Bad Bunny’s Residency in Puerto Rico Is Sparking an Economic and Cultural Revival
When Bad Bunny told us “No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí,” he was making a statement of purpose. The Puerto Rican icon opened his 30-show residency at San Juan’s El Choli with a message loud and clear: Puerto Rico is home, and it deserves your full attention.
For three hours straight, Benito gave 15,000 fans a full-on masterclass in history, identity, heartbreak, perreo, and protest. And he’s not just doing it for hype. The first nine shows of the residency are reserved for Puerto Rican residents only. The artist, who famously skipped the U.S. entirely on this tour, is intentionally centering his people, first and foremost.
“This is the moment to act,” he said from the stage, right before launching into “Eoo.” He wasn’t talking to the world. He was talking to Puerto Rico.
Bad Bunny’s Residency in Puerto Rico could bring in over $200 million
According to Discover Puerto Rico, the residency could generate more than $200 million for the island’s economy. And that’s a conservative estimate.
The concerts are expected to draw at least 600,000 visitors over the summer and create more than 3,600 jobs. The tourism agency recorded a 75 percent increase in hotel occupancy for August and a 200 percent spike in short-term rental bookings for September, as tracked by AirDNA. Discover Puerto Rico has even partnered with hotels to offer packages with exclusive parties, spa access, and poolside events for ticket holders.
Bad Bunny’s longtime collaborator and manager, Noah Assad, told Variety that they knew they had to debut this album at home. “We had to present it first to his people,” he said.
A celebration of Puerto Rican culture, made by and for Puerto Ricans
The show itself was an immersive journey into Puerto Rican history and resilience. According to the Los Angeles Times, it opened with vignettes about memory and loss before launching into bomba and plena rhythms. Set pieces included a lush green hill, a blossoming flamboyán tree, and a bright pink vacation house that symbolized an Airbnb, likely owned by outsiders.
“This residency is more than a concert series,” Jorge L. Pérez, general manager of the venue, told Billboard Español. “It’s an affirmation of our creative talent and our place in global entertainment.”
The concert featured appearances from Los Pleneros de la Cresta, jazz quartet Chuwi, and visuals narrated by Puerto Rican filmmaker Jacobo Morales. At one point, the Puerto Rican crested toad made a cameo. According to environmental group Citizens of the Karst, people have already started sending in pictures of the rare toad since the album dropped.
How Bad Bunny’s Residency in Puerto Rico Fights Gentrification
Throughout the show, Bad Bunny didn’t hold back on his stance about colonialism, displacement, and political failure. Ten minutes before his first concert, a giant screen lit up with the words: “Puerto Rico is a colony since Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’ the island during his second trip to the New World in 1493,” reported the Associated Press.
During “Lo Que Le Pasó A Hawaii,” a somber décima about migration and displacement, the crowd watched visuals of homes transformed into rentals and heard lyrics like “They want my neighborhood and the grandma to leave.” That moment hit hard for Carmen Lourdes López Rivera, who helps lead the Community Board Association of La Perla.
“They have always said they want to kick us out of here,” she told the AP. “We’re going to fight for what belongs to us.”
The residency is already sparking real cultural impact
Beyond the economy, Benito is creating cultural ripple effects. According to AP, bomba and plena schools have seen a surge in new interest. Jorge Gabriel López Olán, a young drummer, said: “It’s very necessary, isn’t it? To understand where we come from and where our music and culture come from.”
Meanwhile, bookstores are hosting events about the album, and fans of all ages are discussing its references, from Eugenio María de Hostos to the jíbaro straw hats worn onstage. Petra Rivera-Rideau, a Wellesley College professor who teaches a course on Bad Bunny, told the Boston Globe the residency feels like a love letter to Puerto Rico. “He doesn’t have to do this,” she said. “Having the first set of shows be limited to Puerto Rican residents really shows how he is prioritizing them.”
Elsa Mosquera, cofounder of Ágora Cultural Architects, added: “When someone like Bad Bunny insists ‘I’m not leaving,’ it’s a powerful affirmation of who we are.”
Bad Bunny’s legacy is taking root right where it matters
On opening night, Bad Bunny ended the show by taking off his sunglasses to reveal tear-filled eyes. Then, as a massive Puerto Rican flag lit up the coliseum, he led the crowd in a final chorus: “Nobody’s taking me from here, I’m not moving anywhere, tell ‘em this is my home, where my grandfather was born, I’m from P f—in’ R!”
As Billboard put it, Bad Bunny’s residency is “Puerto Rican pride in motion.” It’s a moment of cultural sovereignty, of choosing to stay when so many have been pushed out.
And if the island’s power grid, hotel system, and arts scene can hold the weight of the next two months, this residency might not just go down as a historic concert. It could become the blueprint for how Puerto Rico writes its next chapter, with Benito keeping the rhythm.
