BY TER STAFF

With a plethora of Grammys, record sales and accolades between the two, Spanish singer/songwriter Enrique Iglesias and Mr. Worldwide himself, Pitbull, joined forces again and kicked off their big summer tour in Chicago tonight. With 35 shows in total for the tour’s U.S. leg, expecting nearly half a million people in attendance, this tour is not one to sleep on.

And if Enrique and Pitbull sound like a familiar pairing, it’s because the two have been traveling the world together ever since 2012, when Enrique brought Pitbull along on his Euphoria Tour. The two again teamed up a couple years later on Iglesias’ SEX & LOVE Tour, where the tour saw 500,000 people in attendance for the U.S. dates with Pitbull, and reached over 1.7 million fans globally. So it was only right that Enrique and Mr. 305 hit the road in 2017 for another string of dates across the country.

Since they last paired, Pitbull continues to be a pop radio favorite in the states and abroad, while Enrique continues to make the charts, with his new hit single ‘Subeme La Radio’ staying in Spotify’s Top 30 since its release, reaching over 350 million views on YouTube and going platinum in multiple countries.

Needless to say, Chicago was in for a treat tonight. Kicking things off first was an opening performance from Latin American pop band, CNCO. Another boy band who owes a great debt to Simon Cowell, as the group won his singing competition show, “La Banda”, CNCO isn’t the latin One Direction, rather they have an identity of their own and a stage presence that had the girls in the audience on their feet. With a set that included their tracks ‘Tan fácil’ and ‘Quisiera’, the performance got the night moving in the right direction.

Next up, it was time for the first headliner to hit the stage and greet his Chicago fans. Miami’s own, Pitbull kicked off the summer tour with hit after hit, and a lot of energy fresh out the gate. Complemented by hit singles and features, as well as some lovely backup dancers, laser lights and pyrotechnics, Pitbull treated the packed Allstate Arena with performances of tracks like ‘Fireball’, ‘Hotel Room Service’ and ‘Hey Baby’. It wasn’t just about the hits either, as Pitbull also took time to perform some B-sides from his new tenth studio album, Climate Change. If Pitbull is one thing, he is an entertainer, and that was evident tonight.

Following Mr. 305’s show-stopping performance, it was time for Enrique Iglesias to close out night one of the 35-date tour. With a massive setlist that expanded across his entire ten album discography and more, ever since the release of his self-titled debut in 1995, Enrique put on a show that Chicago will not soon forget and that 34 more stops in the U.S. will soon experience.

While Enrique’s set consisted of several tracks from his newest album, Sex and Love, the Windy City crowd went most wild for performances of Iglesias’ newest tracks from the past year, including ‘Subeme La Radio’ and ‘Duele El Corazon’, as well as some Enrique classics like ‘Escape’ and his 2001 hit single ‘Hero’. Another highlight of the night included the tour’s stage setup, which not only consisted of a main stage, but additionally a catwalk and third mini-stage by the soundboard, so that Iglesias could give a more intimate performance to fans all across the arena.

No matter where you were seated tonight, you saw two big headlining performances for the price of one, and the first night of what will certainly be one of the hottest summer tours around.

Check out our photos from opening night of Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull’s summer tour below and pick up your tickets for another stop on the tour at LiveNation.com.

Continue reading Check Out the First Photos from Enrique Iglesias & Pitbull’s Co-Headlining Tour →