
HYBE/BIGHIT MUSIC
Justin Bieber smiled like a child Friday night at the 2026 NHL Draft. Making a surprise appearance on June 26 at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, he announced the No. 1 draft pick for his lifelong favorite hockey team: the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“What’s going on, Buffalo? What’s up, Toronto? Man, what an incredible night. The child in me is ecstatic right now — I’ve been a Leafs fans since I was a little boy,” Bieber said to the arena crowd after being introduced by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who called Bieber one of the team’s “most diehard and iconic fans.”
What sounded like a mixed reaction to Bieber’s appearance from the Buffalo audience — which was likely full of Sabres fans — didn’t put a damper on the singer’s mood. He shared, “These nights are so special. I’m so grateful to be here.”
Bieber revealed Penn State’s Gavin McKenna had been drafted to the Leafs. McKenna, who’s from Whitehorse, Yukon, walked out to a fitting Bieber title, the Swag single “Yukon.” The pop star and hockey player posed for photos together onstage.
Friday also marked the release of Swag Live From Coachella (Weekend I), a 22-track live recording from Bieber’s headlining performance at the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11. The live album, featuring guest spots from The Kid LAROI, Tems, Wizkid, Dijon and Mk.gee, arrived via Def Jam.
Watch the clip of Bieber from Friday night, which was shared by the Toronto Maple Leafs through the team’s official social media account, below.
Venezuela is once again in a state of national emergency, and this time not for political reasons. The South American country was struck on Wednesday night (June 24) by twin earthquakes that caused the collapse of multiple buildings, primarily in the coastal region of La Guaira, north of Caracas, as well as in the capital city.
The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes are among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century, and were felt across the region, according to the Associated Press. By noon Saturday (June 26), the news agency reported at least 920 fatal victims and more than 51,000 missing persons.
On social media, videos shared by hundreds of users showed the magnitude of the tragedy, with people fleeing buildings and shopping centers in terror during the quake and rescue teams later working to extract survivors and victims from the rubble. Others were desperately pleading for help in finding family members.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the first of the two earthquakes, with a magnitude of 7.2, occurred west of Morón, on the Caribbean coast, about 105 miles west of Caracas, at a depth of about 14 miles, AP informed. Just a minute later, the USGS reported a second quake, this one with a magnitude of 7.5, a depth of about 6 miles and an epicenter located 10 miles southwest of Morón.
Several nations have offered to send aid to Venezuela, including the United States, which earlier this year captured former president Nicolás Maduro in a surprise military operation.
Meanwhile, a growing number of organizations, businesses and even musicians are taking steps to raise funds and provide assistance to those affected. Below is a list of ways you can help, in alphabetical order.
Madrid was the starting point for the European leg of the BTS ARIRANG World Tour, but it also marked the end of a long wait for thousands of Spanish fans. More than 66,000 people, according to sources from Atlético de Madrid, attended the group’s first of two shows at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Friday (June 26).
Before the night even started, thousands of light sticks lit up the stands of a stadium completely energized, a vibe that carried through from start to finish.
The performance was the K-pop band’s first visit to Spain and one of only two scheduled dates in the country, with the second set taking place on Saturday (June 27) at the same venue. The excitement was palpable even outside the stadium, with hundreds of fans gathering nearby to follow the concert from a distance, singing along to every song with the crowd inside the venue.
The wait ended with an explosion of cheers. “¡Vamos a volvernos locos!” J-Hope shouted in Spanish (“Let’s go crazy!”) as the show began, sparking an immediate response from the audience. Shortly after, BTS opened with “Hooligan,” one of the tracks from ARIRANG, before moving on to “Aliens” and “Run BTS.” Over the course of 23 songs, the group alternated between their fifth studio album and some of their biggest career hits, with the crowd joining in on nearly every line.
The most anticipated segment for fans who follow every stop of the tour arrived with the show’s surprise songs, which change depending on the city and date. In Madrid, the chosen tracks were “Airplane Pt. 2” and “Interlude: Wings.”

HYBE/BIGHIT MUSIC
The members of the band found several moments to address the audience in Spanish. “ARMY is on fire!” V exclaimed in response to the crowd’s enthusiasm. Later, RM got another roar from the crowd with a playful nod in Spanglish: “Estáis on fire!”
For nearly two and a half hours, the 360-degree stage kept BTS in constant motion. The central platform rose, descended and split into different levels, connected by various walkways that allowed the seven singers to move across much of the stadium and get closer to different sections of the audience. Around 30 dancers joined the performance, featuring multiple costume changes and choreography, adding to a stage production that continuously transformed throughout the night.
When “IDOL” began, BTS left the main stage to parade across the stadium floor alongside their dancers, waving large flags and luminous ribbons in one of the evening’s most celebrated sequences. During the final chorus of “Body to Body,” thousands of purple fans were raised simultaneously as part of a fan project organized by ARMY to honor the group’s first Spanish concert. It was a touching gesture by fans to reciprocate the love they’ve felt for years.
Towards the end of the night, the artists took a few moments to thank the audience for their reception. Jung Kook addressed the crowd in Spanish to say “I want to hear your scream. We’ve felt your energy so much today. I love you,” getting an immediately roar from the audience. V also spoke in Spanish when he expressed that “one of my wishes was to come to Madrid, and I made it. Thank you so much for coming.”
Then, with the help of an interpreter, Jimin delivered one of the most emotional moments of the night: “I kept thinking, why are we only visiting Spain now? For the next tour, we won’t leave Madrid out.” The stadium erupted with excitement, closing a night that ended a long wait for ARMY in Spain.

HYBE/BIGHIT MUSIC
Before arriving in Madrid, BTS had just wrapped up the North American leg of their tour, with concerts in the United States and Mexico. In Mexico City, where they performed three shows at Estadio GNP Seguros, the group was received by president Claudia Sheinbaum at the government palace.
After Spain, the trek continues throughout Europe in Brussels, London, Munich and Paris, before concluding on March 14, 2027, in Manila, Philippines.
From festival announcements and hometown celebrations to career milestones and meaningful personal releases, Billboard editors spotlight the uplifting moments shaping Latin music each week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
This week’s roundup is packed with moments that highlight Latin music’s reach, community impact and continued cultural momentum. Ruidosa Fest unveiled the lineup for its 2026 New York edition, returning to Lincoln Center for its third consecutive year with a bill led by powerhouse female and gender-diverse voices such as Lila Downs, Pabllo Vittar, Francisca Valenzuela and Elsa y Elmar. In Argentina, Tiago PZK returned to Monte Grande with Timbaland by his side, turning a hometown gathering into a celebration of family, unreleased music and local pride.
Elsewhere, the business side of the industry had its own feel-good milestone as QSJ Songs marked five years of writer-first publishing after a string of major wins, including a recent Billboard Latin Airplay No. 1. Miky Woodz, meanwhile, offered a more personal moment with “Carta a un Hijo,” a heartfelt release that put fatherhood and legacy front and center. Beyond music, Hermosillo native Karim López made history as the first Mexican-born player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, with fellow Sonoran star Carín León showing up in support at Barclays Center. And in Los Angeles, DANNA brought her Lucid Dreams era to the stage for the first time with a sold-out show at The Roxy, marking a new chapter in her live evolution.
Check out our latest Uplifting Moments roundup below.
Bono no es alguien que admita fácilmente sentirse intimidado en un escenario, un hábitat que domina desde hace ya bastante tiempo. El cantante de U2 lleva más de cuatro décadas llenando estadios en todo el mundo con una presencia escénica que muchos envidian, pero que pocos pueden igualar. Sin embargo, hay una banda ante la […]
Ver más noticias en Indie Hoy.
Aunque la cantante Aimee Mann llegó a llamar a Steely Dan «los Beatles americanos», durante buena parte de su formación Walter Becker y Donald Fagen habrían tomado esa comparación como un insulto. Los fundadores del dúo neoyorquino eran fanáticos del jazz y el soul, géneros que consideraban infinitamente más sofisticados que el rock and roll, […]
Ver más noticias en Indie Hoy.
Quentin Tarantino no aparenta ser un director para el que el concepto de «descabellado» sea una mala palabra. En Kill Bill: Vol. 1 decidió enfrentar a la Novia con 88 samuráis profesionales en una batalla en la que termina venciendo, mientras que en Bastardos sin gloria optó por cambiar la historia y hacer que Hitler […]
Ver más noticias en Indie Hoy.
Para Anthony Kiedis, hay una sola banda que puede compararse con The Beatles en términos de legado y consistencia creativa a lo largo de los años: los Ramones. El frontman de los Red Hot Chili Peppers, nacido el 1 de noviembre de 1962 en Grand Rapids, Michigan, llegó tarde a esa conclusión, pero cuando lo […]
Ver más noticias en Indie Hoy.
A continuación repasamos las 4 series nuevas que llegaron a Netflix y tenés que ver este fin de semana. El chico de la última fila Episodios: 6. Reparto: Choi Min-sik, Choi Hyun-wook, Heo Jun-ho, Kim Yoon-jin. Género: drama, thriller. Un profesor de literatura descubre el talento de un alumno y le ofrece clases de escritura. Pero, […]
Ver más noticias en Indie Hoy.
La presencia de narraciones ruteras, el auto como símbolo de estatus, los automóviles como metáforas y mucho más. A continuación, repasamos cinco canciones sobre autos y viajes por la ruta. Tracy Chapman – «Fast Car» Esta clásica balada folk de Tracy Chapman utiliza el viaje en auto como una referencia al escape. El yo poético […]
Ver más noticias en Indie Hoy.