Enrique Iglesias photographed by Shahzad Bhiwandiwala for Rolling Stone India
When Enrique Iglesias ascended the stage at Mumbai’s MMRDA Grounds on Oct. 29, 2025, for the first of two India shows, the roar that rippled through the crowd felt more like the excited screeches of a reunion with a long-lost friend. Almost as if he was privy to this information, the Spanish hitmaker belted out turn-of-the-millennium anthems like “Bailamos,” “Hero,” and “Escape,” fully leaning into the sentimental discography that once soundtracked an entire generation’s CD players. Consciously swerving away from any of his more recent releases, Iglesias posed, pouted, and lip-synced his way through his first performance in India in 13 years, but the crowd went wild anyway. The show felt more like spectacle than substance, yet it was a testament to Iglesias’ star power as a seasoned showman who knows how to wield his legacy.
And maybe that’s the cultivated instinct of an artist who’s seen pop music evolve from MTV and CDs to TikTok and AI: to know how to read the room. Speaking to Rolling Stone India ahead of the show, the Spanish icon pointed out what’s kept him curious and motivated through so many eras of reinvention: “The love for music never changes — I just keep learning and adapting.” At 50, Iglesias has been named one of Billboard’s “Greatest of All Time Latin Artist,” and racked up more than 40 billion streams worldwide. He’s one of those rare millennial-era icons who’s managed to keep the momentum going. Perhaps that’s because his songs still feel so gut-wrenchingly relatable, whether he’s pining after lost love on “Heartbeat,” or going full fuckboy on “I Like It.” When asked whether the emotional graph of his music reflects a deeper understanding of love or simply an acceptance of its contradictions, he admits, “A bit of both — love keeps teaching you something new every day.”
While the singer-songwriter may still be catching up to the complexities of love (and in 2025, it’s as complex as it gets), he clearly has no qualms about showing it to his fans. At his Mumbai show, produced by Eva Live in partnership with BEW Entertainment and promoted by District, that energy was on full display. Iglesias made heart gestures, blew kisses, folded his hands in awe, and even dropped to his knees at one point. After all these years, he remains the eternal heartthrob.
While much of the sonic force of the evening came from his tight backing band, Iglesias remained its charismatic conductor. He knew exactly how to work the crowd — gliding between the mainstage and the runway, locking eyes, and making sure every section of the audience felt seen. That kind of connection sits at the core of his performances, and in India, it feels amplified. “The fans in India are truly remarkable,” he says. “There’s a profound appreciation and admiration for music there. The crowds at my Indian concerts are truly special. The atmosphere is electric. I’m thrilled about meeting the audience.”
Another exhilarating sight at his concerts is watching fans sing along to every lyric, even those who don’t speak a word of Spanish. Admitting he’s always in awe when the audience starts singing louder than him, Iglesias says, “It’s magical — music truly has no language when it comes from the heart.”
India, in many ways, is still in its nostalgia era, as seen in the packed arenas for the likes of Bryan Adams and the Backstreet Boys, and acts like Blue and Pitbull next on the country’s concert slate. It’s a country where pop history keeps finding new life onstage, and where fans come for the memories as much as the music. Iglesias might represent the peak of this wave, but he’s also very much a part of its evolution. Beneath the confetti, the pyros, and the sing-alongs, it’s a reminder of India’s voracious appetite for live music in all its forms, whether it’s built on the comfort of familiarity, driven by discovery, or somewhere in between.
Leave a Reply