Looking outside his Istanbul hotel room, all John Burton has seen is yachts, submarines and oil tankers cruising off the Sea of Marmara’s coast.

After getting Ye (formerly Kanye West) back on the road in January to kick off his comeback with a pair of sold-out Mexico City shows in front of 80,000 fans at Monumental Plaza de Toros — his first concerts in Mexico in nearly two decades — Burton has West on the brink of performing the largest show of his career on May 30 at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Turkey.

As of our Memorial Day interview, Burton estimates that 90,000 tickets have been sold and he expects to cruise past the six-figure mark to about 120,000 tickets, which he’s billed as the “Road to 100K” campaign. “I was like, ‘We got something, let’s continue to do this around the world,’” he recalls after seeing the success of Ye’s Mexico City’s shows.

Burton, 43, launched Access Opera in 2017 as a production and management company for opera singers, who he refers to as “athletes of the voice” and classical events. He now serves as Ye’s agent handling overseas touring, independently booking his Mexico City and Turkey shows as well as a handful of upcoming European dates this summer.

“The Road to 100k is a way bigger statement than just the capacity,” Burton adds. “It opens up a lot of opportunity for independent promoters that necessarily wouldn’t have access to an artist like this.”

Like Ye, Burton’s a Southside of Chicago native and has been in the G.O.O.D. Music ethos since a teenager while growing up a super fan of Roc-A-Fella.

He worked for longtime Ye affiliate and streetwear designer Don C, served as the executive assistant to John Monopoly, who’s held lengthy stints as West’s manager and then got his own management chops as Consequence’s road manager for multiple tours in the 2000s.

Burton reconnected with Yeezy in 2019 after seeing him at a party where West asked him to come produce his upcoming operas after hearing about his business venture. Burton would helm operations for Nebuchadnezzar and Mary later that year, while also running point on the children’s choir for Ye’s Donda school.

By 2024, Burton relocated to Bangkok with his wife and the couple welcomed their first child. On a whim, Burton picked up the phone and called Ye with hopes of him being open to touring Asia in a market he saw oozing with potential opportunities. “I called Ye and said, ‘Do you want to tour?’” he recalls. West had already performed in Seoul and Shanghai in 2024 and 2025.

Burton envisioned plotting something similar to Michael Jackson’s HIStory World Tour in 1996 to 1997, which boasted 82 dates across Europe, Asia and Africa, while MJ opted not to hit the continental U.S. as he only performed a pair of shows in Hawaii.

Ye has been open about struggles to book U.S. dates following his string of controversies, including repeated hate speech and antisemitic remarks since 2022. The destruction blew up lucrative deals with adidas, Universal Music Group, Gap and Balenciaga, as companies distanced themselves from the mercurial star.

Ye’s made efforts on his road to forgiveness in recent months. West met with a rabbi in November and took out a full-page ad to pen a letter in The Wall Street Journal in January, which saw him apologize to the Jewish and Black communities for his hurtful actions.

Yeezy has avoided major controversy for the first six months of the year as he continues to seek reconciliation and make things right with those he hurt.

As for Burton, he disagreed with how Ye communicated his message in recent years, but backed his intentions as someone whose known West going on two decades. “I think he could have been articulated a lot differently, and he could have driven the point home if it was more diplomatic,” he explains. “But I believe that the sentiments behind it are spot the f—k on.”

Not everyone else was as quick to forgive West. After releasing his Bully album in March via Larry Jackson’s Gamma label, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, Ye was booked to headline three nights of Wireless Fest in London this summer. However, he was denied a travel visa by U.K. government officials, which led to the festival’s cancelation in April.

Other European countries followed suit, as Poland and Switzerland canceled shows due to his antisemitic past. Ye went ahead and postponed his France stop in Marseille indefinitely. West’s July 18 concert with Travis Scott in Italy was also reportedly canceled on Friday (May 29).

The seeds for Turkey’s show were planted across the world in Mexico City when Burton invited ILS Vision founder Erdem Karahan to the pair of Mexico City concerts in January. Karahan bought in and will serve as the promoter for West’s return to the stage in Istanbul on Saturday (May 30). “I was like, ‘We got something, let’s continue to do this around the world,’” Burton adds.

The gates to North America were opened after Mexico City for West as well, who booked a pair of concerts on April 1 and April 3 at SoFi Stadium on the heels of Bully, which went on to be Ye’s first shows in Los Angeles since 2021.

Ye’s return to L.A. grossed a staggering $32.6 million across 149,000 tickets sold, according to Billboard Boxscore. “He’s the Michael Jordan of this thing,” Burton says of West’s place in the rap game and lucrative touring prospects over 20 years into his career.

The two L.A. shows were presented by Rod Wave’s Mainstay Touring, which is backed by Live Nation. According to a release from the company, Live Nation posted a revenue of $25.2 billion in 2025.

Yeezy arrived in Turkey on Thursday (May 28) to plenty of fanfare. Preparations continued throughout the week to bring his globe-shaped stage to Atatürk Olympic Stadium. Like he did at SoFi Stadium, a Travis Scott guest appearance is all-but-confirmed, as he’s in town to host a party in Turkey on Sunday (May 31).

According to a press release, West’s return to Turkey — which marks his first show in the country in 11 years — is expected to generate nearly $100 million in tourism revenue through hotels, transportation, dining and tourist spending.

YE IN TURKEY will be streamed live on West’s YouTube channel. The Chicago native is set to hit the stage around 2 p.m. ET.

For Burton, he’s already got his sights set on booking more shows for Ye across Europe amid the handful of cancelations.

Yeezy will head to the Netherlands for a pair of dates on June 6 and June 8, before returning to the U.S. for two shows in Tampa Bay at Raymond James Stadium on June 26 and June 28. July currently has concerts set in Albania (July 7) and Madrid (July 20), while he’ll head to Portugal to close out the mini European tour on Aug. 7.

“This opens up the conversation for what artists can do independently for our culture, and there are unlimited seats at this independent table,” Burton proclaims. “We just want to be a production agency that’s a part of the conversation.”

He continues: “We’re not trying to say, ‘We Death Row come over here.’ But what we are saying is that if you want an opportunity, we can provide it at scale and we can be doing it with the biggest artists in the world.”

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WWE Clash in Italy 2026 is here and the wrestling event is already turning out to be one of the most anticipated events of the season. Cody Rhodes is put to the test as he defends his Undisputed WWE Championship title after just won the belt against Drew McIntyre during Friday SmackDown. Now, he is set to go up against Gunther during Clash in Italy.

Keep reading to learn more about the event including how to watch Clash in Italy online.

When and Where Is WWE Clash in Italy 2026?

Clash in Italy kicks off on Sunday (May 31), beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT with coverage starting at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT. The event takes place at Inalpi Arena (Palasport Olimpico) in Turin, Italy.

How to Watch WWE Clash in Italy 2026 Online?

Clash in Italy exclusively livestreams on ESPN Unlimited. Not a subscriber? You can get the sports streaming service for just $29.99 per month. It features every ESPN network, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, as well as ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SEC Network+ and ACC Network Extra — all in one app. Sign up for ESPN Unlimited below.

While the service doesn’t offer a free trial, you can still watch ESPN Unlimited with a clever workaround to watch Clash In Italy for free. Learn more about how to get a free trial to access ESPN Unlimited here.

Which Celebrities Are Making Appearances During WWE Clash in Italy 2026?

It’s likely there might be a number of celebrities and recording artists in attendance during the WWE event, such as fans, like Italian rapper Capo Plaza and Caparezza, soccer player Davide Frattesi and others. Tune-in to find out who’s at Clash In Italy.

What’s the Match Card for WWE Clash in Italy 2026?

Check out the full Clash in Italy match cards, below.

Watch WWE Clash in Italy 2026 on Netflix

Although Clash in Italy is available to livestream on ESPN Unlimited, the event is also streamable live on Netflix for international audiences. This means, you can watch internationally with the streaming service when paired with a VPN, such as ExpressVPN. Prices for the virtual private network starts at $2.49 per month for 28 months, so you can watch Clash in Italy on Netflix when the VPN is set to outside of the United States.

Clash in Italy is available to stream on ESPN Unlimited on Sunday (May 31), starting at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.

From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

Milo J Earns Top Prize at Argentina’s Premios Gardel

At just 19, Milo J made history at the 2026 Premios Gardel on Tuesday (May 26), becoming the most awarded artist ever in a single edition after taking home 13 trophies, including the coveted Gardel de Oro. His wins included album of the year for (La Vida Era Más Corta), song of the year and record of the Year for “Niño,” plus trophies spanning urban, folklore, hip-hop/rap and music video categories.

Accepting the night’s top prize, the artist said, “I want to thank everyone — especially those I don’t always have time to thank for everything they’ve done for me. I want you to know that, in one way or another, you saved my life. And to music, which saved me from not being happy.”

The Argentine star opened the night with a moving performance of “Niño” and “Luciérnagas,” backed by a children’s choir. He also added, “La Vida Era Más Corta was an album that, beyond what it may have generated in people, changed my life; mine and a lot of other people’s. I want to thank everyone, those I don’t always have the time to thank for everything they did for me. I want you to know that you saved my life in one way or another. And to music, which saved me from not being happy.”

J Balvin Receives Special Honor from New York’s Museo del Barrio

J Balvin was honored in New York on Thursday (May 28) with a special recognition from El Museo del Barrio for his “impact as a global artist and for his contribution to promoting and raising the profile of Latin culture worldwide,” says the statement. The tribute took place during a ceremony in the city, where the Colombian star attended with his partner, Valentina Ferrer.

Founded in 1969 in East Harlem, El Museo del Barrio has long served as a key cultural institution for Latin communities in the U.S. Balvin was honored alongside Agustín and Isabel Coppel and Uruguayan art historian Estrellita Brodsky, with the recognition presented after remarks from Vogue México and Latinoamérica editorial director Karla Martínez de Salas.

Shakira and Carlos Vives’ “La Bicicleta” Turns 10

One of the biggest Colombian pop hits of the past decade turned 10 this week. Released in 2016, Carlos Vives and Shakira’s “La Bicicleta” became a major crossover success, reaching No. 1 on Latin Airplay and Latin Pop Airplay, among other chart achievements.

“10 years ago we made this song that we called ‘A desperate vallenato,’ but when Afo Verde had the idea of sending it to Shakira … ‘La Bicicleta’ was born,” Vives captioned on Instagram on Thursday (May 28). “We have sung and danced to it around the world and we have been very happy. And well, what can I tell you, I am still the same messy-haired guy, on a bike that takes me everywhere. I love you Shak!!! Happy birthday to our song and thank you Andres Castro for creating it with us.” 

Watch the 1.8 billion stream video below.

New Podcast on the Birth of Salsa in NYC, Hosted by Rosie Perez

Salsa’s origin story is getting a fresh spotlight with Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York, a new eight-episode podcast hosted by Rosie Perez and produced by Futuro Media. Premiering Tuesday (May 26), the series is described in a press release as “the most comprehensive audio narrative yet made about the birth and wild heights of salsa, a genre that continues to shape global culture today.”

The podcast goes back to 1964, when a Dominican musician and an Italian-American ex-cop founded Fania Records in New York City, ultimately helping spark a global cultural revolution, according to the release. It chronicles the rise of Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades and the Fania All Stars, while tracing a legacy that runs through the artists dominating music streaming today, like Bad Bunny, Rauw Alejandro, and Karol G.

Topics across the eight episodes include “the night salsa crystallized as an art form at the Cheetah Club in 1971, the Young Lords and FBI surveillance of Fania artists, Celia Cruz’s ascent to global icon, and the Afro-Caribbean roots of the music, the drugs, betrayal, and lawsuits that ultimately brought the label down,” according to the release.

Nicky Jam Returns to Puerto Rico With Two Sold-Out, Star-Studded Shows

A decade after his last performance on the island, Nicky Jam returned to the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot (a.k.a. El Choli) on Memorial Weekend (May 23 and 24) with two sold-out El Regreso a Casa concerts. The back-to-back shows marked a full-circle moment for the reggaetón star, whose homecoming drew a multigenerational lineup of surprise guests including J Balvin, Jowell & Randy, Tito El Bambino, Zion, Cosculluela, Justin Quiles, Lenny Tavárez, Lunay and Ñejo.

The pair of sold-out shows underscored Nicky’s everlasting bond with his native Puerto Rico and the genre’s roots. Framed as a celebration of reggaetón’s past and present, the event brought together key figures from across eras of Latin urban music on one of Puerto Rico’s most important stages.

BABYMETAL have released “from me to u (Jordan Fish Remix),” the second preview from their forthcoming METAL FORTH (DELUXE EDITION), due June 26 via Capitol Records.

Fish — keyboardist and producer best known for his decade-long tenure with Bring Me The Horizon — delivers the latest reworking of “from me to u (feat. Poppy),” following a Major Lazer remix released last month.

The deluxe edition expands the original METAL FORTH with three live performances and both remixes, and will be available digitally and on a limited zoetrope vinyl pressing that brings ten album icons to life in motion.

The release arrives alongside news of BABYMETAL’s 2026 World Tour, spanning North America and Latin America. The North American leg launches on Aug. 30 in San Diego, where the band will open for My Chemical Romance, before headlining their own run with support from Halestorm and Violent Vira. In Latin America, the band will play their first-ever stadium show in Mexico City, supported by I Prevail and Bilmuri. Tickets are on sale now.

METAL FORTH debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 upon its release last year, marking the group’s first U.S. top 10 album and the first time in history that an all-Japanese fronted act has broken into that tier of the chart. The album moved 36,000 equivalent album units in its first week — of which 33,500 were pure album sales — amassed over 200 million global streams, debuted at No. 10 on Spotify’s Top Albums Debut U.S. chart, and landed at No. 2 on the U.S. iTunes Download Album chart.

Internationally, it reached the top 10 in Germany — a career-best, improving on No. 24 for THE OTHER ONE and No. 18 for METAL GALAXY — and broke the top 20 in the U.K., with career-high positions also recorded in the Netherlands and France.

Formed in Tokyo in 2010, BABYMETAL — fronted by SU-METAL, MOAMETAL and MOMOMETAL — built their following through explosive live shows before breaking internationally, opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Korn and Lady Gaga en route to becoming one of the most distinctive and widely followed acts in global metal.

Stream “from me to u (Jordan Fish Remix)” below.