Popular Mexican singer Julión Álvarez said he was forced to push back a sold-out Texas show because his US visa was unexpectedly revoked.
Fans were left in shock when the 42-year-old La Concordia, Mexico native announced the cancellation of his band’s highly anticipated performance at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The news came through an Instagram post shared on Friday.
The performance was expected to draw over 50,000 attendees to see Julión Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda at the AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, located just 30 miles outside of Dallas, on Saturday night.
In a message to his 3.7 million followers on social media, Álvarez revealed that his work visa had been suddenly revoked on Friday morning, leaving him unable to enter the United States for the scheduled concert.
‘Sadly, the event will not go on as planned due to our work visa being canceled,’ he said in Spanish.
‘It is not possible for us to go to the United States and fulfill our show promise with all of you. It’s something out of our control. That’s the information I have, and it hurts.’
He solemnly added the venue had been set up for the maxed-out concert and part of his production team was already in Texas.
Álvarez apologized for the troubling news and reassured fans the show would be rescheduled. He also offered refunds.
The concert’s promotor, CMN, and the band’s management company, Copar Music, also released a formal statement with Álvarez about the show getting called off.
It said ‘unforeseen circumstances’ forced them to ax the event and reiterated that the lead singer was barred from US entry.
More than 4,600 people flocked to Álvarez’s comment section to share their reactions, with many commending the star for being upfront and honest with them.
‘First artist I see making a formal, clear, official statement and without any pretext other than something legal…That’s why I love you Julioooon,’ one woman reacted in Spanish.
‘The only who apologizes personally, even though he’s not at fault,’ another agreed.
One supporter even joked: ‘My mom says marry her so you don’t fight with visas anymore.’
In a statement to CNN, US State Department spokesperson declined to comment on Álvarez’s situation, saying that all cases are confidential.
This is not the first time the musician has run into US visa trouble.
In 2017, he had his visa revoked after the US government alleged he and more than 20 others, including soccer star Rafael Márquez, were connected to a drug trafficker, Raul Flores Hernandez, with ties to major cartels.
The US Department of the Treasury claimed Álvarez had acted as a ‘front person’ for Hernandez’s drug trafficking ring.
Álvarez has fiercely denied these accusations, claiming the only connection he had to the criminal was a real estate purchase, Rolling Stone reported.
The US eventually removed its sanction on Álvarez in 2022 and he was able to re-obtain his visa this year.
Fans welcomed him back to the country with open arms, with his three April shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles all being sold out.
Saturday night’s show cancelation comes after another Mexican music group, Los Alegres del Barranco, was banned from performing in America for glorifying infamous cartel leaders during their concerts.
Donald Trump’s administration revoked members’ work visas in April after they serenaded fans with a mugshot of Ruben ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera.
The group was about to sing the narcocorrido, or drug ballad, ‘El dueño del palenque,’ at a show in Guadalajara, Jalisco, when they suddenly blew up photos of the notorious drug cartel leader as part of their set.
The musical group also paid tribute to the co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, who is serving a life sentence in the US.
Los Alegres del Barranco then honored El Mencho by flashing his image at a concert in Uruapan, Michoacán.
The Department of Homeland Security revoked the work and tourist visas for Armando Moreno, the group’s lead vocalist and bassist, and José Pavel Moreno, who is the backup singer and plays the accordion.
José Carlos Moreno, who plays the bass, and Cristóbal Reyes, who plays the drums, were also stripped of their documents in the president’s swift crackdown.
