Bad Bunny and Pope Leo XIV Hold Private Meeting in Madrid

Pope Leo XIV met privately with Bad Bunny in Madrid, according to an exclusive report published Tuesday (June 9) by Spanish public broadcaster RTVE. The meeting was later confirmed in a statement from the Vatican. It took place on Monday (June 8) at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, where the pontiff held several engagements after his large gathering with the diocesan community.

Rumors about a possible meeting between the Pope and the Puerto Rican artist had been circulating for days. Leo XIV was visiting Madrid as part of his official trip to Spain, while Bad Bunny has been in the Spanish capital since late May for a 10 show residency at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano as part of his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour.

RTVE reported that representatives for Bad Bunny had reached out to the Spanish Episcopal Conference several weeks ago to discuss the possibility of arranging a meeting with the pontiff. “In fact, the idea was raised for him to participate in the mass gathering outside Madrid City Hall in the Plaza de Cibeles before a crowd of over a million people… although, in the end, it did not happen,” the broadcaster stated.

Billboard Español has contacted both Bad Bunny’s representatives and the Vatican press office for comment.

According to RTVE, Bad Bunny attended the audience alongside family members and other guests who were also welcomed by Leo XIV. The broadcaster said several photographs were taken on mobile phones during the meeting, though no official image has been released publicly at this time. One of those images is reportedly an official photograph captured by members of the papal entourage.

The broadcaster also noted that the audience was one of several private meetings held by the Pope during his stay in Madrid. The visit came during a break in Bad Bunny’s schedule, with the artist set to resume his residency performances on June 10, 11, 14 and 15 to wrap up the final Madrid dates of the tour.