Gratitude and light rain poured over a crowd of thousands during RBD’s — that’s Rebelde, the fictional band turned real-life superstars — final date of North American shows in Los Angeles on Oct. 22. After announcing a comeback tour earlier this year, the Mexican pop group set out for 30 dates across the U.S. and completed the last of it, four sold-out nights at BMO Stadium, with a final bow over the weekend.
“Thank you for gifting us these nights of love, of fun, of nostalgia,” said member Maite Perroni, who played the girl-next-door character of Lupita on “Rebelde.” The teen drama series became a massive success and a favorite amongst young Latin American viewers after it aired its first of hundreds of episodes in 2004. The show was set in the halls of the fictional Elite Way private school in Mexico City and followed a group of musically-inclined young students — played by Perroni, Christopher von Uckermann, Dulce María, Anahí, Christian Chavez and Alfonso Herra, the latter of whom sat out this tour.
“Rebelde” has multiple variations in different Latin countries, and the Elite Way school still serves as the foundational plot for the Spanish television series “Elite,” which was created for Netflix and is currently in its seventh season.
Until their disbandment in 2009, RBD released nine studio albums in Spanish, Portuguese and English, and performed sold-out shows all over the world. Before this tour, it had been more than a decade since RBD’s last in-person concert (the group reunited for a virtual show in 2020).
“For us, it’s been a challenge but at the same time, the biggest gift that we could’ve ever received,” Perroni continued in one of the many thankful speeches that each member delivered throughout the evening. “Thank you for insisting, for remaining here — for being here, you’ve always been here for us.”
The shows at BMO marked the first four-night run in the building’s history and were the highest selling multi-night show of all time for the venue, according to Live Nation, who produced the trek. Much of the setlist remained anchored in the group’s biggest hits — from opener “Tras de Mí,” to the heart-filled closer, “Rebelde,” which saw the band exchange their glitzy stage wear for the red blazer and tie that served as the Elite Way uniform on the show.
The concert also provided each of the members with ample opportunity to shine as solo artists. Anahí has publicly stated that this tour is her “goodbye to the one thing I’ve loved doing the most in my life,” and that sentiment was on display while she delivered chill-inducing falsettos during her rendition of “Sálvame,” which leads as the group’s most-streamed single on Spotify with over 200 million plays. The performance was preceded by a video message that encouraged fans to “embrace the heart of your inner child.”
Chávez, who did not come out as gay until the group had already split, shined in an all-pink mariachi ensemble during a performance of “Tu Amor,” which is half in English and half in Spanish. “We were born with the universal and undeniable right to be ourselves,” Chávez’s voice boomed in the video message that preceded his solo appearance.
The stage design was also incredibly impressive in scale: During solo performances, take for example von Uckermann’s piano rendition of “Inalcanzable,” group members would descend on stage attached to giant, neon-lit props that dropped them off at various points across the stage.
When the show finally clocked its ending at 11 p.m. — marked by a firework display and red-and-white confetti in the shape of little ties — the celebration continued right outside BMO where a man had set up a speaker and a DJ deck to spin classic Latin party-starters like “La Chona” and “El Beeper.” Rebelde will continue partying through Dec. 1, with more sold-out stadium shows throughout Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.
