EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Karol G will take the stage at the El Paso Sun Bowl Stadium next weekend — and the University of Texas at El Paso is already preparing.
Karol G will perform Sep. 5-6 as part of her “Viajando Por El Mundo Tropitour.”
In July, UTEP announced Becky G will join her for the El Paso shows.
ABC-7 will speak with UTEP’s director of special events, Jorge Vazquez to see how the campus is preparing to host the singer-songwriter.
ABC-7 got to see day two of the ten day long setup efforts at the Sun Bowl.
Vazquez described the process as building a city from nothing. He said they don’t have the capacity or space indoors, so instead they make everything from scratch. Including plumbing, electric, running water, drainage systems and Wi-Fi.
But in addition to all the physical work that goes into setting up, Vazquez acknowledges the fulfilling feeling he gets once he sees it all come together. He describes it as almost “addicting”
“Seeing the the the fruits of your labor and the labor of your team and how much people are enjoying it, how much the artist is enjoying it. It’s a daunting feeling to see a major production, that plays a major cities in the world, to be here in El Paso. And the face that we all made it happen.”
ABC-7 went to UTEP’s Campus to see how students and fans felt about the Colombian artist coming to El Paso.
“‘m excited because not that many artists come to El Paso. So it’s cool seeing someone big come and kind of give us a little shout out. Even when BTS came, I felt like that was something cool, something new.” Said Maya, a UTEP Freshman studying nursing.
She said wasn’t able to get tickets due to the high demand. But she also explained how Karol G coming to UTEP is more than just a fun weekend.
“I feel like UTEP is kind of unknown. So I feel like it gives us kind of like, oh, come to UTEP, we offer a lot of stuff, you know.”
ABC-7 asked Vazquez what it meant to him to have a global superstar coming to UTEP in less than ten days.
“It’s going to be a part of history, it’s really meaningful because my goal has always, always been to put El Paso on the map to make sure that El Paso is not just a city in the southwest.”
He added,” El Paso has to be a destination for global acts. And I think little by little we have proven that we are. We proved with Coldplay, MTS, and now Karol G.”
Vazquez also said that most of the physical labor happens when the sun goes down. The project includes measuring out the field to know exactly where Karol G will stand and how large the stage will be.
Even the standard facilities are getting a complete overhaul. The football team’s locker rooms are being turned into spacious “glam rooms” for the talent and her crew, while temporary outdoor plumbing, electrical grid setups, and high-speed Wi-Fi are installed across the complex.
When fans flood into the Sun Bowl, they will also get a authentic taste of the Sun City. Instead of typical stadium concession food, Vazquez is ensuring local mom-and-pop vendors take center stage giving out-of-town guests and local concertgoers a taste of local El Paso favorites, including birria tacos.