Argentine singer Luciano Pereyra will perform for Pope Leo XIV during the pontiff's visit to Argentina in November, the artist announced on stage.
The musician broke down in tears during his concert at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires on Saturday, October 24, as he shared the news with thousands of fans.
Pereyra was born and still lives in the city of Lujan, where the Pope is scheduled to conclude his four-day tour of the South American nation on Wednesday, November 11.
Emotional announcement in Buenos Aires
The revelation came in the middle of Pereyra's weekend performance in the Argentine capital. He halted his show abruptly to tell the audience about a message that he had just received backstage.
Addressing the cheering crowd, Pereyra said that officials had just confirmed he would sing for the Pope in his home city. He told the audience that a Pope was coming to Lujan, where he lives, and expressed his joy at being able to welcome the pontiff and sing together with the people of his community.
Fans in the venue witnessed the singer become overwhelmed with emotion, weeping openly as the crowd responded with roars of applause. Spectators filmed the emotional scene on their phones, and clips of the announcement spread rapidly across social media platforms over the weekend.
Pereyra later posted video footage of the moment to his official Instagram account. In an accompanying message, he said God had given him a new blessing and noted that he felt deep emotion knowing that he and his audience would sing together for Pope Leo XIV.
The concert was part of a major series of dates at the Movistar Arena, a 15,000-capacity indoor venue located in the Villa Crespo district of Buenos Aires. The arena regularly hosts leading Latin American and international recording artists.
Papal itinerary and Lujan concert
According to details released regarding the papal schedule, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Argentina from Sunday, November 8 to Wednesday, November 11.
The impending apostolic journey has created huge excitement among the Catholic faithful throughout the country, with special attention centering on Lujan for the final day of the pilgrimage.
Pereyra will not be on stage alone for the papal reception. The singer is scheduled to deliver a special performance alongside fellow Argentine artist Nahuel Pennisi.
Pennisi is an acclaimed singer and guitarist celebrated throughout Latin America for his soulful voice and virtuoso technique, having earned widespread recognition across folklore and Latin pop music.
The musical programme for the pontiff will feature Si No Es Contigo, Pereyra's most recent single. The track serves as the first official release from his upcoming studio album.
Spiritual significance of Lujan
For Pereyra, the opportunity to sing for the head of the Catholic Church holds deep personal meaning because of his lifelong ties to Lujan.
The city, situated approximately 68 kilometres west of the capital in Buenos Aires Province, is revered as the spiritual center of Argentina.
Lujan is famous for the monumental Basilica of Our Lady of Lujan, a neo-Gothic Catholic sanctuary dedicated to the patron saint of Argentina. The shrine attracts millions of pilgrims each year who travel from across the country to pay homage to the Virgin Mary.
The arrival of Pope Leo XIV on November 11 is expected to bring immense crowds of worshippers to the city, making the musical performance before the pontiff one of the most prominent cultural and religious events of the year in Argentina.
Return to the papal stage after Rome
The November performance will be the second time that Pereyra has sung directly for a Roman Catholic pontiff during his musical career.
In August 2000, an 18-year-old Pereyra performed before Pope John Paul II during the 15th World Youth Day in Rome.
On that occasion, he sang Sólo le pido a Dios, the legendary peace anthem composed by Argentine singer-songwriter Leon Gieco, in front of an estimated 2.5 million young people gathered in the Italian capital.
That Rome appearance proved to be a decisive breakthrough for the young singer, granting him widespread international acclaim and propelling his rise across the Spanish-language music industry.
Gieco originally wrote Sólo le pido a Dios in 1978 during border tensions between Argentina and Chile. The composition became an iconic plea for peace, brotherhood and resilience, widely performed at major humanitarian and religious gatherings worldwide.
Pereyra has since built a 25-year career as one of Argentina's most enduring musical figures, blending traditional folklore styles such as zamba with modern romantic pop. He marked his quarter-century milestone with performances in Lima, Peru, and recently released his album Hasta el alma.
The singer now prepares to return to the papal stage on home soil on November 11, singing for Pope Leo XIV in the streets of the city where he was raised.
