Rawayana’s sold-out Barclays Center show made a case for the band’s growing arena appeal: a Venezuelan Halloween party built around crowd participation, guest appearances and a quieter moment of remembrance. Nearly 12,000 people filled the New York venue on Saturday, Oct. 31, for a stop on the band’s ¿Dónde Es El After? World Tour.
The group opened on the main stage, where tropical imagery and visuals tied to each song played behind them as smoke and confetti filled the arena. The musicians joined the Halloween theme in costume: Beto wore dreadlocks, Fofo a short bob wig, Abeja an ’80s hair-metal wig, and Tony dressed as a woman.
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Midway through the set, the band shifted to a stage among the audience, bringing fans closer to songs including “Si Te Pica Es Porque Eres Tú,” “Que Rico PR” and “Veneka.” The last, a collaboration with Akapellah, drew a particularly strong response. Beto held up the Latin Grammy the pair won in 2025 for best Latin electronic music performance.
Guests and a moment of remembrance
Cheo Pardo, formerly of Los Amigos Invisibles, joined the show for a DJ set in a priest costume. Beto introduced him as “one of our great heroes, great influencers in our musical history.” Pardo kept the floor moving with El General’s “Qué Es Lo Que Tiene Esa Nena” and Proyecto Uno’s “El Tiburón.”
Another guest reveal came from Yorghaki, who first appeared in a Spider-Man costume. He took off the mask, then performed “abusadOra,” his collaboration with Beéle.
Fans made the venue feel distinctly Venezuelan, waving the country’s flags and wearing jerseys for Caracas baseball team Leones del Caracas and the national soccer team, La Vinotinto. Flags from Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic were also visible.
The evening’s most reflective passage came when Beto sat among the audience with a guitar to play “Tonada Por Ella.” He dedicated the song to people affected by the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela last June and asked fans to support Fundación El After, the nonprofit Rawayana created to aid long-term recovery in the country. Screens displayed QR codes linking to the foundation, alongside a message that donations would help children return to school.
A tour stop with wider momentum
The tour supports ¿Dónde Es El After?, released Jan. 1. Its song “Inglés en Miami,” recorded with Manuel Turizo, gave Rawayana its first No. 1s on Billboard charts when it topped Latin Airplay and Latin Rhythm Airplay last May. A social media dance challenge helped propel the track.
The New York concert followed Massachusetts’ proclamation of Oct. 30, 2026, as “Rawayana Day,” made after the band performed at Boston’s MGM Music Hall at Fenway. The U.S. tour, promoted by Live Nation, was due to continue in Philadelphia on Nov. 1, with stops including Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles before its Dec. 6 finale in Miami.
Rawayana also recently appeared on the Billboard Español cover and took part in a Billboard Latin Music Week panel in Miami Beach with Live Nation’s Hans Schafer, named Billboard’s 2026 Latin Power Players Executive of the Year. In New York, the band’s strongest statement came from the show itself: an arena production that made room for Venezuelan identity, shared celebration and a clear call to help communities back home.
