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This year’s Travel Tuesday deals and promos are making that dream vacation to far-off places or cozy staycations even more attainable.

Rather than put that beachside getaway off for another month, you can take advantage of savings up to 75% off, and paired with luggage deals, you can travel the world more affordably. Prime Day 2025 is even offering exclusive savings for Prime members only until 11:59 ET/PT that you can jump on for a limited-time.

Whether you’re planning on going to any festivals and concerts this summer or just want a change in environment, beaches and unexplored regions await.

Summer savings events are going on now including Prime Day travel promos that’ll tempt you to take advantage of that PTO and go on a much-needed vacation. To take some of the stress out of finding the best travel deals, we did the research and rounded up the hottest deals, steals and promos so you can focus on stocking up on travel necessities.

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See below for the best travel deals — from flights to experiences — that will help make sure you have the best vacation yet. These promos aren’t going to last forever, though, which means you need to act ASAP to avoid seeing the dreaded “sold out” or “offer expired” message pop up.

What Are the Best Prime Day Travel Deals?

To help you score good deals on Prime-exclusive flights, rental cars and experiences, ShopBillboard listed the best offers below for you to grab before it’s too late.

Southwest Airlines

Amazon is celebrating Cyber Monday with 50% off Southwest base fares using the code 50CYBER until Dec. 4 at 11:59 p.m. ET/PT on U.S. flights only between 1/6-3/4/26. That means you can head to anywhere in the U.S. at a fraction of normal flight pricing.

Budget

Prime members can take advantage of up to 30% off car rentals and earn a 15% gift card when they book through Amazon during Prime Day with Budget. Plus, you’ll also be able to save up to 30% off your rental base rates.

SIXT

Another Prime Day-only deal you can look forward to is up to 15% off SIXT car rentals. You’ll have to be a Prime member in order to redeem the deal as well as book it through the Prime Day Travel Deals page. If you’re not currently a Prime member, Amazon is offering a 30-day free trial for new users who sign up, which will include access to the exclusive Prime member-only deals.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Prime members are being treated to up to 50% off Norwegian Cruise Line cruise experiences when you book through the Prime Day Travel Deals page. With this deal, you’ll also be given free pre-paid gratuities on all cruises, making your dream vacation a reality. The promo goes live for Prime Day, which starts July 16 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET/PT on July 17.

Tripadvisor

Amazon is encouraging you to embrace your wanderlust spirit with an exclusive Prime Day-only deal for Prime members via Tripadvisor. You can score $50 off select Tripadvisor experiences only on the app when you book through the Prime Day Travel Deals page. This deal applies if you join the app for free by Dec. 2.

What Are the Best Flight Deals?

Jet off at a fraction of the price as airlines slash prices throughout the year to help you fly for less. No matter where you want to go, don’t drop hundreds of dollars on a round-trip ticket. Check below to see what the current best flight deals are.

United Airlines

United is offering low-fare flights from select cities including Chicago, New York City, Denver, San Fransisco, Houston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. All you have to do is book a trip from one of the cities listed and you can score flights as low as $110 roundtrip. You can also personalize your picks by entering your max budget for trips within your spending limit.

Skyscanner

Skyscanner looks across a variety of airlines to find the cheapest tickets on the market worldwide. You can enjoy the low-priced tickets any time of the year, not just during the holidays. Right now, some round-trip flights are as low as $39, so don’t miss out.

CheapOAir

Whether you’re looking for last-minute cheap flights or just want to book ahead, CheapOAir is offering $60 off flight fees, up to $100 off flight and hotel fees and up to $20 off car rentals. To redeem the offer, just click to enter your email, and a unique code will be emailed to you to use on your booking. One-way flights start as low as $60 right now to domestic destinations in the U.S.

Hopper

Hopper is another destination where you can score major savings on hotels, flights, rental cars and more, up to 50% off. When you sign up, you can collect vouchers and cash back to redeem on flights, stays and rental cars. The site also scours the web for the best deals to help you save money and even tells you what time of the month to purchase plane tickets.

What Are the Best Hotel Deals?

Flights aren’t the only thing to think about. Booking a hotel room can be just as pricey, leaving you with little to spend on food and activities. Don’t worry, though: These deals are here to offer you savings.

Travelocity

Looking for the perfect hotel? Travelocity is offering customers up to 30% off or more on select hotels when you book by Dec 3, 2025, and travel by Dec 30, 2026. We’ve seen hotel prices as low as $94 a night in places like Las Vegas, Miami, Atlanta, and Chicago.

Hotels.com

Hotels.com is offering users up to 75% off select properties today only, with limited availability while supplies last. We’ve seen top travel destinations from New York and Las Vegas to Dubai and Tokyo for just $63 a night, all with 9.2 stars or higher. Your dream destination is waiting.

Expedia

Expedia is offering up to 75% off on hotel bookings and vacation packages. This deal is only valid on stays booked by Dec. 2, 2025, and travel by Dec. 30, 2026. Some of the best deals we’ve seen include $49 a night for destinations like Tokyo, Cancun and more.

IHG Hotels & Resorts

IHG is offering up to 25% off hotel and resort bookings for IHG One Rewards Members and 20% off for non-members. The offer is valid across participating properties in the US, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, India, Middle East, Africa and Greater China.

Caesars

Caesars is hosting its Semi-Annual Sale, dropping rooms to as low as $45 a night (regularly as low as $67). You can experience luxurious comfort before heading out to explore Las Vegas — and with all the savings you rack up, you can make sure you leave with a treasure-worthy souvenir.

$45+ $67+ 33% off

book on caesars here

Booking.com

Up until Dec. 31, you can score up to 40% off stays with Booking.com’s Travel Tuesday deals. Some stays are as low as $12 a night right now. Low prices like these don’t happen every day, which is why you should act sooner rather than later.

Airbnb

Don’t want to drop a ton of money on a hotel? Airbnb offers stays in a variety of homes that you can customize to your preferences. Plus, for ultimate privacy you can opt for a private stay meaning you get the entire place to yourself — and some stays are as low as $115 for two nights right now.

Travelzoo

Travelzoo’s top 20 deals feature some of the service’s greatest hits, including London and Bali getaways from $599, cruises from $249 and a beachfront resort stay for $139. The list features some of the very best travel deals vetted by experts to give you the best experience possible.

What Are the Best Rental Car Deals?

Not every destination will have the luxury of public transportation at your fingertips and if you want to do some road exploring of your own, then you’ll need a car. Thankfully, we’ve rounded up the best deals available below.

Priceline

Priceline is celebrating Rental Car Week by dropping up to 40% of on car rentals in addition to providing $15 off Rental Car Express offers with the promo code RCWEEK. You’ll have to book on the Priceline app in order to get the $15 off deal, but other discounts are eligible to redeem on the website. Non-car related deals include $100 off on Disney Resorts Collection hotels, an extra 20% off select hotels and up to $650 in savings on travel packages.

Kayak

Kayak isn’t afraid to floor it when it comes to offering great deals. The service compares the price of competitor and aims to offer at least 32% off the full price. And, right now you can find travel deals including hotels and flights all under $59. We’ve seen flights to prime locations for under $39.

What Are the Best Cruise Deals?

Sail around the islands and escape the city with a cruise that’ll bring photo-worthy moments and memories to last a lifetime. Travel Tuesday deals are also making sure you don’t have to break the bank either, so you can enjoy your vacation without avoiding your wallet’s gaze.

Hurtigruten Expeditions

Hurtigruten Expeditions is slashing prices on expeditions with savings on select 2025–2026 Norway cruises with up to 50% off Original Coastal Express voyages and up to 25% off Signature sailings if you book by Dec. 3.

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises will have you sailing over to their deals page as they’re currently offering 75% off a second guest for any cruise, as well as up to $1,000 in savings on rooms. Act quickly, though, as the deal is only going on for a limited time. Some of the most eye-catching deals we’ve seen include a Quick Caribbean Escape cruise starting at just $179.

What Are the Best Experience Deals?

For anyone planning a staycation or to score some deals on excursions during their trip away from home, there are various ways to book an activity without burning a hole in your wallet. Scroll down for our finds on the best experience deals.

EF Travel

You can save up to 25% per person on select tours on Dec. 2-5, 2025. These include European getaways, journeys throughout Asia and more. The travel group was designed to help solo travelers vacation with ease. They’ll do basically all the work for you including building an itinerary, helping find flights and even providing down time for you to explore on your own.

G Adventures

For the month of June you can save up to 30% on G Adventures‘ pre-planned adventures around the globe including Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and more. The brand aims to keep your travel group small so you can enjoy the experience without feeling overwhelmed.

Groupon

Groupon’s sale wants to encourage new experiences with up to 75% off select deals when you use the code TRAVEL at checkout. Everything from deep tissue massages to entrance fees at the petting zoo are being completely slashed.

What Are the Best Luggage Deals?

To have a great trip, you’ll need reliable luggage to get you there. Big, small, rolling or freehand, you can shop these sale luggage picks below.

Samsonite

When your flight is booked and your hotel stay is ready to go, all you need now is your luggage squared away. If you don’t have luggage you can rely on, we’d recommend checking out Samsonite’s durable collection. Right now, the brand is offering up to 40% off plus extra 10% with code CYBER10 while supplies last. You’ll be able to snag deals on everything from backpacks to luggage sets.

After starring in The Housemaid and wrapping the third season of Euphoria this year, Sydney Sweeney probably wouldn’t mind if her next role involved Greek islands, a confusing paternity situation and a whole lot of ABBA music.

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While guesting on The Tonight Show on Monday night (Dec. 1), the actress raved about her love for Mamma Mia — a passion that naturally came up a lot while she was filming The Housemaid with Amanda Seyfried, who starred in both of the musical franchise’s films. “I am like the biggest Mamma Mia fan,” Sweeney gushed.

Sharing that she frequently listens to the ABBA-filled Mamma Mia soundtrack, Sweeney revealed that she once sent a video of her friends belting along to the songs on the beach to Seyfried. “I was like, ‘You’re forever my icon.’ I love her.”

Of course, Sweeney had to pounce on the opportunity to sing one of the movie musical’s tracks with Seyfried when they were on set of The Housemaid, which hits theaters Dec. 19. Showing the audience a TikTok of herself singing along to “Angeleyes” with Seyfried, Sweeney said, “All my dreams came true, it was amazing.”

The first Mamma Mia film — which also starred Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and a long list of other A-listers — premiered in 2008. It was adapted from the jukebox stage musical of the same name featuring a soundtrack entirely comprised of ABBA hits.

Ten years later, the cast reunited for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. If the pattern continues, a third Mamma Mia would theoretically arrive in 2028 — and Seyfried has already said that she’d be game. She also said that she’d love to have Sweeney join the franchise, along with Sabrina Carpenter.

“I love portraying a mom, so I would love to see [my character] Sophie with her kids,” Seyfried told Entertainment Tonight in November. “Maybe she has a cousin she hasn’t seen in a while, and that could be Sabrina Carpenter. And then Sydney Sweeney could show up. There’s a bunch of girls I really want to be a part of it, and I’m all for it.”

In the meantime, Sweeney is looking forward to the third season of Euphoria finally coming to HBO Max in 2026. While speaking to host Jimmy Fallon, the Hollywood starlet teased that the Sam Levinson series might continue after season three — “You never know,” she said with a shrug — and added that wrapping the third installment in November was “bittersweet.”

Sweeney also described the upcoming season of Euphoria in one word, following Jacob Elordi’s lead. (When the Australian actor appeared on Fallon in October, he summed up the next batch of episodes with: “white fritillaries.”)

The Anyone But You leading lady’s word choice? “Self-discovery,” she hinted.

Watch Sweeney on The Tonight Show above.


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As the rest of the world gets into the holiday spirit, drag fans are gearing up for a different kind of season entirely after MTV unveiled the new cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 on Tuesday (Dec. 2).

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Set to premiere on Jan. 2, the latest season of Drag Race will see 14 new contestants enter the work room and compete in acting, design, comedy and musical challenges for the chance to win a $200,000 cash prize, an official makeup collab with with Anastasia Beverly Hills Cosmetics and the coveted title of America’s Next Drag Superstar.

The 14 new queens joining the Drag Race franchise include Athena Dion, Briar Blush, Ciara Myst, Darlene Mitchell, DD Fuego, Discord Addams, Jane Don’t, Juicy Love Dion, Kenya Pleaser, Mandy Mango, Mia Starr, Myki Meeks, Nini Coco and Vita VonTesse Starr.

In the official teaser trailer for the season, Emmy-winning host RuPaul introduces fans to the bevy of new members of the franchise, while also giving us a glimpse at the overarching theme of the season. “In shady times, let there be light. And let there be drag,” she proclaims in the new trailer. “This season, 14 new queens will be the light the world needs right now, more than ever … Ready, set, glow.”

Along with revealing the cast and premiere date, MTV and World of Wonder also gave fans a glimpse into the premiere episode’s main challenge. In a press release, the network revealed that the new contestants will not be taking on the talent show challenge in the first episode, but instead a design challenge, as the they sift through the “leftover treasures” from past contestants to create “their own signature drag look” for the runway.

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 premieres on MTV Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Meet the entire cast of new queens in the video below:


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Nelson burst onto the music scene in May 1990 when debut single “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love & Affection” charged onto the Billboard Hot 100, reaching the summit weeks later on the July 7-dated chart. The band — led by twins Matthew and Gunnar Nelson — saw its star continue to climb when its first studio album, After the Rain, arrived a month later, peaking at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and reaching double-Platinum status by July 1998.

It was a quick transition from unknowns to widespread fame for the duo known for their long, platinum locks and notable family history in entertainment. (Their grandparents are performers Ozzie and Harriet Nelson; dad is late singer Ricky Nelson, known for Hot 100 hits such as “Travelin’ Man” and “Poor Little Fool”; sister Tracy Nelson is an actress; and their uncle is actor Mark Harmon.) But the duo’s popularity proved to be fleeting — sophomore album Because They Can arrived in 1995, but did not chart.

Now, 35 years after the immense success of their debut album, the Nelson twins are ready to tell their story in their new memoir, What Happened to Your Hair?, which arrives Dec. 16 via Permuted Press and Simon & Schuster.

In an exclusive excerpt shared with Billboard, Matthew details from his point of view a planned in-store appearance at Los Angeles’ Sherman Oaks Galleria, where the band expected few people. Instead, thousands showed up, resulting in a riot that led police to shut down the event. (Excerpted from What Happened to Your Hair? by Matthew and Gunnar Nelson © 2025 and reprinted by permission of Permuted Press.)

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“The story about the pandemonium at the Sherman Oaks Galleria is important to us because it was our very first indication that our world had shifted overnight in an epic way, and that Nelson wasn’t just going to be successful — it was going to be a phenomenon,” Gunnar tells Billboard of including that moment and its aftermath in the new memoir. “Every aspiring musician dreams of that kind of fandom that they saw in movies like Hard Day’s Night while they’re paying their dues on their way up.

“It’s that sort of fabled payoff that keeps them going through all of the doubt, poverty and setbacks they’ll have to overcome as they put in their 10,000 hours. They keep visions of such things in their bag of power while working their way up in an endless parade of dive clubs, playing to scores of empty rooms,” he continues. :We were no different. Throughout all of those years of making our bones in the L.A. nightclubs from the time we were 12, we dreamed that one day, thousands and thousands of girls would be screaming our names in unison like a jet engine. Only in our case, it actually happened.”

“What blew our minds though was the fact that we were the exact same people we were just a week earlier … when we went to that very same mall to buy underwear for our trip to New York City to guest VJ on MTV. Just a few days earlier, we might as well have been invisible,” Gunnar marvels. “And now the LAPD was having to shut the mall down because the girls were starting to stampede. It was surreal. And it was FANTASTIC. Isn’t it amazing what a little TV exposure can do?”

Read Billboard‘s excerpt from What Happened to Your Hair? below.

Nelson Twins memoir cover

The cover of Matthew and Gunnar Nelson’s memoir, ‘What Happened to Your Hair?’

Permuted Press

Gun grabbed the store’s crappy announcement microphone, and we both tried to calm down the audience. It worked for a second. We thanked them for being there, and between the screams we played them a little bit of our first single on the acoustic guitar held up to one microphone over the PA in the record store. Big mistake. When we were done, the entire place exploded. Every girl there started pushing forward toward the store’s entrance at that moment.

The guys in the band started to look scared. Gunnar was smiling, although looking in his eyes I saw a new look that I would see a lot for another year and a half and through a breakdown or three, and I had a small but foreboding feeling that deep down he was terrified too. I was amazed that there were so many people there to see us because of what they saw on television just that week. I’d remembered being at that very same mall two weeks earlier and being completely overlooked by everybody, including salespeople, when I went to buy socks and underwear. That’s when I was an unknown soldier of rock: unhailed and disposable. A few days later—and I’m a bona fide rock god and one-half of the most famous twin brothers in the world.

Overnight, the world wanted its piece of us and wanted it now. Somehow, I didn’t forget I was the exact same guy as I was two weeks ago. After what I’d been through in my life—what we’d been through, and the ups and downs I’d seen my pop go through—I refused to abandon my “remember thou art mortal” emotional compass…even with every chick in the Valley in front of me wanting to devour me. I thank God for that inner compass as it kept me balanced and (mostly) sane in the years to come, through our success and especially through its demise. The music business, as we lived it, was absolutely not for the faint of heart. It’ll kill you. Ask our dad, the late great Ricky Nelson. The greatest lesson from him I ever learned was instilled by personally witnessing his ups and downs in “the biz.” The hard truth that fame is not love. Pop’s life taught me that fame is a whore—she loves you and makes you feel like a stud until the moment you stop paying her price. Then she’s gone, as if she’d never met you. I watched my dad’s fame rise and fall many times before the business killed him in a plane crash 2,000 miles away from his family one horrible New Year’s Eve. Still, Gunnar and I chose to do the same thing our dad did. Are we insane? Yeah—probably. But the difference (we told ourselves) was we had each other to keep us alive and keep us real through it all. We had, in fact, sworn an oath after Pop’s accident we would never let happen to us what happened to him. The biz wouldn’t get us. Then we soldiered on.

In hindsight, I think in some ways I was more prepared emotionally to deal with instant fame than Gunnar was, at least initially. My emotional breakdown happened years later long after the dust had settled and hope had finally abandoned me. How we each handled superstardom as Nelson, from zeroes to heroes and back again, revealed and solidified our personalities and our symbiotic roles in each other’s journey. To outside spectators I was promoted as the “sensitive twin,” Gunnar the self-proclaimed “shameless one.” True duality. To the fans I was apparently candy-coated; Gunnar was bulletproof. In reality (and I think only really known between the two of us), the opposite was true when we initially became really famous and the lights went down and the cameras shut off. Unseen cracks in the emotional armor eventually became a real problem when the inevitable backlash from haters happened shortly thereafter. Gunnar could let things really get to him—much more than me—and I was truly concerned about him.

At first, life was a blur of activity, and we were unflappable. We were so amazingly busy when “Love and Affection” hit number one. For three months we couldn’t breathe, let alone worry about a backlash. I was always quicker to say “f–k ’em” and move on than Gun when we first caught the fame wave. Gunnar was more sensitive than anyone knew, save me. He wore the hero suit very well. He was unquestionably a champion. Gunnar goes all in, but an idiot A&R executive or a jealous hater could really mess him up. Riding that aforementioned wave with my brother, I saw that a rock star’s ego can be shaken from a mighty height by a single middle finger hovering above a sea of 10,000 raving fans. True story. You do get what you focus on. Don’t get me wrong. Gunnar has strength and courage and all that comes with it, but underneath it all I believe there is a little kid who needs an embrace and an “I love you” just a little more than my little kid does. Fame was a trigger. I’ve always felt he was broken inside by our mom when he was a baby. That woman really did a number on both of us (I’m sure you know that by now), but Gun was always more sensitive and things cut deeper. I fought for him when he hurt, and he fought for me in return.

That’s why God brought us in together. When it really comes down to it, we are there to back each other up. We need each other. We can count on each other. The man upstairs made sure we each had a spare.

That day, with thousands of girls screaming for us, I knew we were in for it. We were gonna need to protect each other more than ever, or we would be in deep trouble. Remember, there is a huge difference between fame and love.

I could see in Gunnar’s eyes in that moment at the Galleria that to him this was a huge wall of love. Yeah, wow, awesome. Bravo! Almost 75 percent of me felt the overwhelming rush too. But somehow inside I also knew it was just fame disguised as love. It was a beautiful lie. As happy as I was at that moment, I was a little bit irritated knowing our “instant” success was Pavlovian. An illusion. The remaining 25 percent of me thought that we were just the special-of-the-day meat in a corporate greed sandwich. That jaded inner postpunk/preteen cynical part of me that will never die thought that it was all completely media-driven horseshit. An illusion. But on the other side—the side that won the battle that day—was a chorus of inner voices screaming, “WHAT A RIDE! ENJOY IT! Why NOT? You’re only twenty-one so why not tear it up already! Fantasy NOW…reality LATER! Isn’t this everything you’ve struggled for, and then some? Re-fucking-lax, Nelson! This is your moment!”

It was admittedly addictive to feel that kind of energy being thrown my way because of the years of sacrifice and hard work we’d put in. So, I talked my inner punk off his high horse and let the moment sink in and basked in the sunshine of it all. And it was glorious. Matt and Gunnar were the conquering twin heroes of Dial MTV and the San Fernando Valley.

First, the Galleria. Next—THE WORLD!

It was euphoric. It was a dream. And like all dreams, you wake up. “The cops are here, and they’re shutting it down,” Geffen rep informed us. “They say if we don’t leave immediately, we will get arrested. They want to keep people from getting killed. They estimate there are now at least seven thousand people trying to see you guys right now. The crowd is getting unruly and refuses to leave.”

Time to go. Well, that was fun while lasted…every bit of one-half hour. And I was right—we were back at the house by noon ordering pizza.

Nelsonmania and its ensuing female tidal wave was launched that day at that mall. And the Sherman Oaks Galleria’s notorious Valley Girls were there first. That was the flashpoint and the true beginning of Nelson’s official establishment as a “chick band.” To put it bluntly—it’s a massive understatement to say we appreciate women. They were the mission, and mission accomplished! All those girls were nuts for us. The same kind of crazy we had seen with our father years earlier. I saw firsthand that women, especially beautiful women used to getting their way, will go to great lengths to get what they want. Without shame. I discovered that day that it was amazing how attractive having a number-one record and being on TV and in magazines make you to the opposite sex. Irresistible, in fact. Gunnar and I were now human catnip for a million kitty cats.

To prove my point: To cap off the day of the first mall riot at the Galleria, that very night we drove the band to the Sunset Strip for a celebration dinner at the Rainbow, a well-known hangout next to the Roxy. We had eaten and were waiting for our cars to be pulled up when I was approached by the reigning Penthouse Pet of the Year. She was spectacular in every way. And she wanted me. How do I know? She walked straight up to me in front of the entire band and made a proclamation.

“I’m taking you home right now, and I’m going to f–k you like you’ve never been f–ked before,” she said.

The band froze wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Now, there are a million reasons why I should have grabbed her by the hand and gotten into her Mercedes and experienced a night of erotic bliss. But before I could stop it, that cynical awkward inner punk that brought a guitar to high school to keep him company had an answer for her.

“You know, I went to school with girls like you who thought they could have anything they wanted that ignored me, and two weeks ago you would never have given me a second look,” I said. “So, I’ll have to say ‘no thank you.’” She froze in astonishment, blinked a few times, then briskly walked away hoping nobody saw the exchange. I admit blowing her off actually felt pretty damn good. The band ripped me up for that, but I couldn’t help it. I had to do it for all the other social rejects out there and to heal old Pali High wounds. That’s not to say there are some nights when I admittedly wonder, What if? Let’s just say I made up for shunning the Penthouse Pet of the Year in the years to come. And how. But I’ll save that for another chapter.

For the next two years, I was rarely in public alone with my twin brother. Our image was iconic and unmistakable. We looked like a pair of hot Swedish chicks. We caused riots almost everywhere we went. If we went out on days off on tour, we went solo. People would see us and say, literally, “Look at that loser trying to look like a Nelson twin!” and move on. But it was a harsh reality that I couldn’t really truly enjoy the ride with my brother or a riot ensued.

Part of the reason Gunnar unraveled emotionally during our eternal tour was the fact we couldn’t hang together. It was the first experience of not being able to have each other’s backs. The final mall riot was a solo act in late 1991. I was in Toms River, New Jersey, visiting my old friend and producer Jack Ponti while we were on a break from the tour. He had a twisted sense of humor that was a lot of fun. He even managed to talk me into a social experiment—walk inside the Ocean County Mall to see how long it took people to recognize me. We placed our bets. Jack brought his dad’s old-school stopwatch. We drove to the mall, and I bought a Mrs. Fields cookie while he timed me from a distance. Five minutes. It started with a single “Oh my GOD!” and built from there. Jack laughed hysterically from his corner. Ten minutes later, the cops arrived and politely asked us to leave as the growing crowd of over 500 was too much for them to handle. That’s when the fun of causing mall riots ended for me. I was really scared. For the first time I truly asked myself, What if this is the way it will always be for me? For us? If this kind of fame is just the beginning, what kind of a life is that for a person? What if it never ends?

Well, it does. I’m living proof that even if you are on the cover of People magazine (and I was) that the world does eventually move on. It doesn’t take long. As a mall riot veteran in 2025, I can honestly tell you that fame, as a whole, is fantastic. I highly recommend the experience. But my advice to those seeking fame or new to stardom: Never forget that fame is not love. That knowledge could save your life. And don’t forget anonymity has its benefits too. Like being able to catch a movie at the local mall on a day off with your twin brother without causing a riot. Or going to the Galleria to buy socks and underwear blissfully unnoticed.


Billboard VIP Pass

British star Dua Lipa kicked off the countdown to the end of her year-long Radical Optimism Tour on Monday (Dec. 1) with the first of three concerts scheduled this week in Mexico City. She did so by adding the “cherry on top” with a cover of the iconic song “Bésame Mucho” by Mexican pianist and composer Consuelito Velázquez.

With the version recorded by Mexican superstar Luis Miguel in 1997, Lipa fulfilled her promise to pay tribute to each country she visits with a cover of a song by a local artist. The choice surprised many of the 65,000 people (according to figures from OCESA) who packed the GNP Seguros Stadium in the Mexican capital, after days spent speculating about which Mexican song the artist would perform.

“Today I want to pay tribute to a great Mexican composer, Consuelo Velázquez, whose song is linked to the hearts of so many people around the world,” the singer said in perfect Spanish as an introduction. “I love this song because the story goes that she had never been kissed when she wrote it. And I believe that songwriters write their dreams to make them come true.”

“Bésame Mucho” is one of the most covered songs in history. It has been performed by everyone from Luis Miguel and Andrea Bocelli to Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dalida and The Beatles.

The iconic bolero joins a list of covers that Dua Lipa has performed by Ibero-American solo artists and groups since May. In Madrid, she surprised the audience with “Héroe” by Enrique Iglesias, and in Argentina, she sang “De Música Ligera” by Soda Stereo. In Chile, she performed “Tu Falta de Querer” by Mon Laferte and “El Duelo” by La Ley. In Brazil, she thrilled the audience with “Magalenha” by Sergio Mendes, which she sang alongside Brazilian singer Carlinhos Brown. In Peru, she danced to “Cariñito” in a duet with Mauricio Mesones, and in Colombia, she captivated the audience with Shakira’s “Antología.”

Lipa surprised everyone with several words in Spanish during Monday’s show. With her strong, sensual accent, she thanked the Mexican audience for “taking care of her” and making her feel “at home.”

“I’ve been dreaming about this night since I started the tour, and about how it would feel to be back here,” she said. “These concerts are so exciting for me because they’re the last three of my Radical Optimism tour. I feel so grateful; I can’t stop thinking about all the incredible memories I’ve made this year. Being with you tonight is the icing on the cake, the only way I wanted to close this tour.”

The tour’s final two shows are slated for tonight (Dec. 2) and Friday night (Dec. 5).


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Throughout Dua Lipa‘s Radical Optimism World Tour, the multilingual superstar has taken on an ambitious challenge: covering iconic songs from the countries and cities she visits, in their native language. The Latin American leg of her tour began in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Nov. 7, and Spain’s portion kicked off in Madrid last May.

In an interview with Variety in October, the London-born superstar reflected on the ambitious concept, revealing she had already performed 57 unique covers at that point. “How fun would it be if every night we do a different song?” she recalled wondering. “And everyone was like, ‘Well, that’s quite ambitious.’”

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“It started as we were going to do a few over the course of the tour, right?” added her bassist and bandleader, Matty Carroll. “But then we had that initial rehearsal and put three together really quickly, and then we said, ‘We could do a different one every night.’”

When it comes to singing in non-English languages, Dua Lipa admitted: “It’s very nerve-wracking! Especially when we we’re doing them in different languages, that’s definitely — my God, my playlist was on loop, all I was doing was looking at the lyrics and listening over and over for intonations and accents and how to try and perfect things in Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Czech!”

The “Don’t Start Now” hitmaker began the European leg of the tour with a rendition of Enrique Iglesias’ “Hero.”

The “Don’t Start Now” hitmaker began the European leg of the tour with a rendition of Enrique Iglesias’ “Hero.” Last night (Dec. 1), during her first show in Mexico City, she delighted fans by performing “Bésame Mucho” by Consuelito Velázquez, inspired by Luis Miguel’s rendition. Rumor has it she might tackle another classic Juan Gabriel song during her remaining concerts at Estadio GNP Seguros (formerly Foro Sol) on Dec. 2 and 5.

Here’s a breakdown of every Spanish- and Portuguese-language cover Dua Lipa has performed during her trek across Spain and Latin America, in chronological order.

YouTube has released its 2025 Year-End Trending Lists, recognizing creators, songs, podcasts and cultural moments that defined 2025.

The Bruno Mars/Lady Gaga hit “Die With a Smile” leads YouTube’s 2025 year-end top songs list, which also includes the ROSÉ/Bruno Mars hit “APT.,” and four songs from the Kpop Demon Hunters soundtrack, “Golden,” “Soda Pop,” “How It’s Done,” and “Your Idol.” The top songs list is based on in-country views of songs that debuted in 2025, or saw considerable year-over-year growth, including official music videos, lyric videos and art track videos.

Contemporary Christian artist Forrest Frank’s 2025 hit “Your Way’s Better” leads YouTube’s top songs on shorts list. The song, propelled in part by a viral dance, also rose to the pinnacle of Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Other songs making the list are “Ocean Eyes” (Billie Eilish) and “Doot Doot (6 7)” (Skrilla). The top songs on shorts list is based on in-country shorts creations for songs that debuted in 2025, or saw significant year-over-year creation growth.

The trending lists come as YouTube celebrates its 20th anniversary year.

“Our End Of Year trending lists continue to capture the cultural zeitgeist. This year, we saw creators take new releases — from Squid Game to KPop Demon Hunters — and propel them into global phenomena. Whether it’s the resurgence of classic songs like “Pretty Little Baby” through Shorts or the rising influence of international products like “Labubu,” YouTube remains the ultimate engine for shared pop culture experiences,” Kevin Allocca, global director of YouTube culture & trends, said in a statement.

See the lists for YouTube’s 2025 Year-End top songs, top songs on shorts, trending topics, top creators and top podcasts below:

Top songs:

  1. Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga  – “Die With A Smile”
  2. ROSÉ, Bruno Mars  – “APT.”
  3. HUNTR/X (KPop Demon Hunters Cast) – “Golden”
  4. Saja Boys (KPop Demon Hunters Cast) – “Soda Pop”
  5. Saja Boys (KPop Demon Hunters Cast) – “Your Idol”
  6. Victor Valverde, Jr Torres – “El Mayor de los Ranas”
  7. HUNTR/X (KPop Demon Hunters Cast) – “How It’s Done”
  8. Alex Warren – “Ordinary”
  9. Kendrick Lamar, SZA – “Luther”
  10. Kendrick Lamar – “tv off”

Top songs on shorts:

  1. Forrest Frank – “Your Way’s Better”
  2. ATLXS – “Passo Bem Solto (Slowed)”
  3. Black Eyed Peas – “Rock That Body”
  4. Connie Francis – “Pretty Little Baby”
  5. Joyful – “Chess”
  6. Doechii – “Anxiety”
  7. Skrilla – “Doot Doot (6 7)”
  8. Saja Boys (KPop Demon Hunters Cast) – “Soda Pop”
  9. Jiandro (feat. ola.wav) – “Confess your love”
  10. Billie Eilish – “Ocean Eyes”

Trending topics of 2025 (not ranked):

  • Squid Game
  • User-Generated Roblox Experiences: Grow a Garden, Dandy’s World, Forsaken, Steal a Brainrot
  • KPop Demon Hunters
  • Brainrot 
  • Charlie Kirk
  • Labubu
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • Cookie Run Kingdom
  • Blue Lock
  • KATSEYE

Top creators:

  1. MrBeast
  2. CaylusBlox
  3. IShowSpeed
  4. Double Date
  5. Cadel and Mia
  6. Charlie Kirk
  7. Law by Mike
  8. CoryxKenshin
  9. Zack D. Films
  10. Outdoor Boys

Top podcasts:

  1. The Joe Rogan Experience
  2. KILL TONY
  3. Good Mythical Morning
  4. Rotten Mango
  5. The MeidasTouch Podcast
  6. 48 Hours
  7. Shawn Ryan Show
  8. Smosh Reads Reddit Stories
  9. This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
  10. The Diary Of A CEO


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Skrillex will help kick off next year’s Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 11 on a roster that will also include Four Tet, Vince Staples and Spiritual Cramp, launching the four-day (June 11-14) gathering of the vibes in Manchester, Tenn. on the 700-acre ‘Roo Farm.

Friday night’s roster will be topped by The Strokes, Griz and Turnstile and also include sets from Mt. Joy, Major Lazer, Jessie Murph, Yungblud, Geese, Cloonee, Lil Jon, Blood Orange, Wet Leg, Hot Mulligan, The Dare, Wolfmother and others.

Saturday night will be toplined by Rüfüs Du Sol, who will be joined by Teddy Swims, The Neighbourhood, Alabama Shakes, Chase & Status, Sara Landry, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Freddie Gibbs & Alchemist, Amyl and the Sniffers, Sub Focus, Gorgon City, Flipturn, Passion Pit and more.

Sunday’s packed lineup will spotlight Noah Kahan, Role Model and Kesha, with support from Tedeschi Trucks Band, Lszee, Clipse, Mariah the Scientist, Daily Bread, Modest Mouse, Big Gigantic, Japanese Breakfast, Turnover, San Holo, Del Water Gap and more. Kesha will also curate a SuperJam, “Kesha Presents: Superjam Esoterica: The Alchemy of Pop” while beloved parody song master “Weird Al” Yankovic will perform a special late-night Saturday set, “Bigger & Weirder Saturday Late Night Roovue.”

The acts will perform around the clock on 10 stages, with tickets going on sale on Friday (Dec. 5) at 10 a.m. CT here. According to a release announcing the lineup next year’s ‘Roo will feature significant upgrades to the facilities, including improved drainage, miles of new roadways and 135 acres of new turf.

The upgrades come after last year’s event was canceled on Friday due to severe weather that wound up flooding campgrounds after kicking off the night before with sets from  Luke Combs, Dom Dolla, Insane Clown Posse and Rebecca Black. Friday night’s headliners were scheduled to include Tyler, The Creator, John Summit and Glass Animals; Saturday’s lineup was topped by Olivia Rodrigo, Avril Lavigne and Justice; and Sunday would have wrapped up with Hozier, Vampire Weekend and Queens of the Stone Age.

Check out the full 2026 Bonnaroo lineup below.


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A Grammy Celebration of Latin Music, a two-hour special “highlighting Latin music’s lasting impact and widespread influence in the United States,” is set to air Sunday, Dec. 28 (8-10 p.m. ET/PT) on CBS and stream on Paramount+.

NCIS actor and producer Wilmer Valderrama and singer/songwriter, actress and producer Roselyn Sánchez will co-host the show, which joins the short list of genre-specific Grammy-branded specials. A Grammy Salute to Gospel Music aired in 2006, followed by A Grammy Salute to the Sounds of Change in 2021, which focused on socially conscious music, and A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop in 2023.

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The special features performances by a mix of Latin and pop stars, including Ángela Aguilar, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Gloria Estefan, Luis Fonsi, Maren Morris, Aymée Nuviola, Laura Pausini, Prince Royce and Jon Secada. The show will also feature three collaborations — Carín León and Nuno Bettencourt, who recently released “We Made It Look Easy/Hicimos Que Pareciera Facil”; Robin Thicke and Orianthi; and The Warning with Billy Idol and Steve Stevens. The show will also feature a performance by the cast of Broadway’s Buena Vista Social Club, which received 10 Tony nominations this year (winning four) and is currently nominated for a Grammy for best musical show album.

The show will feature interviews with Daddy Yankee, Emilio Estefan, John Leguizamo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Luis Miranda, Rita Moreno, Carlos Santana and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. Luis Miranda, who is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s father, is a Puerto Rican political consultant, activist and philanthropist. In 1977, Moreno, now 93, became the first Latin performer to win an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony). In 2000, Santana’s band of the same name tied Michael Jackson’s record for the biggest one-night sweep of the Grammy Awards.

The special taped on Oct. 19 at the FiftyFive Creative Hub TV studio complex in Doral, Florida, near Miami. Former MTV executive José Tillán and Mason are executive producers. The POPGarage and GRAMMY Studios are producing.

The special will air a little more than a month before CBS airs its final Grammy Awards telecast before the Grammys move to Disney in 2027. Bad Bunny is one of the top contenders for album of the year at the Feb. 1 ceremony. He is also nominated for record and song of the year. The Marias, which perform songs in both English and Spanish, are nominated for best new artist.

CBS aired the Latin Grammys from 2000-2004, but the show moved to Univision starting in 2005.

Most Grammy-branded specials have been salutes to one artist, including The Beach Boys, Cyndi Lauper, the Bee Gees, The Beatles, Whitney Houston, Earth, Wind & Fire, Elton John, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Prince.

Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers will have access to stream A Grammy Celebration of Latin Music live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on-demand. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live, but will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The list features only U.S. tours by Latin music artists and is updated on a regular basis. Tours will be removed from the list once they have ended.

From stadiums to arenas and theaters, Latin artists toured across the United States in 2025, delivering big numbers at the boxscore and memorable experiences for Latin music fans. Shakira proved to be a touring juggernaut with her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, receiving the inaugural Billboard Global Touring Icon Award in honor of her historic Live Nation-produced stint.

The Colombian star’s first 64 dates (of 82) grossed $327.4 million and sold 2.5 million tickets, according to Billboard Boxscore, converting Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran into the highest grossing Latin tour ever by a woman and the second highest grossing Latin tour ever (behind only Luis Miguel’s 2023-24 outing, which grossed $409.5 million).

Meanwhile, Rauw Alejandro‘s Broadway-inspired Cosa Nuestra Tour became a force of its own: Across spring and summer legs in North America and Europe, the concept tour grossed $91.7 million, according to Billboard Boxscore, making Rauw’s fifth tour the most lucrative of his career. 

While 2025 showcased Latin music’s touring power, it also presented hurdles for a number of regional Mexican artists who were impacted by the Trump administration’s ever-evolving immigration policies. In the middle of his highly-anticipated return to the U.S., Julión Álvarez’s visa was revoked. Grupo Firme, Los Alegres del Barranco and other música mexicana artists also dealt with visa issues publicly or privately, but the impact was widely felt as tour dates and festivals were cancelled throughout the year.

Still, 2026 is already shaping up to be a promising year for Latin artists in the touring space, with outings announced by Ricardo Arjona, Laura Pausini, Ricardo Montaner and Carlos Santana, to name a few.

Below, see our updating list of Latin tours that have already been confirmed for 2026.


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