From “Somewhere in Brooklyn,” to the bright lights of Los Angeles, many fans await Peter Gene Hernandez’s, better known as Bruno Mars, Romantic Tour taking place April to October.
During his tour, Hernandez will not only showcase his greatest hits, like “Just The Way You Are” and “24K Magic,” but he will also perform songs from his upcoming album. “The Romantic,” his fourth solo studio album, is scheduled to be released Feb. 27 and marks his first one in nearly a decade. Hernandez has stayed active in the music industry, releasing singles within the past several years.
With 70 shows across North America and Europe, fans from all over the world are excited to see Hernandez perform. Beginning April 10, the first show is taking place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV. Following that, Hernandez will travel to Europe in June, performing in cities including Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, London and more. Finally, he will return back to North America, and end Oct. 20, in Vancouver.
With ticket prices ranging from nosebleed seats with lows of $170 to expensive floor and pit sections of $7,800, the costs for spots at the tour have become increasingly harder to purchase. Despite this, some fans, including students at school, were prepared to purchase them early.
“I signed up for the presale, but at first I didn’t think we’d actually get them,” senior Sophia Saravia said. “At one point I actually got kicked out of the queue, but when I went back in it saved my spot. When I got close, around the last hundred, I started screaming.”
As hundreds of thousands of people across the globe attempted to purchase tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime concert, tickets became scarcer by the second, causing fans to anxiously choose tickets when entering the purchasing window.
“Getting the tickets was stressful,” Saravia said. “I kept clicking seats and trying to add them to my cart, but they kept getting taken before I could check out. I had to keep clicking different seats until one finally went through.”
With few fans actually making it through to purchase tickets, they are eagerly awaiting to hear Hernandez perform their favorite songs. Many anticipate a high-energy set list, including classic songs like “Treasure” and “Uptown Funk.”
“If he sings ‘When I Was Your Man,’ I’m going to cry immediately,” Whitaker said. “That song is really emotional for me. I also want him to play ‘Fat Juicy and Wet.’”
With a wide range of hits from the 2010s to the present day, many students have grown up listening to Hernandez’s music, making this tour even more special for them. An opportunity to experience these songs live can serve as a moment of pure nostalgia and excitement.
“It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” senior A’riyah Whitaker said. “Also, it’s in October, which is a big reason why it’s special to me. Since we’re seniors, we’ll all be in college by then, so it gives us something guaranteed to look forward to together. No matter where we end up, we know we’ll see each other again for the concert.”
With the concert planned for months in advance, many students, especially seniors, see it as an opportunity to keep their high school friendships strong. As they can all bond over music and songs that encompass the nostalgia of their childhoods, “The Romantic” tour is a unique experience that will be enjoyed by many young people across the world.
“[The concert] is something that will bring us back together and help us stay connected,” Saravia said. “Even if we’re at different schools, we’ll try our best to show up because it’s Bruno Mars, and we’ve been listening to his music since we were kids.”
