Pitbull Plots U.S. Tour
by Ayala Ben-Yehuda, L.A. | April 09, 2010 11:19 EDT
Pitbull and AEG Live will bring his “Mr. Worldwide’s Carnaval” tour to 19 cities in the U.S. this summer, in what will be the bilingual rapper’s biggest domestic tour to date.
The U.S. tour starts May 25 at Denver’s 1stBank Center and wraps June 27 at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom. The club, theater and arena shows have an average capacity of 3,400 people and will likely have an opening act to be determined.
In keeping with the Carnaval theme, the production will include Brazilian dancers as well as a live band; merch will be handled by Bandmerch. Pitbull will be touring in between the releases of his Spanish album, “Armando,” slated for release sometime in June on Mr. 305/Sony Latin, and his English follow-up on Mr. 305/Polo Grounds/RCA, which will likely come out in the fall, according to manager Charles Chavez.
“I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” is at No. 22 this week on Billboard’s Hot 100 Recurrent Airplay chart. Pitbull also has four songs on this week’s Latin Rhythm digital songs chart: “I Know You Want Me” (at No. 1); “Watagatapitusberry,” featuring Sensato del Patio, Black Point, Lil Jon and El Cata; “Culo,” featuring Lil Jon; and “Blanco,” featuring Pharrell. His “Egoista,” with Mexican pop singer Belinda, is No. 40 on Hot Latin Songs.
The tour will be heavily marketed with consistent imagery across English and Spanish media, and will include heavy street team and club promotion.
“He is very much that universal party act,” says Rebeca Leon, VP of Latin talent for AEG Live/Goldenvoice. “Because he’s so universal and he plays to so many audiences, it’s very hard to put your arms around it. It’s a blessing but you have to be really savvy.”
Another key part of the tour strategy is low ticket prices, at an average of $34, according to Leon. Another idea in the works? Afterparties, in which fans can buy an add-on to their ticket for the chance to party with Pit at a club after the concert.
Chavez says Pitbull has grown out of the club circuit, where he had made “a decent amount of money.” But for bigger venues, “his price went down to prove he could sell tickets,” says Chavez.
Pitbull’s U.S. trek will include additional dates at Six Flags parks in Connecticut, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Atlanta and Charlotte. Pitbull will perform at the Billboard Latin Music Awards on Telemundo on April 29 in the midst of an international tour that will take him to Australia, Latin America, Europe and Asia.
©2010 Billboard. All rights reserved.