The legacy of iconic Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel was celebrated in an unprecedented and massive event that brought together 170,000 people on Saturday (Nov. 8) night at Mexico City’s Zócalo, according to figures from the capital’s government. Fans gathered to watch the screening of the first concert the late “Divo de Juárez” performed at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in 1990.
This marked the second time that one of the three concerts the legendary artist held at Bellas Artes during his career was screened in the country’s main public square. A similar event held in September 2024, when a projection of his 2013 performance at Mexico’s premier cultural venue, drew 70,000 fans.
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Saturday’s screening set a new global attendance record for an in-person fan event organized by Netflix, according to the streaming platform, which partnered with the capital’s Secretariat of Culture to host it at the same public space where, 25 years earlier, the legendary artist held a free concert for thousands of fans.
The screening of Juan Gabriel’s debut performance at Bellas Artes was part of Netflix’s promotion for its new docuseries Juan Gabriel: I Must, I Can, I Will (Juan Gabriel: Debo, Puedo y Quiero), which premiered on Oct. 30.
The event, which at times felt like an actual concert due to the audience’s enthusiasm, became a journey back in time to revisit the historic performance of the singer, which took place 35 years ago and sparked controversy due to his desire to perform at Mexico’s most prestigious cultural venue as a popular artist.
From early hours, fans of all ages and from all corners of Mexico, Juan Gabriel impersonators, and special guests gathered in the Zócalo — or Plaza de la Constitución — with posters, T-shirts, and outfits inspired by the legend. The artist’s son, Iván Aguilera, was also present to celebrate his father’s legacy, as well as the docuseries director María José Cuevas and producers Laura Woldenberg and Ivonne Gutiérrez, who also sang and danced alongside the attendees.
José Luis Flores, a man in his 40s from the neighboring State of Mexico, proudly displayed a tattoo on his chest featuring the late singer’s image. “I waited for him for more than four hours after a concert — this is my greatest treasure,” the man told Billboard Español.
Classic hits from Juanga’s discography, such as “Hasta Que Te Conocí,” “Querida,” “Amor Eterno,” and “Por Qué Me Haces Llorar,” moved the audience to tears, creating an intimate and nostalgic atmosphere. After the screening, the Mariachi Estrella de América performed on stage a setlist of Juan Gabriel’s hits, followed by a fireworks display that lit up every corner of the square, honoring the life, talent, and music of the Mexican singer-songwriter.
Juan Gabriel died on August 28, 2016, at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., of natural causes, in the middle of a concert tour. He was 66.
Inducted into the Billboard Hall of Fame in 1996, he built a legacy as a multifaceted artist over more than four decades, recording songs in genres as diverse as ranchera, ballad, pop, and bolero, and producing for other artists. Among his many achievements, he sold over 150 million records, wrote more than 1,800 songs, released 34 studio albums, was nominated for six Grammy Awards, won three posthumous Latin Grammys, and saw more than 20 of his hits reach the top 10 on the Billboard charts, including seven No. 1s on Hot Latin Songs. His hit “Yo No Sé Qué Me Pasó” inaugurated the first edition of that chart in 1986, at No. 1.
