SERIES "DO YOU REMEMBER?" · MEMORY
What happened to Juanes? Live tonight in Los Angeles
He is still singing, and tonight you can hear him without crossing the country: Juanes plays today, Friday, October 16, at 8:00 p.m. at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, on his Juanes World Tour 2026. If "A Dios le pido" was playing on your kitchen radio back in 2002, take note: it is the same Juanes, now 54, with a new album under his arm and the old favorites in the setlist.
Do you remember Juanes? Before the black shirt there was a metal band in Medellín, eight years of playing wherever he could, and a trip to Los Angeles with a guitar on his shoulder. Here is the short story, what he is doing in 2026, and tonight's concert details, checked today.
Eight years of metal in Medellín
Juan Esteban Aristizábal was born in Medellín on August 9, 1972. His first band was Ekhymosis, heavy metal, and he stayed eight years: from teenager to his mid-twenties, hauling amplifiers and playing whatever rooms would have them.
When the band ended, he did what people without connections do: he recorded a demo and came to Los Angeles to knock on doors. Here Gustavo Santaolalla, the producer behind half of Spanish-language rock, heard him, and that connection produced Fíjate Bien (2000), his first solo album. It won three Latin Grammys. The kid with the demo had a name now: Juanes, the blend of Juan and Esteban.
The anthem everybody knew by heart
The big break came with Un Día Normal (2002). It carried "A Dios le pido," a prayer with an electric guitar that escaped the radio: it played in workshops, in cars, at any gathering where somebody pulled out a guitar. The same album carried "Fotografía," his duet with Nelly Furtado.
Then came Mi Sangre (2004), and "La camisa negra" stuck across Europe and the whole continent. The industry numbers are cold but they say a lot: Billboard recognizes him as the leading Latin rock and pop artist of the 21st century, with more than 20 billion streams and 17 number-one songs. He has Grammy Awards, including the ones for the MTV Unplugged album and Loco de Amor, and around twenty Latin Grammys.
The peace-concert guy
Juanes is also the one who put together Paz sin Fronteras, those huge concerts meant to cool down fights between neighboring countries, and the one who has spent years talking about landmines in Colombia through his Fundación Mi Sangre. You can feel that at his shows: the crowd is people who grew up with "Es por ti" and now bring their kids to hear the same songs.
Juanes in 2026: enter JuanesTeban
This year he has a new concept album: JuanesTeban, co-produced with Nico Cotton. The game is a split personality: Juanes, the one everybody knows, and "Teban," his alter ego, the side that lets loose. The tour's stage and visuals are built around that idea, so the show is not the one from ten years ago with the same lights.
The U.S. leg of the Juanes World Tour 2026 started September 3 in Orlando. It has already passed through Las Vegas, Fresno and San José, and last night he played Wheatland. Today it is Los Angeles. On Sunday he moves on to Tucson.
If you want to see him tonight
The concert is today, Friday, October 16, at 8:00 p.m. at the Kia Forum: 3900 W Manchester Blvd, Inglewood. Leave early, because Manchester Blvd gets heavy on event nights and the Forum parking fills up. If tonight does not work, the tour stays close for a few days: Tuesday the 20th he plays Highland (Yaamava Theater) and Thursday the 22nd San Diego (Petco Park). Check tickets and times on the Kia Forum's official site or Ticketmaster before heading out.
More plans around the area? Check the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood guide or the one for Honda Center concerts. And pass the word: you surely know somebody who still sings "La camisa negra" at karaoke.
SOURCES CHECKED ON OCTOBER 16, 2026Juanes at the Kia Forum: date, time and address (Discover Los Angeles) →
Juanes World Tour 2026: U.S. dates and biography (Ticketmaster) →
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