Ricky Martin’s concert in Montenegro was meant to be a celebration of music, not a test run for emergency protocols—but Thursday night had other plans.
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During the opening stretch of the Ricky Martin Live tour’s European leg in Podgorica, the show came to an abrupt halt after someone in the crowd reportedly discharged tear gas toward the stage. What followed was less “encore” and more “everyone out, immediately.”
According to the singer’s publicist, Róndine Alcalá, in a statement that has since been deleted from Instagram, “During Ricky Martin’s concert tonight in Montenegro — where the artist was kicking off the European leg of his ‘Ricky Martin Live’ tour — an individual discharged tear gas toward the stage, causing an abrupt interruption of the show,”.
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Panic in the Crowd, Swift Exit from the Stage
The situation escalated quickly. Martin and his team were escorted off stage as security and local authorities moved in to assess what had just turned a live concert into an impromptu evacuation drill. Audience members reportedly rushed away from the affected area while emergency responders assisted concertgoers who were impacted.
RICKY MARTIN INTERRUMPE SHOW TRAS ATAQUE CON GAS LACRIMÓGENO
El concierto de Ricky Martin en Montenegro fue suspendido por varios minutos luego de que una persona lanzara gas lacrimógeno cerca del escenario, generando tensión entre los asistentes.
El equipo de seguridad actuó… pic.twitter.com/HR5qPUDH4J
— 24 Morelos (@24_morelos) May 22, 2026
Thankfully, no injuries were reported for the 54-year-old Grammy winner, who—despite the chaos—was not physically harmed. In a second statement, his publicist confirmed that “As a precautionary measure, Ricky Martin and his entire team immediately exited the stage while security personnel and local authorities worked to contain the situation and ensure the safety of those in attendance,”.
“Nothing Is Going to Stop This Show”
For a moment, it looked like the night might be over. But this is Ricky Martin we’re talking about—the kind of performer who has spent decades turning chaos into choreography. After authorities declared the situation under control, Martin reportedly made a call that not everyone around him agreed with: he went back out.
And when he did, he made his position very clear to the crowd: “Nothing is going to stop this show. Nothing.”
A Concert Rewritten in Real Time
That energy carried through the rest of the night, as if the interruption had simply been a badly timed intermission. At one point, he even leaned into the moment, tweaking the opening line of “Livin’ La Vida Loca” to fit the setting: “Woke up right here in Montenegro, baby.” New York City didn’t stand a chance.
The Montenegro show itself was part of a larger national celebration marking 20 years since the country’s independence from Serbia, staged in Podgorica’s open-air Independence Square. A festive backdrop, until it briefly wasn’t. Authorities have not yet identified who was responsible for the incident, and there has been no public update on any arrests.
Ricky Martin Remains Safe and Back on Tour
Martin has not yet spoken publicly in detail about the tear gas incident, but his team has reiterated that he and his crew are safe and grateful for the concern following the disruption.
If anything, the night underscored a familiar truth about his live performances: they don’t fold easily. Even when the air literally turns against them, they tend to find their way back to the stage. And so does he.
The rest of the Ricky Martin Live European tour continues through August, including his upcoming UK festival appearance—where, hopefully, the only thing in the air will be pop nostalgia, not tear gas.
Source: LA Times