LYNN — Armando Christian Pérez, better known by his stage name, Pitbull, is set to perform live on stage at the Lynn Auditorium in March.
The rapper, known for hit songs such as “I Know You Want Me” and “Give Me Everything,” will perform on March 4 at 8 p.m. as part of his 2021-22, “I Feel Good” tour. The city’s Department of Community Development announced the upcoming event on Monday.
Pre-sale tickets will be available for purchase on Wednesday, Jan. 12 and general-audience tickets will be available on Thursday, Jan 13. Ticket prices will range from $99 to $399.
James M. Marsh, executive director and talent buyer for the community development office, said he and his team are excited Pitbull is coming to perform in Lynn. He predicts this concert will be one of, if not the biggest performance of the auditorium’s 74-year history.
“We’re announcing the biggest show event that the auditorium has ever seen,” said Marsh. “This kind of show would normally go to a big stadium like TD Garden in Boston or the Xfinity Center in Mansfield.”
Marsh said the last performance event of this caliber happened when the rock band Bad Company performed live at the auditorium in 2019.
“I think it’s going to be bigger than that,” Marsh said. “We have been trying to get a big artist for some time.”
The Lynn Memorial Auditorium was built in 1948 along with the rest of City Hall. Since then, it has been a hot spot for local artists and big-name musicians. Some well-known acts who have performed at the auditorium include ZZ Top, Foreigner, Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees, and Ben Folds. The auditorium has also held screenings of movies, such as “Masters of Illusion” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation” with a live appearance by Chevy Chase for the latter.
Marsh, who became the department’s executive director in 2009, hopes the upcoming Pitbull concert will breathe more life into the auditorium.
“Pitbull usually plays for 30,000-seat venues and this is just a 2,000-seat venue,” said Marsh. “We are incredibly excited.”
Marsh said due to COVID-19, concerts had to be rescheduled or canceled in 2020. In 2021, however, he said the auditorium held all events without postponement or rescheduling. He hopes things will stay the same this year when Pitbull arrives in Lynn.
“We hope by then that the omicron variant will be a thing of the past,” said Marsh.
