Daddy Yankee in Concert – September 11

Update: Soon after publishing this post, the concert was canceled. I heard two different reasons.  First, the Ticket Express girl who sold me the tickets said that it was due to poor sales.  Second, a friend said he read an article online that indicated tickets were being sold to minors for a venue that sells alcohol.  As a result, the concert was canceled to punish the promoters.  If this is true, I’m guessing it was a city-level decision.  I was not able to find information on the Daddy Yankee site which cited the true reason for the cancellation.  Needless to say, I was disappointed, however I did get a full refund.

Last year, I missed seeing Daddy Yankee in concert in Medellin by a few weeks. Ever since, I’ve continued to listen to his music, and more recently dance to it. He played a show in Bogota the same weekend as the 2010 Flower Festival, and if it had been any other weekend, I would’ve jetted off to the Colombian capital to see him.

Luckily for me, and my wallet, I learned via Twitter that he’s playing a show in Medellin Saturday, September 11, 2010.

Indeed, I imagine the 10,000-seat Plaza de Toros La Macarena will be off the hook that night, which is exactly why I bought tickets. I’ll be there along with thousands of screaming girls and their boyfriends, brothers, husbands and dates.

Daddy Yankee is clearly the main draw, however a popular Puerto Rican American salsa singer, Victor Manuelle, is also on the bill. In true Colombian style, attendees will get some salsa mixed with their reggaeton. Other opening acts include Pipe Pelaez, Jutha y Small, and Golpe a Golpe.

Tickets are (still) available at 3 price levels:

• 55,000 pesos ($30) = general admission
• 95,000 pesos ($50) = preferred area (in the middle of the stadium)
• 150,000 pesos ($80) = VIP section (closest to the stage)

Tickets can be purchased online via Ticket Express, or in person at several shops and malls around Medellin.  When purchasing the tickets in person, be sure to bring cash unless you have a Colombian debit or credit card.

Doors open at 6pm, and the show starts at 8pm.

I’ll provide a wrap-up of the event next week, however to avoid any trouble with pickpockets, I’ll probably leave my camera and BlackBerry at home.

If I happen to run into Daddy Yankee himself, you’ll just have to trust me.