let her have her artistic vision, maintain the integrity of the show, but also stay within budget. It’s about having a financial framework that ensures she can still turn a profit.”
That balance has been achieved with precision, resulting in a show that not meets the artist’s expectations and those of her fans — a multigenerational audience that has grown alongside the different phases Shakira has offered over the years. From the rockstar and the golden-hipped dancer to her romantic pop era and her latest empowered single-woman persona, embracing more contemporary and urban rhythms like reggaeton and other electronic sounds.
“The thing with Shakira is that she’s a perfectionist, and she wants everything to be perfect for her fans because they are the most important thing to her. She’s constantly thinking about how they will react and whether they’ll like what’s being done. That’s always her top priority,” concludes Hom.
Additionally, the staging includes a groundbreaking approach with the use of nine visual interludes that build the show’s narrative through artificial intelligence. A realistic avatar of her image and evolution over the years was developed over the course of more than five months at the Los Angeles-based creative studio Actual Objects — a rigorous creative process involving over 40 specialists in digital animation and 3D sculpting.
“Until now, no artist of Shakira’s caliber had used artificial intelligence in this way in the service of pop culture,” says Maite Marcos, her choreographer and right-hand collaborator for more than 20 years, who has been with her since day one of creating the tour. “An immense team was involved, with Shakira making constant changes to achieve the perfection of what she wanted to project. Creating this avatar of herself wasn’t easy, but we managed to use the technology to its fullest potential. Even the 13 costume changes she makes on stage were made possible thanks to the magic of the show.”
Now that the show is a reality, her team, who worked tirelessly for months to make it happen, is beginning to grasp the impact of what they’ve built and the message they want to convey. “Now is when I’m really starting to realize how big this is, seeing the audience’s reaction — not just live, but also on social media. And seeing what the message of ‘Women don’t cry anymore, women cash in’ means to them, and how it has connected with so many people, is indescribable,” says Alex Castillo, better known as AC, Shakira’s music producer and the mind behind hits like “Soltera.”
The show is a display of innovation and technology, but also a doctrine of female empowerment, carrying a clear message that has been conveyed through Isabel, the she-wolf, in whom many people have found inspiration for strength and freedom.
Isabel, the She-Wolf Shakira Brings to Live Each Night as a Symbol of Greatness
The symbolism of the she-wolf is no coincidence. Since her 2009 Spanish-language hit *”Loba”* (or “She Wolf” in English), the character of this animal has accompanied Shakira in her artistic evolution, with its meaning evolving alongside her — from representing a simple woman with carnal desire to becoming a symbol of empowerment that reflects her strength and resilience in the face of the challenging personal experiences she has endured in recent years.
“The she-wolf is our mascot. It’s a symbol of strength for her, one she has embraced as an emblem of female empowerment. The she-wolf is not only a symbol of empowerment for Shakira but is also meant to be a symbol of empowerment for women around the world,” says Hom.
And Shakira is not just a she-wolf. She is an untamed, passionate, and unrestrained she-wolf.
“She has that she-wolf spirit. She’s sexy, she’s free, she’s wild, as if she has no limits,” says Danira Littleton, the captain of the dance team for the LMYNL World Tour, who has closely experienced the entire creative process of the tour. “Many women can be shy, holding back out of fear of taking risks. But Shakira breaks through that. She dances on the ground, her hair and everything about her is like an untamed creature. She brings all that energy that makes women feel like we can be ourselves.”
“There are people who have such a powerful energy that everyone wants to be near them, and that’s precisely Shakira. Even if you don’t like her music, you can’t ignore her; everyone knows who she is because what she does and the energy she exudes are special,” adds Albert Menendez, her keyboardist since the recording of her MTV Unplugged, who has witnessed the she-wolf through all her stages.
During the tour, the figure of the she-wolf expands to a total communion with her pack, in a sort of pact portrayed in the “ten commandments of the she-wolf” projected during the show, because what would a she-wolf be without her pack?
It’s something that can be seen from the very first moment of the show, starting with the support she receives during her grand entrance, accompanied by fans dressed in silver as she makes her way to the stage.
A Vibrant Show With a Message that Resonates Powerfully
From the backstage of the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour, there is one thing Shakira’s entire team agrees on: “The show is alive.”
Although the creative work behind the monumental final result took many months — with training sessions between Miami and Mexico to adapt to the altitude and workdays lasting up to 16 hours — every day and every performance is unique. There’s always a new surprise, continuous improvement, or a new resource or element that makes it special and different from all the others. All of this is done with the most important element in mind: the fans.
“The audience’s reaction is the final ingredient, the touch that ties everything together. It’s like the last instrument that completes the harmony of the show,” says AC. “Without that energy, it was hard to truly know how the show felt. But from the very first concert in Rio, it was clear: everything was in its place, the show was complete.”
And so, the howl of Isabel, the she-wolf, is finally heard louder than ever, transformed into a symbol of strength, freedom, and rebirth. It’s a journey of learning that Shakira herself expresses on stage during every concert — a story of a she-wolf wounded by life’s blows, who emerged stronger and filled with answers. A she-wolf who transformed her pain and found meaning in every fall. Because, as Shakira herself explains, it’s not just about recovering but about understanding the message that pain brings and using it as a driving force for growth, realizing that the only love that truly saves and shows the light at the end of the tunnel is self-love, though having the support of the pack during the process is also essential.
The Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour is more than just a tour. It is a testament to resilience, reinvention, female empowerment, and self-love. Now, after conquering Latin America with impressive numbers in the region — including 11 sold-out shows in Mexico and new dates scheduled for the summer — it will continue its journey through the United States starting May 13, marking Shakira’s return to North American stages, where her last stadium performance was at the iconic 2020 Super Bowl.
Shakira will return for a second leg in Latin America before taking her show to Europe, with plans to continue her journey in the near future through Asia and the Middle East. Over the next two years, her music, her story, and her legacy will resonate in every corner of the globe through her she-wolf Isabel, delivering a message that began as an artistic expression and has now evolved into an entire movement, driven by a massive pack that loudly proclaims, “Women don’t cry anymore, women cash in.” And why not men, too?
This article was originally published by Billboard Colombia.
Billboard Women in Music 2025
Creed have added some dates to their upcoming Summer of ’99 reunion tour. The hard rockers who are gearing up to spend July and August on the road with 3 Doors Down, Daughtry, Big Wreck and Mammoth WVH, announced five new shows this week, including an August 23 stop in Mt. Pleasant, MI, as well as gigs in Cincinnati, OH (Aug. 24), Providence, R.I. (Aug. 27), Manchester, N.H. (Aug 28) and Halifax, NS (August 30).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
A Live Nation pre-sale for the new dates will kick off on Thursday (April 3) at 10 a.m. local time (code DANCE), followed by a general on-sale on Friday (April 4) here.
The upcoming run of North American shows is a follow-up to last summer’s smash reunion tour of the same name, with the party slated to kick-off with a pop-in at the Stagecoach Festival on April 26, followed by the proper tour launch on July 9 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. In addition, the Scott Stapp-led group will join Nickelback in East Troy, WI, for this year’s edition of the Summer of ’99 and Beyond Festival at Alpine Valley Music Theatre on July 18 and 19.
The lineup for the second edition of the nostalgic festival will also include Live, Daughtry, Tonic, Our Lady Peace, Lit, 3 DoorsDown, Sevendust, Mammoth WVH, Hinder, Vertical Horizon and Fuel. The shows will be the first time Creed and Nickelback have shared a stage since 1999.
“Thirty years in, it’s been a blessing to pick up right where we left off with longtime fans and to meet the next generation for the first time,” Stapp said in a statement. “It’s been an incredible ride, and we aren’t done, so here’s to a ‘Summer’ that never ends. We’ll see you on the road.”
Check out the updated tour poster below.
Issues between Lou Gramm and Foreigner — especially with band founder Mick Jones — have been well-documented over the years, especially after Gramm’s final departure in early 2003. But in the wake of Foreigner’s “life-changing” induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last October, Gramm has a new attitude.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Ever since (the induction) it felt like, personally, I had to find a way to let go of some of the things I’ve been holding onto for years — and, like the song says, let it be,” Gramm tells Billboard. Gramm, who was Foreigner’s original singer in 1976 and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame with Jones in 2013, has been making occasional guest appearances with Foreigner since 2017. After singing a pair of encore songs with the band on March 15 in Clearwater, Fla., it was announced that Gramm will be joining the group for an eight-date Historic Farewell Tour run through Mexico and South America that starts April 28 and includes shows in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.
Kelly Hansen, Foreigner’s frontman since 2005, will not be part of those concerts, with guitarist Luis Maldonado taking his place and planning to sing some of the repertoire in Spanish. “It’s a hackneyed sentiment, but it’s true — life’s too short,” Gramm says of his latest return to the fold. “And a lot of the things that are blown up and made big deals about are easy enough to get over and humble yourself and reach out a little bit, ’cause what you’ve been mad about for the past 20 years is not a monumental thing.”
Gramm and Jones have both acknowledged a sometimes volatile relationship as a songwriting tandem and bandmates during the former’s three tenures with Foreigner, often related to the dynamic of Gramm as a junior partner in the equation. More recently there was a dustup over ownership of demo recordings the two made during the early 2000s. But the Rock Hall induction, which Jones missed due to his continuing battle with Parkinson’s disease, clearly softened Gramm’s outlook.
“I hope he was watching the show,” says Gramm, who’s not in touch with Jones directly anymore. “It was a great experience and…a real honor for what all of us, and especially Mick, have accomplished. Our creative partnership was really excellent. I think we were all very proud.” The new bonhomie extends to his relationship with Hansen as well. “We didn’t have a very good relationship before, either, but it’s good now,” Gramm confirms.
“I’m glad he feels that way,” Hansen says in a separate interview. “Hopefully we’re gonna be having a lot of the original guys come on stage here and coming out for our 50th anniversary, which is next year. That’s kind of full circle. We like that energy, and I think everyone understands of how fortunate we all are to have been part of this legacy and enjoy the commonality of this legacy.”
Gramm, for his part, says he’s up for joining Foreigner for more of its 2025 dates in North America and certainly plans to be part of the 2026 activities, which will also mark the 45th anniversary of 1981’s six-times platinum 4 album. “I don’t think there’s any contrivance or people questioning the reason why I would be up there with that band,” Gramm says, noting that the current edition, active since the mid-2000s, “is something Mick wanted to do after we parted company, and he did a great job and they’ve done a great job over the last two decades of keeping the name up there and flying the flag. They deserve a lot of credit.”
The current Foreigner performed during the Rock Hall induction ceremony, backing guest singers Demi Lovato (“Feels Like the First Time”), Sammy Hagar with Slash (“Hot Blooded”) and Kelly Clarkson, with Gramm, on their Billboard Hot 100 topper “I Want to Know What Love Is,” on which original keyboardist Al Greenwood and second bassist Rick Wills sang backup. “There was a lot of awesome talent that I enjoyed listening to,” Gramm recalls, though he acknowledges that, “I wasn’t crazy about the fact I was in the dressing room while ‘Hot Blooded’ and some rockers were sung by other singers — great singers, of course, but I made no bones about it that I wanted to sing a rock n’ roll song. While I really I like (‘I Want to Know What Love Is’), it wasn’t my favorite song to sing that night. But singing with Kelly Clarkson made it so special. She’s such an awesome singer, and we did a very good job together.”
Foreigner’s other big news during 2024 was the release of “Turning Back the Time,” an archived 1996 track, for a new compilation of the same name. Gramm says there’s more where that came from, including another unreleased song, “Fool If You Love Him,” that he recently recorded some fresh vocals for. “For every Foreigner album we always recorded three or four songs more than we needed, and we usually chose 10 songs and rest were either done or almost done but were excellent,” Gramm says. “They fall by the wayside on times like this. There doesn’t seem to ever be a lack of material.” Jones, who stopped touring with Foreigner some years ago, has been working with Marti Frederiksen on both existing and new material, and Hansen confirms that “there’s a bunch of stuff in several states of completion, it’s just a matter of having time. Maybe for me, being not on the road as much, might afford some more time to finish some of those.”
Hansen revealed his plan to dial down touring when the Historic Farewell Tour was announced in fall of 2022, and while he’ll be out with Foreigner through the summer he’ll also be sitting out a fall run in Canada, with Geordie Brown from the Foreigner stage musical Juke Box Hero joining. In a statement Hansen explained that “some residency issues have forced me to limit appearances outside of the USA this year,” and he’s not offering specifics beyond that cryptic explanation.
“I made the statement because that’s the statement I wanted to make,” he says. “I know what it might sound like…I don’t feel like I want to go into details about my residency issues, but that’s the reason.” Hansen adds that, “It’s fine, and I’m happy doing everything that I can do. But, yes, there will come a point in time eventually where I won’t’ be doing this.” At the moment, he intends for that to be after the 2026 dates.
“Plans sometimes change, but those are the plans,” Hansen notes. “Listen, I never say never, but I’ve been in this business just about 50 years. I’ve had my time in here, and in the business, and the entertainment business is not the easiest business in the world. I really want to be able to live my life outside of being on the road nine months a year. I want to be able to do other things in my wife, with my family, while I still can. And I don’t want to be out there doing these songs at less than the standard that we’ve set, ever.”
Foreigner is also setting up an Australian tour in addition to next year’s 50th anniversary shows. A documentary project is in the works to commemorate the landmark. The Juke Box Hero musical, which has been previewed in Alberta and Toronto, is slated to go into production during 2026 as well.
Grupo Firme is set to kick off La Última Peda Tour on April 11 in Mexicali, following the cancellation of a performance in Mazatlán after a message on a banner with alleged death threats attributed to a drug cartel appeared in Tijuana. And the trek will proceed with reinforced security.
“People can come with confidence and have a good time,” Eduin Caz, the band’s frontman, said during a press conference Thursday afternoon at Estadio Caliente in Tijuana, where the second show of the tour is scheduled for April 12. “We have strengthened security for this tour in Mexico. The shows of Grupo Firme are meant to be enjoyed, and that’s how it will be.”
After a three-year absence from Mexico, La Última Peda Tour will take Grupo Firme to 23 stadiums across the country, including their eighth performance at Estadio GNP Seguros (formerly Foro Sol) on June 28. The tour will also mark their return to palenques, a more intimate type of show that allows for greater interaction with the audience.
Trending on Billboard
“We need to relive that closeness with people that only these types of venues can provide,” said Jhonny Cazares, the group’s third voice. “Great artists we admire, like Alfredo Olivas and Julión Álvarez, do them. These [venues] are smaller, but they’re no less important. Plus, they’re part of our culture.”
Meanwhile, the state government and the Baja California Prosecutor’s Office are continuing their investigation into the threats against the band. The cancellation of the March 1 concert, which was part of the Mazatlán Carnival, was a result of the discovery of an alleged narcomanta and a human head in a box Feb. 25 in Tijuana — a fact confirmed to Billboard Español by the Baja California State Prosecutor’s Office. So far, four arrests have been made in the case, Excelsior TV reported citing the prosecutor’s office.
“We are grateful for the support of the authorities, who have been attentive from the very beginning,” Caz added. “We can’t share more details so as not to hinder the investigation.”
Coming up, Grupo Firme will be releasing a new album in May. In an interview with Billboard Español, the singer shared some details about the project, which was helmed by renowned songwriter and producer Joss Favela along with Abraham Luna, the group’s second voice and producer.
“The musical arrangements are different,” revealed Caz. “We’ve incorporated piano, electric guitar, and saxophone with banda and norteño. Our musical roots remain the same. The lyrics are in my style, mostly about heartbreak — those are the ones that come most naturally to me.”
He continued: “We recorded 17 songs but will keep only 12; they’re all very good. I don’t want any of them to go unnoticed or not get the attention they deserve.”
He also shared that it took them about a year to select and record the songs, with Caz contributing as a songwriter alongside Horacio Palencia, Nathan Galante, and Joss Favela — the same creator of “El Beneficio de la Duda,” which led Grupo Firme to spend two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Regional Mexican Airplay chart in mid-2024.
As for a potential collaboration with Don Omar — who recently expressed in press conference in Mexico City his desire to record with the band — Caz said: “There’s a great friendship. We haven’t been able to align schedules, first due to health issues for both of us. The song has already been chosen; it’s just a matter of timing. It would be amazing to make it happen.”