From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
Mariachi Dragón’s Emilio Conde Receives Mexico’s Distinguished Mexican Award After Building a Mariachi Bridge Across Continents
For over a decade, Mariachi Dragón has carried the sound and spirit of Mexico across China — and now Mexico is recognizing the cultural impact of that work. Founded in Guangzhou in 2014 by Mexican singer-songwriter Emilio Conde, the group is described as the “only authentic mariachi ensemble in China.” As part of Mexico’s Independence Day celebrations, Conde received the national “Distinguished Mexican” award from the Institute for Mexicans Abroad on Wednesday (Sept. 16).
“Our mission has always been to build a bridge between Mexican culture and Chinese audiences through our music,” Conde said in a statement. “We carry with us the energy, tradition, joy, passion, professionalism and unique pride that come with representing Mexican music abroad.” Mariachi Dragón also includes Rafael Castillo Legarreta (vihuela), Daniel Eduardo Romo (guitarrón), Haobang “Esteban” Tang and Tienan “Gino” Jin (violin); and Jingyu “Toufu” Wang and Huimin “Hailey” (trumpets).
Since debuting at a Mexican National Day celebration organized by the Consulate General of Mexico in Guangzhou, Mariachi Dragón has performed at venues including Xinghai Concert Hall and Zhuhai Opera House, as well as cultural festivals, diplomatic events and international business gatherings. The group has also been featured in the Ugly Little Monkeys (2026) documentary, starring Linda Ronstadt, and in a VisitMexico.com campaign in Beijing.
Mariachi Dragón’s Emilio Conde receives Mexico’s “Distinguished Mexican” honor in China on Sept. 16, 2026. Credit: Courtesy of the artist
Fuerza Regida Receives the Key to San Bernardino
San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran presented the ceremonial keys of San Bernardino to Fuerza Regida during a special hometown celebration on Thursday (Sept. 17) at the historic California Theatre of the Performing Arts, in front of a gathering of over 1,500 local school district students. During the ceremony, frontman Jesús Ortiz Paz and the group also surprised the audience by announcing plans to help fund and create a new youth-focused community center in San Bernardino for the arts, athletics, and music.
“Honored to receive the keys to the city from Mayor Tran and officially announce our new youth center initiative, created to give the next generation access to music, sports, and other opportunities. 🦾🖤 San Bernardino raised us. This is for the next generation,” wrote the group on Instagram.
Thalia and Arthur Hanlon Reimagine Juan Gabriel’s “Así Fue”
A beloved Juan Gabriel classic received a new cross-cultural treatment this week. Thalia and pianist Arthur Hanlon released their interpretation of “Así Fue” on Friday (Sept. 18), blending bachata, piano and live mariachi in an Amazon Music exclusive.
The collaboration was celebrated two days earlier, on Wednesday (Sept. 16), with a performance on Despierta América from Times Square, coinciding with Mexican Independence Day and the 10th anniversary of Juan Gabriel’s death. Hanlon reimagined the song with a bachata rhythm, while Thalia brought her powerful pop vocals and a distinctly Mexican touch to the arrangement. The release was also promoted with a Times Square billboard that ran from Sept. 11-17.
Ha*Ash Lights Up the Empire State Building for Mexican Independence
New York’s skyline took on the colors of Mexico on Tuesday (Sept. 15), when Mexican American duo Ha*Ash joined the Consulate General of Mexico in New York for a lighting ceremony at the Empire State Building. The landmark was illuminated in green, white and red to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day and honor the country’s culture, identity and traditions.
“Congratulations on 200 years of dedication and service to our community, for being a guide, refuge, and support for so many Mexicans far from home,” the duo wrote on Instagram. “It was an immense honor to celebrate our independence by lighting the flag’s colors on the Empire State Building, a symbol that beats today with green, white, and red. We celebrated together, with pride and emotion.”
Clave Especial Honored With CHIRLA’s Artist in Action Award
At CHIRLA’s 40th Anniversary Immigrant Champion Awards on Thursday (Sept. 17), Clave Especial received the Artist in Action Award at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The Salinas, Calif.-born group was honored alongside Fuerza Regida, Chiquis and NEZZA for its connection to Mexican American communities and the agricultural roots that shaped its story.
The recognition arrives as Clave Especial continues its rapid rise. The group is a finalist in four categories at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards, has more than 12.6 million monthly Spotify listeners and has surpassed 3.2 billion global streams. Its album MIJA NO TE ASUSTES is also RIAA-certified Platinum.
Clave Especial is honored with CHIRLA’s Artist in Action Award on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. Credit: Adrian Ruiz
NPR’s El Tiny Returns for Hispanic Heritage Month With Mon Laferte, Los Mirlos & More
NPR kicked off its annual El Tiny celebration on Tuesday (Sept. 15), launching a monthlong series of Tiny Desk performances honoring Latin American and Latino artists. Running through Oct. 15, the 2026 lineup includes Los Tigres del Norte, Mon Laferte, Draco Rosa, Yendry, Los Mirlos, Alex Ferreira and Panteón Rococó. “Latin music is the world’s music and is something worth celebrating,” said Felix Contreras, co-host of Alt.Latino and co-producer of El Tiny. Watch Mon Laferte’s Tiny Desk performance — who sang “Femme Fatale,” “Hello Monserrat,” “Vida Normal” and more — below.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
“Live from London, it’s Saturday Night!” Saturday Night Live U.K.season one was a big hit in the United Kingdom and United States, alike, when it first aired in late 2025. And now, for this weekend, the sketch comedy show features with English comedian and actor Jamie Demetriou to host, while rock band Royal Blood is booked to perform as musical guest.
Although SNL U.K. season two broadcasts live on Saturday (Sept. 19) at 10 p.m. BST on British broadcaster Sky UK, it drops in the U.S. on the following day on Sunday (Sept. 20) at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Peacock.
Want to watch SNL U.K. online for nearly free? Your easiest bet is a clever workaround to sign up a 30-day trial to Walmart+, which goes for just $1 and features access to Peacock as one of its member’s perks, to stream the sketch comedy show online without needing a pay for a subscription service. Learn more about Walmart+ here.
Alternatively, you can subscribe to Peacock directly, which is the official NBCUniversal streamer, starting at $12.99 per month. Peacock gives you access to NBC, Bravo, USA Network, CNBC, NBC Sports and Peacock Originals, like SNL U.K.
In addition, if you’d like to watch SNL U.K. live, which airs at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT in the U.S., you can livestream the sketch comedy show if you’re a Sky Stream subscriber and paired with ExpressVPN in the U.S. The virtual private network starts at just $2.99 per month with an annual plan. There’s even a 30-day money back guarantee for first time subscribers too. Learn more about ExpressVPN here.
Meanwhile, Jamie Demetriou doesn’t have a new movie that he’s promoting right now. Instead, he most recently co-starred in the Charli xcx mockumentary The Moment. As for Royal Blood, the English rock band is coming out with its fifth studio album Dead Company, which drops on Nov. 13, while the band hits the road throughout the United Kingdom in November in support of the new record.
In the meantime, watch a promo reel for this weekend’s episode below:
The six-date arena run was due to begin at Auckland’s Spark Arena in early November before heading to Australia for concerts in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
According to an email sent to ticket holders, the shows will no longer proceed and all tickets will be automatically refunded to the original payment method. Fans do not need to take any action to receive their refunds.
Ticketing outlets have also listed the concerts as canceled and removed tickets from sale.
No reason for the cancellation has been announced, and Puth had not publicly addressed the decision at press time. It is not yet known whether replacement dates will be scheduled.
Announced in April, the regional run was set to mark Puth’s first Australian visit since 2023. The singer had promised fans an “unforgettable live experience” featuring a “world-class band.”
“I feel like I’ve worked and waited my entire career to put this sort of live show on for you all,” Puth said when announcing the dates.
The canceled shows were scheduled in support of Puth’s fourth studio album, Whatever’s Clever!, which arrived in March. Produced by Puth alongside BloodPop, the project blends jazz, soft rock and yacht rock influences and includes guest appearances from Kenny G, Kenny Loggins and Jeff Goldblum.
Puth first topped the Billboard Hot 100 as a featured artist on Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” in 2015. The Furious 7 soundtrack single spent 12 weeks at No. 1 and earned three Grammy nominations, including song of the year.
His debut album, Nine Track Mind, followed in 2016 and included the singles “Marvin Gaye,” featuring Meghan Trainor, “One Call Away” and “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” featuring Selena Gomez.
Puth’s representatives and the tour’s promoter have not publicly provided further details about the cancellation.
Rowe was among the artists who withdrew from Sheeran’s remaining tour dates after Macklemore was dropped from eight scheduled appearances.
The decision followed Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian comments and performance of his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall” during Sheeran’s Sept. 4 and 5 concerts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
“I’m gonna be honest. I think you are all focusing on the wrong person here,” Rowe said in an Instagram video posted Friday (Sept. 18). “All I keep hearing is Ed Sheeran this, Ed Sheeran that — when you really should be focusing on the likes of Robert Kraft.”
Kraft’s company, the Kraft Group, owns Gillette Stadium, where Macklemore had been scheduled to support Sheeran on Sept. 25 and 26. Macklemore previously alleged that Kraft pressured promoters to remove him from the tour. Messina Touring Group said venues had warned that upcoming concerts would not proceed while Macklemore remained on the bill.
Sheeran has said the decision was made by the tour’s promoter rather than him. He said he spoke with venues, promoters and activists in an attempt to find a resolution but was unable to overrule the decision.
Rowe said Sheeran’s response “could have been a lot better,” but argued that panic within the singer’s team contributed to the decision and that he believed Sheeran now considered it a mistake.
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to Ed too much, but I fully believe he knows that was a mistake,” Rowe said.
Rowe, Lukas Graham and FINNEAS subsequently withdrew from scheduled support appearances, while Irish band Beoga pulled out of its role in Sheeran’s touring band. Announcing his departure earlier in the week, Rowe said he could not “stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence” artists speaking about Palestinians.
Macklemore has pledged to donate $1 million in net earnings from the tour to organizations supporting Palestinians and publicly challenged Kraft to match the contribution. Kraft later announced a $2 million commitment, saying it followed a similar request from Sheeran.
Sheeran’s tour is scheduled to resume Saturday night at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. No opening acts are currently listed for the concert.
Eight years after her last concert in Spain, Shakira reunited with her Madrid audience on Friday (Sept. 18), kicking off a 12-date residency in front of 55,000 fans at the Shakira Stadium, a temporary venue built specifically for this event.
Hours before the show, the vibrant atmosphere extended beyond the stage, with long lines at food stalls and interactive activity booths. Among the crowd, fans donned purple wigs, coin-adorned scarves tied around their waists, wolf ears and masks and elements inspired by Barranquilla’s Carnival.
Related
Inside Macondo Park, The City Created for Shakira’s Residency in Madrid
Shakira and Maluma Reunite on Steamy New Merengue-Fueled Collaboration ‘Agua’: Stream It Now
Goal! Shakira & Burna Boy’s ‘Dai Dai’ Surpasses 1 Billion Views on YouTube
“I can’t believe I’m here. It all feels like a dream,” the Colombian superstar said as she welcomed her fans. “Having you here again tonight, you don’t know how happy it makes me because it’s proof of the love and affection you’ve given me all these years.”
She humorously summed up in one sentence how much has changed since her last visit to Spain. “Everyone tells me, ‘Shaki, look at the face you left with and the face you’ve come back with,’” she joked, laughing. “Things have happened in my life since the last time I saw you.” Behind the joke lies much of the personal history that has fueled her recent songs, which now brought her back to Madrid.
The promise translated into a journey through more than three decades of music. Shakira danced almost nonstop for nearly two hours, transitioning from rock to reggaeton, showcasing her Lebanese roots, and transforming herself — and her wardrobe — multiple times as she connected the different eras of her catalog. Fans who’ve been with her since the beginning shared the space with a new generation that sang her most recent hits by heart.
Songs like “Girl Like Me,” “Te felicito,” “TQG,” “Soltera” and “Hips Don’t Lie” had the crowd singing along in a stadium that rarely quieted down. With “Dai Dai,” the 2026 FIFA World Cup official song, the celebration took on a special meaning for the local audience. “Spain, World Champion!” Shakira shouted, unleashing one of the most electrifying moments of the night.
Other special moments included “Acróstico,” dedicated to her children Milan and Sasha, which moved many in the audience to tears, and the much-anticipated “Te Dejo Madrid,” a new addition to the setlist compared to previous stops on the tour. Before performing it, Shakira recalled her first visit to Madrid at the age of 19, when she fell in love with a Madrileño whom she described with laughter as “a true Iberian specimen: dark-haired, fun and cheerful,” though she admitted he eventually broke her heart.
The opening night ended without surprise guests, despite part of the audience’s expectations. This mystery will remain open during the 11 remaining dates of Shakira’s residency in Madrid, where the She-Wolf reconnected with her pack, and they howled right along with her.
The Weeknd freaked out some of his longtime fans last year when he told Variety magazine that after 16 years inhabiting his stage persona, the man born Abel Tesfaye was ready to move on to his next era and retire the character.
Well, after explaining at the time that “it never ends until you end it,” now he’s doubling-down on not ending it. Tesfaye, 36, who has been releasing music as The Weeknd since 2011, told a crowd in Stockholm last month that he’d had a change of heart. “I’ll never disappear. I love this too much to ever disappear. I tested retirement a little bit, and I don’t like the way it feels. I said, Imma be here forever with you, I’ll never disappear,” he said, according to fan video of the statement.
Now, in a new interview with GQ Hong Kong, Tesfaye has clarified those comments and explained his strike-that-reverse-it stance. “Disappearing simply means finally taking some time to focus all my energy on one project instead of juggling multiple things,” he told the magazine. “This past five years for me has been creating four concept albums, countless music videos, a TV show, a feature film, and I’m still out here on a massive world tour spanning years. I think disappearing for a little while is well earned.”
And, if that wasn’t clear enough, he added, “I’m not stepping away from anything. I’m just hibernating. I’m not going anywhere. My fans know I’ve shed my skin multiple times throughout my career. I was telling one story from 2020 until now, and that story has reached its conclusion. But that’s only the 2020 story.”
Given his list of accomplishments over the past decade, Abel was asked what he might pursue after the Weeknd is actually “fully retired.”
“I can’t even put into words the amount of inspiration I’ve felt over the last year. I can’t contain it. At one point I thought, ‘What if I just stopped?’ But then I realized what a waste all of that inspiration would be,” he said. “I can’t let that happen. I had a glimpse of what retirement looks like, and it isn’t for me. It’s a real privilege to do what I do. There’s nothing else like this job. The gratitude I’ve felt over the last year has been overwhelming. I’m going to keep doing this for as long as I possibly can. The Weeknd isn’t going anywhere.”
The singer completed a sold-out two-night run of gigs in Lisbon, Portugal two weeks ago and is gearing up to take the ongoing After Hours til Dawn tour to Asia with a pair of shows at Belluna Dome in Tokorozawa, Japan on Saturday (Sept. 19) and Sunday (Sept. 20). That will be followed by stops in Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Hong Kong, before wrapping up the nearly four-year global tour on Nov. 4-5 at TM Stadium National in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
