Juanes Comes Home: What to Do in Medellín Before and After the Concert
Sometimes the things you least expect happen, while the things you have been waiting for arrive at exactly the right moment. Music is one of the most natural ways to connect with a place and its people: songs that make us fall in love, create bonds or awaken emotions so personal and impossible to transfer that they can only truly be understood by living them.
There is something special about hearing live, once again, the songs that have accompanied different moments of your life. Something about reunion, something about magic. And Juanes’ return to Medellín can be precisely that for those who have followed his career since the early 2000s, as well as for those who have only recently discovered his music.
But a trip to Medellín can begin long before the stage lights go down.
On November 14, Juanes will inaugurate DAVIarena in Sabaneta as part of his World Tour 2026. During a press conference, he summed it up in one sentence: “I’ve waited my whole life for this moment.” And this is not simply the kind of thing an artist says when returning home. It is the real story of a musician from Carolina del Príncipe who arrived in Medellín with a guitar and a suitcase, played in small bars before people fully believed in him, and is now coming home to inaugurate one of the largest venues the city has ever had.
The concert is part of a tour spanning more than 50 dates across the Americas and Europe, supported by JuanesTeban, his new concept album, which he describes as a journey between light and darkness, rock and Latin roots.
New songs will share the setlist with “A Dios Le Pido,” “Fotografía,” “La Camisa Negra” and “Volverte a Ver” — songs that have been part of the soundtrack of at least two generations. Tickets are available through TuBoleta. But there is something that does not appear in any press release and is worth knowing.
When Juanes talked about the influences behind JuanesTeban, he mentioned Carlos Vives, Totó la Momposina and Grupo Niche — Colombian artists who built their identity from the places and traditions they came from.
That gesture says a lot about Juanes’ place in Colombian culture, perhaps more than any Grammy. He has won 29 Grammy and Latin Grammy awards and accumulated more than 20 billion global streams.
For Medellín’s urban artists and emerging musicians, Juanes is not some distant reference. He is proof that it is possible to come from here, reach anywhere in the world and still hold on to your roots.
The Medellín advantage: start your trip before the concert
November is one of those months when Medellín seems to come alive with extra energy. The weather is pleasant, the cultural calendar is active, and the city’s neighborhoods and people are always ready to welcome visitors.
If you are coming for the concert, stay a few extra days before the show and let Medellín give you plenty of reasons not to leave too soon.
Downtown Medellín is a great place to start. The Vive el Centro guide on medellin.travel suggests a route through Parque de los Deseos, the nearby Botanical Garden, Pasaje Sucre and its traditional cafés, Teatro Metropolitano and Plazuela de las Esculturas.
It is a different side of Medellín, with layers of history and everyday life that reveal a more authentic, lived-in face of the city. You can explore it on foot, by bike or on an electric scooter with Whoosh, one of the most fun and convenient ways to get around without losing a minute of your itinerary.
For music lovers, Laureles has a scene that does not need flashy billboards to make itself known. Walk around and you will find jazz bars, laid-back spots, live rock and a nighttime cultural scene that exists beyond the traditional idea of nightlife. The Vive Laureles guide on medellin.travel has the places and schedules you need to plan your evening.
Taste your way through Medellín
A city experience with a character of its own
After the concert: the night is just getting started
DAVIarena is located in Sabaneta, just south of Medellín. After the show, El Poblado and Laureles are within easy reach, with options for every kind of mood — from a quiet drink to keeping the night going at one of the many live music bars that make these areas some of the city’s busiest nightlife corridors. Tickets for Juanes’ November 14 concert at DAVIarena are available through TuBoleta.
And if you want to build your trip from scratch, City Hosts brings together everything you need in one place: tour operators with local guides, accommodation ranging from boutique hotels to serviced apartments, mobility options around the city, food experiences, cultural activities and much more.
All of them are supported by the official Marca Medellín program. The concert is the excuse. Medellín is the whole plan.
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