Pitbull to Take the Stage in LIC Next Week, Part of Macy’s Pre-Taping of July 4th Celebration

Pitbull, the internationally acclaimed rapper and singer will take to the stage on the Long Island City waterfront next week (Photo: Eva Rinaldi via Wiki Commons)

June 9, 2022 By Michael Dorgan

Mr. Worldwide is coming to the World’s Borough!

Pitbull, the internationally acclaimed rapper and singer, will take the stage on the Long Island City waterfront next week.

The Miami-born, Cuban American, will be performing a private gig at Hunters Point South Park on June 16, and the event is part of the Macy’s July 4th celebration, according to the ticket provider Iota. The company has listed Pitbull on its website as performing at the event, starting at 6:45 p.m.

The performance next week will be recorded by NBC and will air during the network’s July 4th celebrations.

Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Christian Pérez, is known for his Latin-inspired electropop and dance tunes mixed with his distinctive rap lyrics.

He first shot to fame in 2009 with his breakthrough hit single “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho),” which peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

In 2011 he had his first U.S. number-one single with “Give Me Everything” featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack, Nayer. The same year he featured in — and co-wrote — the Jennifer Lopez hit song “On the Floor” which topped the charts in 37 countries.

In 2015 Pitbull was the joint Grammy winner for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album with his album Globalization.

The performance next week is one of several acts that will be screened on July 4 as part of the fireworks spectacular. However, no other major acts have been announced for the event as of today.

Macy’s and NBC were not immediately available for comment.

The performance will come a year after Coldplay played a similar pre-recorded gig on the waterfront for Macy’s 2021 July 4th broadcast. The pre-recording drew thousands of spectators and ended with a fireworks display that very same night.

Prior to the Coldplay gig, Iota released tickets to around 300 lucky attendees who were then positioned in a separate pit area in front of the stage for the pre-recording. Nevertheless, thousands of non-ticket-holders watched the performance for free from inside the Oval.

There are no tickets remaining for the Pitbull pre-recording, according to Iota’s website.

Pitbull, whose parents immigrated from Cuba, has often spoken about his love for the United States.

“My family would always tell me the opportunity I had, to be part of a country that gives you freedom, gives you the opportunity to control your own destiny, and, more than anything, allows you to be whatever you want to be,” he told Vanity Fair in 2016.

Meanwhile, the fireworks show on the evening of July 4 will take place on the East River, with Macy’s saying it will fire off nearly 50,000 shells from five barges in the vicinity of Midtown Manhattan.

The 25-minute extravaganza will begin at roughly 9:45 p.m. and Long Island City residents will get a front-seat view.