Gig Review: Juanes, O2 Forum Kentish Town

More than a greatest hits set, Juanes' return to London became a celebration of the songs that have connected generations for over two decades.

Growing up, Spanish wasn't just another subject at school. I attended a bilingual Romanian-Spanish kindergarten and later school, where learning the language often meant learning through music. Juanes quickly became a classroom favourite, with my teachers constantly playing his songs until every chorus was impossible to forget. Years later, standing in the photo pit at O2 Forum Kentish Town, photographing the artist whose music had helped me learn Spanish felt like an unexpected full-circle moment.

If you're going to open a show, starting with "Me Enamora" is a pretty good way to do it.

Within seconds, the O2 Forum transformed into one giant dancefloor. The crowd barely needed an invitation. People were already on their feet upstairs, singing every lyric back at Juanes before the first chorus had even finished. Looking around the room, it quickly became obvious that this wasn't just another stop on a world tour, it was a celebration.

Touring his latest album Juanes Teban, Juanes effortlessly blended new material with the songs that have defined his career for more than two decades. One minute the room was swaying to acoustic ballads, the next it was jumping to distorted rock riffs before seamlessly moving into cumbia rhythms that had the entire venue dancing. Those transitions never felt forced. Instead, they reflected exactly who Juanes has always been as an artist: impossible to box into one genre.

His rock influences were impossible to miss. Growing up listening to artists like Carlos Gardel before discovering The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and later becoming obsessed with Metallica, Juanes has never hidden the music that shaped him. Those influences surfaced throughout the night, whether through soaring guitar solos, heavier arrangements or brief rock-inspired moments that sat surprisingly naturally alongside Latin pop classics.

Between songs, Juanes proved just as engaging as he was musically.

Speaking almost entirely in Spanish, he joked about how the first time he performed in London he couldn't speak a word of English. Looking around the room, he laughed as he asked whether there was anyone who didn't actually speak Spanish before switching into fluent English to share stories about his childhood, his musical inspirations and the journey that brought him here. It felt less like an arena-sized performance squeezed into a smaller venue and more like listening to an old friend tell stories between songs.

Looking away from the stage was almost as rewarding as watching it.

Parents danced with their children. Friends wrapped their arms around each other. Couples sang every lyric face-to-face. Some fans wiped away tears while others simply smiled from beginning to end. Vintage Juanes tour shirts mixed with newer merch, and every generation seemed to have found its place inside the O2 Forum. At times, I found myself photographing the audience just as much as Juanes. Their reactions told a story of their own.

Vocally, Juanes sounded phenomenal, but there were moments when the audience almost stole the show.

"Es Por Ti."

"La Camisa Negra."

"A Dios Le Pido."

The singalongs during these songs were nothing short of breathtaking. It felt less like a concert and more like a choir. Thousands of voices came together so perfectly that, at times, it was difficult to tell whether the sound was coming from the stage or from the crowd itself. Hearing an entire room sing La Camisa Negra word for word reminded me just how deeply these songs have become woven into people's lives.

His band deserves just as much praise. Every musician brought something different to the stage, effortlessly moving between stripped-back acoustic moments and explosive rock sections without ever losing the warmth that makes Juanes' music so distinctive. Productions like this are never just about the person whose name is on the ticket, and the chemistry between everyone on stage made that clear.

Closing with "A Dios Le Pido" felt like the only possible ending. By then, the entire venue had become one voice, singing every lyric back to him. It was joyful, emotional and impossible not to be swept up in.

Leaving the O2 Forum, I realised the evening had been about far more than nostalgia.

Juanes has the rare ability to bring together people from different generations, countries and backgrounds, and make them all feel at home in the same room. Watching him perform in London, surrounded by families, lifelong fans and younger listeners discovering these songs live, it became clear that his music hasn't simply stood the test of time.

It's been passed on.

And for someone who grew up with those songs in the background of everyday life, getting to photograph them being brought to life on stage was something I'll never forget.