EL ROCK EN ESPAÑOL VIVE: HOW ZOÉ SOLD OUT 5 NIGHTS AT ESTADIO GNP SEGUROS STADIUM (ARTIST POV)
EL ROCK EN ESPAÑOL VIVE: HOW ZOÉ SOLD OUT 5 NIGHTS AT ESTADIO GNP SEGUROS STADIUM (ARTIST POV)
Miami, FL (July 14, 2025) – Seven months in and it’s yet another remarkable year for Latin music with Shakira’s global tour shattering records and Bad Bunny’s upcoming stadium tour selling out in minutes. The Colombian supernova and Puerto Rican superstar are taking their genres, pop and reggaeton, to new heights with ambitious tours that include lengthy runs at the iconic Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City.
But another act is emerging to remind the industry that rock en español (Latin rock) not only lives but can thrive in a crowded but welcoming Latin market.
Zoé, a rock band that broke onto the scene with its eponymous debut in 2001, is returning to the stage this year in grand fashion: Five sold-out shows at Estadio GNP Seguros, a stadium built for live music with a capacity of 65,000 people.
Their impressive run marks the first time a Mexican act and rock en español band sold out so many nights in the same year at the venue.
The feat left everyone stunned, even the band. “It was a surprise for all of us,” said Zoé bassist Angel Mosqueda. “We had in mind to do one show at GNP, and suddenly, with the response from the crowd, it grew, and we got to five.”
Javier Montemayor, who works at label and management company Seitrack and books shows for the band, credits this year’s success to the fact that the band isn’t on the road often, building anticipation among rock fans and creating a sense that just any show could be their last.
He added that the quintet remains relevant because each member is doing separate projects that fans can follow, keeping them engaged even when the band doesn’t release new material. Zoé last released a studio album in 2018 with Sonidos de Karmática Resonancia.
“We’re talking about 300,000 tickets,” says Montemayor, who has worked with the band for over 20 years. “I don’t think any other [rock en español] band in any other territory has played five stadiums. We’ve seen Grupo Firme, Shakira and Bad Bunny, right? But they’re genres that are more commercial. With a Latin rock band, that’s something historic.”
It certainly is exciting for veteran OCESA promoter Andrés Sánchez, who has worked with some of Mexico’s biggest rock acts. The venture is an opportunity for the promoter and the artists to showcase what rock can do at Estadio GNP Seguros,
which went through extensive renovations last year to improve the experience for fans and artists, and to inspire others to boldly jump from arenas to stadiums.
“It fills me with great pride and satisfaction that we’re able to have more shows from this genre,” Sánchez says. “We got 12 shows from Shakira at the stadium, eight from Bad Bunny, and we’re raising our Latin rock hand to say, ‘Well, our fried pork rinds crackle here, too,’ and we’re doing big rock shows for a lot of people.’”
Zoé has stuck to mostly Mexican arenas for the past decade, playing in buildings like Palacio de los Deportes and Auditorio Nacional. They last headlined a concert at the stadium formerly known as Foro Sol in November 2014, grossing $1.4 million on 39,432 tickets sold.
The band returned to Mexico City’s most prominent stage at Vive Latino festival in March, met by palpable appreciation and excitement from fans.
“We’re fortunate enough to have performed at several Vive Latinos,” Mosqueda says.
“It was clear that this year’s festival crowd had special expectations for us. I even had friends tell me days before that there was this anticipation, and it turned out to be a magical night.”
It obviously meant a lot to the fans as well, who responded by buying every ticket for their show on Sept. 27 and then selling out the second night, and the third and so on.
Zoé has successfully toured the globe and performed in the U.S., Central and South America and Europe for nearly 20 years, embarking on lengthy, time-consuming treks.
But the band reached a point in their careers where they could be more selective.
“Every band has their different stages,” Mosqueda says.
“These days, our touring strategy is different, but it doesn’t take away from the importance of us to get together
and keep playing as a band. It’s given us so much and continues to give.”
It’s a strategy that’s paid off for Zoé, who have never experienced such demand in their career. It’s a testament to their legacy and how their synth-pop, neo-psychedelic alt-
rock sound continues to resonate in a genre that is still looking for the next generationto take the torch from Zoé and contemporaries such as Maná, Hombres G, Caifanes
and Café Tacvba.
“Genres come and go, as well as artists, but in the end, what people appreciate is quality,” Mosqueda says. “That’s what’s standing out now when it comes to all genres in Latin music, and rock is no exception. We’ve worked to do things the right way since the beginning, and we’re proud to represent that part of the Mexican music movement.”
The demand for Zoé could also be attributed to Mexico City’s meteoric rise as a concert market with Estadio GNP Seguros topping box office charts. The stadium ranked No. 1 on Pollstar’s Year End Stadium rankings with nearly 1.6 million tickets sold in 2024, and it’s on pace to surpass that mark this year, having already sold 1.25 million tickets.
“Mexico City has transformed into one of the most important destinations in the world,” Mosqueda said. “It’s an incredible and interesting city. When it comes to its growth in live music, we’ve lived it since we were young, seeing international acts visit Palacio de los Deportes.”
Though no additional concerts have been announced, Mosqueda says other Mexican cities are being considered, and he hopes to make his way back to the States soon to
visit more of the country’s iconic venues (two of his favorites are the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre) and to eat some his favorite dishes: hamburgers and Thai food.
“The U.S. is an important market, not just for Latin artists but for everyone, because of its tremendous infrastructure,” Mosqueda says. “It allows you to tour extensively and
easily, and its proximity to Mexico is great.”
Also importantly, U.S. venues boast quality sound systems that make musicians like Mosqueda giddy.
“What I enjoy is arriving at the soundcheck,” he says. “I love to see the theater empty and test out the sound. … We love visiting the U.S. Each city has its own vibe, and everything works perfectly when it comes to technology.”
Top-of-the-line acoustics and systems are important to a band known to experiment with different sounds. Lead singer León Larregui apologized to Besáme Mucho festivalgoers in Los Angeles three years ago because he felt the sound equipment wasn’t up to snuff and carried on performing one of the best sets of the night.
Mosqueda and his bandmates know what they’re getting at Estadio GNP Seguros: a large, tech-friendly stage that successfully held Shakira’s massive production for eight
nights and is capable of realizing Zoé’s vision.“We feel comfortable on that stage,” Mosqueda says. “In terms of audio, it has advanced drastically over the years, and, fortunately, we’ve always tried to work with
the best on and off the stage.”
In addition to stellar sound, fans can expect surprises and lengthy sets from the iconic band.
“Fans will be able to hear songs that we normally don’t play live from all of our albums,” Mosqueda teases. “It’s going to be a long show, and the idea is to celebrate all these years, our careers and our seven albums. People are going to have a good time with surprises and interesting songs.”
