Bad Bunny skipped touring the states. Will other performers follow suit?
SEPTEMBER 18, 20253:34 PM ET
In an interview with I-D magazine earlier this month, megastar Puerto Rican singer and rapper Bad Bunny said he chose not to do any concert dates in the 50 states during his current world tour, because he's afraid that ICE, as he said, "could be outside my concert." Instead, he did 30 shows in Puerto Rico, which reportedly brought hundreds of millions of tourism dollars to the island.
As a Puerto Rican, Bad Bunny is, of course, a U.S. citizen. Performers from other nations are facing additional issues — notably hurdles in securing visas.
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What does this mean for artists?
Here's a hypothetical example: Say a performer originally from India wants to apply to come do a tour in the U.S. — but they are temporarily working in Belgium. It used to be that they could go to the U.S. consulate in Belgium for their U.S. visa interview. The State Department is now saying no, they have to fly home to India to apply and be interviewed there. That costs a lot of money and time, especially for touring groups with big bands and crews. As it is, visa applications can cost upwards of $8,000 per person, including legal fees.
NPR reached out to the State Department for comment, which said that they are "upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process."
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https://www.npr.org/2025/09/18/nx-s1-5543373/bad-bunny-us-tour-ice
Comment: I have heard from a friend that a group from Japan that is going to perform in let's say NYC, Los Angeles for example has to return to Japan. Get a visa to NYC. Return to Japan, Get a Visa to LA. That is for all the people in the concert group. And, as have happened earlier in the year, customs allowed everyone a visa, but the drummer in the band. So those thousands applying for the visas were wasted.
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