Microfest 2026
Courtesy of Desert Hearts
En sus primeras palabras tras sufrir un segundo ictus, el DJ lanzó una ‘pullita’ que muchos han interpretado que iba dirigida a su exmujer. Ella no se calla y opina sobre esta situación.
Los incendios que este verano han devastado miles de hectáreas en España y obligado a evacuar a decenas de miles de personas dejan un impacto que va mucho más allá del gran daño ambiental. Perder una vivienda supone vivir un auténtico duelo, según Albadalejo; mientras neumólogos y cardiólogos advierten de los efectos que la inhalación de humo puede tener sobre los pulmones y el sistema cardiovascular.
El colaborador de realities, y ex de Isa Pantoja, ahora bebe los vientos por la ‘masterchef’ Miri Pérez-Cabrero, a la que conoció en ‘Supervivientes All Stars’, y con la que ahora ha hecho oficial su relación: «Es bonito».
La gira Viajando por el Mundo continúa dejando momentos que van más allá de la música. En medio de una de sus presentaciones en Toronto, Canadá, Karol G protagonizó una escena que rápidamente comenzó a circular en redes sociales y que despertó todo tipo de comentarios entre sus seguidores.
El episodio ocurrió cuando la artista decidió acercarse a los asistentes ubicados en las primeras filas del escenario para compartir unos minutos con ellos. Allí se encontró con una niña identificada como Chloe, con quien sostuvo una breve conversación que terminó robándose la atención del concierto.
La cantante, cuyo nombre de pila es Carolina Giraldo Navarro, detuvo por unos instantes el espectáculo para poder escuchar mejor a la menor. Incluso pidió que la música se detuviera para conversar con ella.
«Páralo, páralo, páralo, páralo», dijo la artista mientras esperaba que el sonido bajara y el estadio guardara silencio.
La respuesta de la niña sorprendió a Karol G
Después de preguntarle su nombre y saludarla, Karol G quiso conocer cuál era la canción favorita de la pequeña. Sin embargo, la respuesta no fue la que muchos esperaban.
En lugar de mencionar alguno de los temas que hacen parte del repertorio de la gira o del álbum Tropicoqueta, Chloe respondió que su canción preferida era «Dai Dai», interpretada por Shakira.
La reacción de la cantante fue inmediata. Con una sonrisa, compartió la respuesta con todo el público y dijo:
«¿Tu canción favorita es Dai Dai de Shakira?»
Lejos de mostrarse incómoda, Karol G convirtió el momento en una experiencia para la niña y decidió seguir la conversación frente a miles de asistentes.
Karol G le dio el protagonismo a la pequeña fan
Tras escuchar la respuesta, la artista invitó a Chloe a cantar el tema que acababa de mencionar.
Esto le podría interesar: ¿Cristiano Ronaldo y Georgina se casan este fin de semana? Esto es lo que realmente se sabe de la boda
«Ella se la sabe. Ella acaba de decir que su canción favorita es Dai Dai de Shakira. ¿La quieres cantar? ¿Te la sabes?», expresó Karol G mientras le acercaba el micrófono.
En pleno show, Karol G le preguntó a una niña cuál era su canción favorita. La respuesta sorprendió a todos: “DAI DAI”, de Shakira. pic.twitter.com/IcE0LuT0Ms
— Billboard AR (@BillboardArg) July 30, 2026
La menor aceptó la invitación y comenzó a interpretar la canción frente al público. Durante la intervención, la cantante permaneció a su lado acompañándola con sonrisas y gestos de apoyo, mientras los asistentes respondían con aplausos y entusiasmo.
Al finalizar la interpretación, ambas se fundieron en un abrazo que fue celebrado por quienes presenciaban el concierto y que posteriormente se convirtió en uno de los videos más compartidos de la presentación en redes sociales.
Un momento que volvió a generar comentarios sobre Shakira y Karol G
La escena también reavivó las conversaciones que desde hace varios años suelen aparecer en redes sociales alrededor de Karol G y Shakira. Aunque ambas colaboraron en 2023 con la canción TQG, algunos usuarios continúan alimentando especulaciones sobre una supuesta rivalidad entre las dos artistas.
Hasta el momento, ninguna de las cantantes ha manifestado públicamente la existencia de diferencias personales y, por el contrario, ambas mantienen una relación profesional marcada por el éxito de la colaboración que lanzaron hace algunos años.
En esta ocasión, la reacción de Karol G fue interpretada por muchos seguidores como una muestra de naturalidad, ya que permitió que la niña cantara el tema de otra artista colombiana y convirtió ese instante en uno de los momentos más recordados de la noche.
La gira sigue recorriendo Norteamérica
El concierto en Toronto hace parte de Viajando por el Mundo, la gira con la que Karol G presenta en vivo las canciones de Tropicoqueta, su más reciente producción discográfica.
El tour comenzó el pasado fin de semana en Chicago y contempla más de 65 presentaciones en diferentes países. Además de interpretar los temas de su nuevo álbum, la cantante ha incluido varios de los éxitos que la han consolidado como una de las artistas latinas más escuchadas a nivel mundial.
Mientras continúa su recorrido internacional, escenas como la vivida con Chloe siguen demostrando que los momentos espontáneos sobre el escenario también terminan convirtiéndose en algunos de los recuerdos más especiales para sus seguidores.
Durante las últimas horas, Cristiano Ronaldo y Georgina Rodríguez volvieron a ser noticia, esta vez por los rumores sobre un supuesto matrimonio que habría despertado la expectativa de millones de seguidores. Las especulaciones surgieron tras la difusión de una presunta invitación con los detalles de una ceremonia que, según esa versión, se realizaría este fin de semana en Portugal.
Aunque la pareja está comprometida desde hace varios meses, ninguno de los dos ha confirmado oficialmente la fecha de su boda.
Una presunta invitación desató los rumores
Las versiones comenzaron después de que el programa portugués V+Fama asegurara haber recibido una invitación para el supuesto matrimonio de Cristiano Ronaldo y Georgina Rodríguez.
Según el documento mostrado por el espacio televisivo, la ceremonia estaría prevista para el sábado 1 de agosto de 2026, a las 5:00 p. m., en Quinta da Regaleira, en Sintra, Portugal.
La invitación incluiría un código de vestimenta de color negro y el siguiente mensaje:
«Juntos con sus familias, Cristiano Ronaldo y Georgina Rodríguez requieren el honor de su presencia en la celebración de su matrimonio».
Durante la emisión, el periodista Adriano Silva Martins explicó que inicialmente el equipo dudó de la autenticidad del documento, pero decidió realizar algunas verificaciones antes de hacerlo público, lo que terminó impulsando aún más las especulaciones.
Cristiano ya había hablado del matrimonio
Los rumores también cobraron fuerza por unas declaraciones que el futbolista dio meses atrás durante una entrevista con Piers Morgan en el programa Uncensored.
Consultado sobre cuándo se casaría con Georgina Rodríguez, respondió entre risas:
«Planeamos hacerlo después del Mundial, con el trofeo. Espero ganar la copa».
Aunque sus palabras indicaban que la boda se celebraría una vez finalizada la Copa del Mundo de 2026, nunca reveló una fecha concreta.
Semana asegura que el entorno de la pareja lo desmintió
Pese al revuelo generado por la presunta invitación, la revista Semana informó que fuentes cercanas a la pareja negaron que el matrimonio vaya a celebrarse este sábado 1 de agosto, por lo que no existe confirmación oficial del supuesto enlace.
La publicación también recordó que Cristiano Ronaldo había explicado anteriormente que ambos desean una ceremonia privada, ya que Georgina «no es una persona a la que le gusten las fiestas grandes», por lo que prefieren mantener ese momento lejos de los grandes eventos.
Esto le podría interesar: ¡BTS no se presentará en los Premios Grammy 2027! Esta es la razón de su inesperada decisión
También surgieron versiones sobre los invitados
Tras conocerse la supuesta invitación, comenzaron a circular en redes sociales nombres de posibles asistentes.
Entre ellos apareció Lionel Messi, cuya eventual presencia llamó la atención por la histórica rivalidad deportiva con Cristiano Ronaldo. Sin embargo, no existe ninguna confirmación sobre una invitación al futbolista argentino.
A esa lista también se sumaron, únicamente como parte de los rumores, celebridades como Conor McGregor, Vin Diesel, Vinícius Jr., Kylian Mbappé, Drake, Travis Scott y Jennifer López.
Así comenzó la historia de Cristiano y Georgina
La pareja se conoció en 2016, cuando Georgina Rodríguez trabajaba en una tienda de Gucci en Madrid. Según ha contado la modelo en entrevistas y en su docuserie, el futbolista visitó el establecimiento como cliente y ese fue el primer encuentro entre ambos.
Con el tiempo comenzaron una relación que mantuvieron en privado durante varios meses antes de hacerla pública. Hoy forman una familia junto a sus hijos.
Cristiano Ronaldo es padre de cinco hijos. Con Georgina tiene a Alana Martina y Bella Esmeralda, además de Cristiano Jr. y los mellizos Eva y Mateo, nacidos antes de su relación con la empresaria.
En abril de 2022, la pareja enfrentó uno de los momentos más difíciles de su vida cuando, durante el parto, falleció Ángel, uno de los mellizos que esperaban.
Por ahora, pese a la expectativa generada por los rumores, Cristiano Ronaldo y Georgina Rodríguez no han confirmado cuándo llegarán al altar.
After pressing pause on its flagship festival for 2026, Desert Hearts is making a smaller-scale return this fall.
The dance music collective has announced Microfest, a new five-day gathering set for the beginning of October at Deloro Valley in Northern California. This comeback is designed to encapsulate the intimate ambience that helped launch Desert Hearts more than a decade ago, and it’s meant to bring fans back to the community-focused dancefloors that first defined the brand.
Related
This announcement comes after the pause of Desert Hearts Festival 2026, the news of which was shared in an Instagram post this past November. The crew’s statement read that “After 13 years of magic, love, and dancing under the stars, we’ve made the tough call to pause Desert Hearts Festival in 2026. This isn’t goodbye – but it’s time to reset, refocus, and rebuild so the heartbeat of DH can keep going strong for years to come.”
With today’s news, Desert Hearts has kept their promise to come back better than ever, with the Microfest lineup featuring house and techno veterans alongside longtime Desert Hearts favorites. DJ Minx, Stacey Pullen, Danny Daze, Doc Martin, Justin Martin, DJ Holographic, Kevin Knapp, Shaded (Live), Toy Tonics (Barbara Boeing & Cody Currie) and Life On Planets are among the artists scheduled to perform, with Desert Hearts founders Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs and Porky also taking the stage throughout the weekend.
Additional performances will come from B Rose, Brunch Life, Caleb Jackson, Groovewell, Issac Carter, Jake Mora, Justin Campbell, Maitreya, Rob Grega, Sprout, Stacy Christine and Techno Tupac. See the complete lineup below.
The lineup reveal also arrives alongside new music from the collective’s founders. Mikey Lion, Marbs and Lee Reynolds have released “A Place For Us” under their newly unified Desert Hearts artist project, with the song reflecting the sense of connection and belonging that has long been central to the Desert Hearts community.
Microfest takes place Oct. 1-5 in Deloro Valley, Calif. Tickets are available now.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Guns N’ Roses, with Axl, Duff, Izzy and Slash, hits the road this summer, with the tour scheduled to end in the United States on Sept. 19 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The legendary rock band will then travel to Asia, Australia and New Zealand for the rest of 2026.
A rotating lineup of artists are set to support, with Public Enemy, The Barbarians of California, The Black Crowes, Ice Cube, Pierce the Veil and XCOMM all set for opening slots across the tour.
Tickets to the tour first went on sale through Live Nation and Ticketmaster, while the retailer’s Face Value Exchange program is an option for fans to resell tickets.
However, many of the dates have either sold out, or are very close to selling out, so one of the best ways to find last-minute Guns N’ Roses tickets online is through third-party sites, such as StubHub, SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, TicketNetwork, Gametime, Event Tickets Center and others. All online retailers guarantee authentic tickets in time for your concert. Prices may be above or below face value at times.
Where to Find Guns N’ Roses World Tickets Online
StubHub has Guns N’ Roses tickets available. The retailer ensures that all tickets are valid and authentic, but for whatever reason, if they’re not, you’ll get your money back. And, if your concert is canceled and not rescheduled, you’ll receive 120% in credit, or a full refund without the extra 20% credit. As of this writing, tickets start at $11.
One of the lowest prices we’re seeing for Guns N’ Roses tickets is at SeatGeek. We’re seeing tickets starting at only $10, as of publication. Use our discount code BILLBOARD10 to save an additional $10 at checkout.
You can find Guns N’ Roses tickets online at Vivid Seats, which lets you search by price, location and “Super Sellers,” which denotes reputable sellers with the best deals on tickets. You can even get 10% off your first purchase when you sign up for the company’s newsletter. On Vivid Seats, tickets start as low as $11, as of this publication date. As a bonus, you can use our exclusive promo code BB30 to take $30 off your purchase.
TicketNetwork has tickets to Guns N’ Roses’ concerts with all-in pricing that lets you see exactly what you’ll pay up front (fees included). Tickets start at just $11, as of this writing. You can use our exclusive code BILLBOARD150 to save $150 off $500 or BILLBOARD300 to save $300 off orders of $1000 and up.
Guns N’ Roses 2026 Tour Dates
- Aug. 1: Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, PA (Buy tickets online here)
- Aug. 8: Mystic Lake Amphitheater in Shakopee, MN (Buy tickets online here)
- Aug. 12: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ (Buy tickets online here)
- Aug. 16: Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO (Buy tickets online here)
- Aug. 19: Morton Amphitheater in Kansas City, MO (Buy tickets online here)
- Aug. 22: Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV (Buy tickets online here)
- Sept. 2: Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA (Buy tickets online here)
- Sept. 5: Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA (Buy tickets online here)
- Sept. 9: Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX (Buy tickets online here)
- Sept. 12: Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, MO (Buy tickets online here)
- Sept. 16: Alamodome in San Antonio, TX (Buy tickets online here)
- Sept. 19: Truist Park in Atlanta, GA (Buy tickets online here)
Sphere Entertainment reported Thursday (July 30) that second-quarter revenue rose 11% to $313.6 million, as the company’s flagship Las Vegas venue added more viewings of its popular adaptation of The Wizard of Oz.
However, the company recorded an overall $61.3 million operating loss, $11.1 million more than the year-ago quarter, due in part to a 30% increase in the Sphere segment’s selling, general and administrative expenses, which totaled $125.6 million for the second quarter ending June 30.
Related
Sphere Entertainment had an adjusted operating income of $50.9 million, down 17% from a year ago. Notably, this figure was adjusted to strip out the impact of share-based compensation, depreciation and amortization costs related to a merger with MSG Networks and other costs the company says are not related to its fundamental business operations.
The Sphere segment, which generates revenue from Sphere Experience film showings, brand events, concert residencies and sponsorship and suite licensing fees, generated revenue of $226.4 million, up 29% compared to the year-ago quarter, mainly on more “per-performance” revenue from The Wizard of Oz at Sphere.
“We’re not shy of demand from artists to come play the Sphere, and we have some great artists coming up,” executive chairman and CEO James Dolan said when asked during an earnings presentation about Oz and where additional growth will come from. “But the whole business strategy behind the creation of Sphere is utilization of the venue, and that’s where we look at the growth to come.”
From its opening last August to mid-June, The Wizard of Oz at Sphere has sold more than three million tickets and generated over $400 million in ticket sales. The company said 220 “performances” of Oz in the second quarter exceeded the 215 showings of Postcard from Earth and V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film in the year-ago quarter. That translated to Sphere Experience-related revenue growing by $53.8 million in the second quarter from a year ago.
Related
The company announced earlier this quarter that it is working on the production of a new Sphere Experience — The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Sphere — which is expected to open in 2027. Dolan said earlier this year that the company also expects to debut From The Edge, a film about extreme sports, later in 2026.
Sphere event-related revenue fell $11.7 million due to two fewer brand events compared to the year-ago quarter, but that was partially offset by higher revenue from concerts, according to the company. While there were six more concerts held in the second quarter at Sphere this year compared to a year ago, the concerts held in April, May and June had lower per-concert revenue compared to the same period last year.
The company did not disclose an overall event-related revenue figure in its initial second-quarter financials, making it difficult to determine the share of revenue contributed by The Sphere Experience and concerts. However, the company said it generated $150 million in ticketing and venue licensing fees from Sphere in Q2 overall.
Dolan compared Sphere’s ability to capitalize on concerts to Madison Square Garden, which he also owns.
“The Garden does approximately 200 or something events a year, and it is hamstrung by the fact that you have to load in, you have to load out,” Dolan said. “When we created Sphere, it was all about increasing utilization through our own IP and our own content. I don’t think that we have refined the model to the point where we’ve maximized the revenue potential there, and I think we have new products, some of which we haven’t talked about.”
The Sphere segment generated a nearly $70 million operating loss. That’s around $14 million less than the loss notched in the year-ago quarter thanks to higher revenue.
The company continues to develop plans for additional Sphere venues, and Dolan said the company will likely announce plans for a new Sphere later this year. Construction on the Sphere on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi is expected to be completed in 2029, with the company saying in a statement that “plans to bring Sphere to National Harbor also continue to move forward.”
MSG Networks generated revenue of $87.3 million, down 18% from the year-ago quarter, primarily due to distribution revenue falling $13.7 million on a 16.5% decline in total subscribers.
Everyone loves a good song about being cool, confident and comfortable in your own skin — but sometimes, what we really need is an anthem that captures what it’s like to feel the opposite.
Most people — albeit some more than others — have experienced moments of feeling like the odd one out, whether it’s envy for others who seem to be effortlessly popular, awkwardness in social settings or alienations when no one else seems to share your same interests. Even some of music’s biggest artists have felt that way, sparking a number of iconic songs by the likes of Taylor Swift, Echosmith and Olivia Rodrigo on the topic that perfectly encapsulate the experience of not fitting in, no matter how hard you might try.
But as many of those stars can also attest, it’s not always a negative thing to march to the beat of your own drum. Rather than yearning to be like everyone else, stars such as Pink, Jimmy Eat World and Lorde — not to mention the cast of Glee, a show that’s practically dedicated to this theme — have blessed the world with musical odes to celebrating one’s individuality and embracing labels such as “loser,” “dork” or “freak” rather than shying away from them. In their eyes, being “uncool” is, well, cool — and Billboard happens to agree.
That’s why we’ve assembled a list of songs handpicked by staff that are all about being the opposite of status quo. From Beck to Bob Dylan, Wheatus to Weezer and more, keep reading to see our 21 favorite songs about straying from the norm below.
In the first half of 2026, the Universal Music Group (UMG) continued positive forward momentum with healthy overall revenue growth and managed to maintain internal profitability levels for the period. But overall net profitability was impacted by costs related to consolidating the Downtown acquisition, higher than usual legal fees and financial expenses, and going up against 2025’s first-half profitability, which was boosted by a high-margin settlement.
For the six-month period ended June 30, UMG revenue grew to 6.194 billion euros ($7.195 billion), up 5.3% (10.8% on a constant currency basis) from the prior year’s first half, when the company generated 5.881 billion euros ($6.694 billion). While UMG benefited from the addition of its acquisition of Downtown in the first half of the year to the tune of 234 million euros ($272 million), its revenue was nevertheless up by 1.34% in the second half of 2026 versus the first half of 2025, and 5.7% on a constant currency basis.
Related
Net profits declined to $223 million euros in the first half of 2026 versus 1.425 billion euros in the corresponding year-earlier period, resulting in a 12-cent euro ($0.14) per diluted share in the first half of 2026 versus a 78-cent euro ($0.88) per diluted share in the corresponding 2025 period.
Nevertheless, UMG generated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of 1.81 billion euros ($1.37 billion), versus 1.214 billion euros ($1.382 billion) in the year-earlier period.
Within the first half, in the second quarter, UMG generated 3.294 billion euros, a 10.54% increase (13.1% on a constant currency basis) over the year-earlier corresponding period when revenue was 2.98 billion euros. Meanwhile, EBITDA almost held steady, coming in at 610 million euros, versus 611 million euros in 2025’s second quarter. However, adjusted EBITDA grew to 674 million euros versus 676 million euros, which on a constant currency basis was actually a 1.5% increase.
“While I am pleased with our strategic progress and aspects of our financial performance, we know where we can improve,” UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge said in a conference call with analysts. He added that what gives him his “greatest confidence” in the company’s future performance is the broad strength of the UMG organization, and three things that give the company a competitive advantage “that no other company brings together.” He again cited the strength of the core business, pointing out that it has elevated more successful artists than any of its competitors; its leadership at shaping the overall music ecosystem; what he sees as significant opportunities ahead due to the company’s artists and label services, the company’s strength in high-growth market places around the globe; and how both AI (artificial intelligence) and exploiting the super fan contingent will benefit the company and the industry.
Grainge pointed out that China and India, two of the most populous countries, are among the fastest-growing territories, and says UMG’s experience in the China market will benefit the company as the India marketplace grows. In fact, in India, UMG will duplicate the windowing release strategy it deployed in China so that its new releases first become available on paid streaming services for a 72-hour period before becoming available on ad-supported services.
By division, recorded music grew by 6.83% to 4.769 billion euros ($5.539 billion), up from the prior year first-half revenue total of 4.464 billion euros ($5.081 billion); and music publishing totaled 1.168 billion euros ($1.357 billion),up 3.82% from the corresponding period in 2025 when publishing revenue was 1.125 billion euros ($1.28 billion). Meanwhile, the merch and other revenue category fell to 268 million euros ($311 million) from 311 million euros ($347 million), or a 12.13% decline, due to a softer release schedule and less touring activity.
In addressing the controversial AI issue, which can be a double-edged sword thanks to carrying both beneficial and possible detrimental effects for the industry, Grainge said the business should use it as a benefit — like if a musician adds a new instrument to the mix using the technology — while guarding against allowing it to be regarded as an artist, which would divert royalties from artists, songwriters, labels and publishers. Or as he put it, “AI is a new instrument, and not the next artist.”
Moreover, he added, “Our responsible AI strategy is being brought to life through partnerships with start-ups such as Udio and Klay, creative platforms like Splice and Stability, and tech giants like NVIDIA.”
In moving over to other licensing, Grainge said UMG now has a “streaming 2.0 agreement with almost all of the major streaming services” (a group that includes Spotify, YouTube, Amazon and Deezer), as well as a completed agreement with Pandora and a new strengthened deal with TikTok, according to a transcript of his comments made available to Billboard.
Grainge also pointed out how the company has strengthened its reach in the indie label world since 2013, first by relaunching Caroline, buying out the Ingrooves joint venture and then bringing those two companies together under the new Virgin Music Group banner. With the Downtown acquisition, UMG is now the second largest operator in the indie artist services space, Grainge said.
He further cited UMG artists who helped boost UMG’s performance in the first half, including releases by Sam Fender, Olivia Rodrigo, Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones.
Looking ahead, Grainge says he expects UMG to continue its momentum into the second half thanks to upcoming releases from the likes of Ariana Grande, KATSEYE, Sam Smith and Mrs. GREEN APPLE, among other yet-to-be-announced releases.
Moreover, Grainge noted that in looking at the IFPI annual list of the world’s best-selling artists over the past 10 years, UMG “has averaged just under 14 of the top 20,” or 70% of the world’s top-selling artists.