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Pitbull amps up the energy at CFP National Championship performance in Miami

Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAYJanuary 20, 2026 at 7:14 AM

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Pitbull meshed his love of music and sports with a typically high-octane performance at the Capital One Music Stage at Allstate Championship Tailgate.

Set up outside Hard Rock Stadium in North Miami, Pitbull hit the stage clad in all-black and surrounded by backup dancers before the Jan. 19 CFP National Championship game between the Miami Hurricanes and Indiana Hoosiers.

His performance, which streamed live on the ESPN app, was an upbeat and energetic take on his 2014 hit track "Fireball."

Pitbull, who turned 45 Jan. 15, has long dubbed himself "Mr. 305" in honor of the area code of his native Miami. His roots in the community have been further established with his recent partnership with Florida International University to rename its football stadium Pitbull Stadium, the first athletic venue in the U.S. named after an artist.

Pitbull meshed his love of sports and music with a pre-game performance at the Capital One Music Stage at Allstate Championship Tailgate Jan. 19. 2026.

The electrifying singer-rapper, born Armando Pérez to Cuban immigrant parents, has also used the success of his music career – his 14th album, "Underdogs" with IAmChino dropped in 2025 – to advocate for education.

His organization Sports Leadership Arts Management (SLAM!), is a tuition-free public charter school network that has served more than 10,000 students in 14 schools in the U.S.

Pitbull will return to the road this year with his I’m Back Tour, the follow-up outing to his 2023-24 Trilogy Tour with Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias and his massive Party After Dark Tour in 2024 that played more than 50 dates in 13 countries.

Joining Pitbull are Lil Jon and DJ Laz. The tour kicks off May 14 in West Palm Beach, Florida through Sept. 26 in Shakopee, Minnesota. An artist presale takes place at 10 a.m. local time Jan. 28 with signup at livemu.sc/pitbull required by 10 p.m. ET Jan. 26. The general on sale begins at 10 a.m. local time Jan. 30 via livenation.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pitbull excites fans with CFP National Championship performance

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”