Luis Miguel is an internationally renowned Latin pop singer who has had an incredibly successful career spanning over 30 years. He has released dozens of albums, won multiple Grammy awards, and performed in sold-out stadiums and arenas around the world. However, in recent years, Luis Miguel has kept a relatively low profile and has not gone on extensive touring. Fans have been eager to know when the last time was that Luis Miguel went out on a major concert tour.
Luis Miguel’s Career Highlights
Luis Miguel exploded onto the Latin music scene as a child star in the 1980s. He released his first album at age 12 in 1982. This album, titled “Un Sol”, went on to sell over a million copies. It featured his hit single “1+1=2 Enamorados”. Over the next decade, Luis Miguel released numerous hit albums and cemented his status as a Latin pop superstar.
Some key highlights of Luis Miguel’s prolific career include:
- In 1991, his album “Romance” became the best-selling Latin album of all time.
- He won his first Grammy in 1985 at age 14, making him the youngest male artist to ever win a Grammy.
- He has won a total of 5 Grammy awards and has been nominated for a total of 16 Grammys.
- He became the first Latin artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1996.
- He sang a duet with Frank Sinatra on the song “Come Fly With Me” in 1994.
- His worldwide record sales exceed 100 million.
Clearly, Luis Miguel established himself as one of the most popular Latin performers of all time at the peak of his career in the 1980s and 1990s.
Recent Touring Activity
However, Luis Miguel’s touring activity slowed down in the late 1990s and 2000s. He went on some tours to promote new albums, but did not embark on extensive worldwide tours like he had during his peak years.
Here is a summary of Luis Miguel’s recent major concert tours:
Mexico Amarte Es Un Placer Tour (2013-2014)
After not touring for nearly three years, Luis Miguel launched a massive comeback tour in 2013-2014 dubbed the “Mexico Amarte Es Un Placer Tour”. This was in support of his album “Labios de Miel” released earlier in 2013. The tour consisted of 70 shows across Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. It ran from November 2013 through March 2014.
The Mexico City shows on this tour attracted over 180,000 fans combined. It was clear Luis Miguel still had tremendous drawing power in his native country and market. Reviews of the concerts praised Luis Miguel’s vintage vocals and noted that he still performed with the same passion as during his peak years.
2017 Tour
Following the success of the Mexico Amarte Es Un Placer Tour, Luis Miguel did a series of shows in California and Las Vegas in 2017. He played a total of 6 concerts in the following cities:
- Las Vegas – 2 shows
- Los Angeles – 2 shows
- San Jose – 1 show
- San Diego – 1 show
These shows were not part of an extensive tour, but generated excitement among fans in the United States who welcomed the chance to see Luis Miguel perform live again.
2018 Tour
In 2018, Luis Miguel undertook a more extensive United States tour to support his then new album “¡México Por Siempre!”. The tour started in February 2018 and ran through October 2018. The tour consisted of 38 shows in the following cities:
Los Angeles | Denver | Dallas |
Miami | New York | Washington DC |
Toronto | San Antonio | Houston |
Guadalajara | Mexico City | Las Vegas |
San Diego | San Jose | Sacramento |
San Francisco | Phoenix | Chicago |
This tour saw Luis Miguel perform in many of the major concert venues in the United States and Canada including Madison Square Garden and the United Center in Chicago. Reviews praised the showmanship of his live performance and noted his vocals sounded strong and consistent.
Most Recent Performances
Since completing the 2018 ¡México Por Siempre! tour, Luis Miguel has only performed a handful of shows:
- October 2018 – 1 show in Mexico City
- January 2019 – 1 show in Punta del Este, Uruguay
- March 2019 – 1 show in Buenos Aires, Argentina
These were one-off performances rather than part of an extensive concert tour. Fans hoped the Buenos Aires show in March 2019 might lead to a wider South American tour, but that did not materialize.
Reasons for Reduced Touring
There are a few factors that explain why Luis Miguel’s touring activity has slowed down so much in the last decade compared to his heyday in the 1980s and 1990s:
- Age – Luis Miguel is now in his early 50s, so extensive worldwide touring may be physically grueling for him.
- Changing music industry – Album sales have declined, making it harder economically for artists to undertake massive tours.
- Setbacks in personal life – Luis Miguel has gone through a divorce and other issues in his personal life that may have made extensive touring more difficult in recent years.
- Health problems – He has reportedly experienced some minor health problems that have disrupted his ability to tour for long periods.
So while Luis Miguel likely still has the vocal talent and fanbase to launch a worldwide farewell tour if he desired, the factors above appear to have led him to limit his touring to just occasional concerts and limited engagements in recent years.
Possibility of a Future Tour
Luis Miguel has not announced any plans for a major tour or even any concerts in the near future. However, most music industry experts believe it is very possible Luis Miguel will indeed hit the road again for a major tour soon. Reasons why include:
- His 2018 tour showed he can still draw in major crowds and perform at a high level.
- As he enters his 50s, he may want to capitalize on fans’ nostalgia and do a big farewell tour.
- 2023 will be the 30th anniversary of his seminal “Aries” album which could offer a good opportunity for promotion.
- The biographical TV series about his life has introduced his music to a new generation of fans.
Many iconic artists like Elton John, the Eagles, and Kiss have undertaken massive final tours in their 50s and 60s after long hiatuses. Luis Miguel may follow a similar blueprint. While nothing has been announced yet, fans are optimistic Luis Miguel will plan out one last major tour in the next few years to say goodbye to his legions of fans.
Possible Locations for a Future Tour
If Luis Miguel does launch one last major tour, music industry experts predict he would likely focus on the following markets:
- Mexico – This would likely be the anchor market to start any tour due to his immense popularity there.
- United States – Major cities with big Latino populations would certainly be included.
- Argentina / Chile – He has an extensive fanbase in these South American countries.
- Spain – Spain would be a logical inclusion as Luis Miguel has Spanish ancestry.
It is unlikely such a tour would be as extensive as his earlier tours that hit dozens of countries. But focusing on his core markets in North America and Latin America seems plausible. Luis Miguel could even schedule 10-20 massive shows in just Mexico City and Buenos Aires alone given his devoted fanbase in those cities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Luis Miguel’s last true extensive concert tour was the Mexico Amarte Es Un Placer Tour in 2013-2014. Since then, he has only done short tours and one-off performances. His reduced touring schedule in the past decade can be attributed to aging, health issues, and a changing music industry. However, given that his last tour in 2018 showed he can still draw big crowds, most experts believe it is likely Luis Miguel will schedule one last major farewell tour in the next few years. This would allow him to perform his classics for adoring fans one final time, similar to other senior music legends like Juan Gabriel who toured into his late 60s before passing away. If and when Luis Miguel does announce his farewell tour, expect intense interest and hype from his millions of loyal fans across Latin America eagerly hoping to see their idol perform live one last time.