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Ricky Martin had to stop his concert Thursday in Montenegro after someone in the audience \u201cdischarged tear gas toward the stage,\u201d causing an \u201cabrupt\u201d interruption to the show as fans retreated and got any needed medical attention, the singer\u2019s publicist said in a statement<\/a> posted on Instagram.<\/p>\n The show did go on. <\/p>\n \u201cAs a precautionary measure, Ricky Martin and his entire team exited the stage while security personnel and local authorities worked to contain the situation and ensure the safety of those in attendance,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t understand what was happening,\u201d one shaken Montenegran concertgoer<\/a> said on Instagram during the outdoor show<\/a>. \u201cSuddenly, people started pushing each other, and we smelled pepper spray. Many people quickly covered their mouths and left the area. I don\u2019t know if there\u2019s still anyone in the area right now. I didn\u2019t see what the police did. I can hear that the concert has started again, but I left the area. I hope everyone is OK.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether the substance was tear gas \u2014 which, incidentally, is a powder, not a gas \u2014 or pepper spray is unclear. Both substances<\/a> have similarly irritating effects, despite different ingredients. Tear gas is typically employed by law enforcement for crowd control while pepper spray is often used by individuals for self-defense, according to hazmat and crime-scene cleanup company Bio Recovery<\/a>, which operates mainly in the American south. Both substances can disperse widely in the air.<\/p>\n Martin, 54, decided to resume the show once authorities said everything was back under control even though \u201cmembers of the artist\u2019s team advised against continuing the performance,\u201d the publicist\u2019s statement explained. <\/p>\n The headlining performance, which was part of festivities marking the 20th anniversary of Montenegro\u2019s restored independence following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, came as the \u201cLivin\u2019 la Vida Loca\u201d singer gets ready to embark on a European tour with dates in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Czechia, Poland, Hungary, Istanbul and more from June into August. <\/p>\n Also Friday, Martin announced he would join the U.K.\u2019s Heritage Live Festivals<\/a> with a show Aug. 22 at the Royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk with Sugababes, Olly Alexander and Sophie Castillo. It will be his only U.K. show in 2026. Other artists appearing in Heritage Live shows in July and August include UB40, Lionel Richie and Eric Clapton.<\/p>\n \u201cThe rise of Latin music as a global force has been phenomenal, and we\u2019re thrilled to welcome one of the true pioneers who helped bring it to a massive international audience,\u201d Giles Cooper of Heritage Live Festivals told the BBC<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s set to be an incredible party.\u201d<\/p>\n Martin, who hails from Puerto Rico, joined Bad Bunny\u2019s all-Spanish halftime show at Super Bowl LX<\/a> in February with a 30-second cameo<\/a> in a scene invoking the cover of the latter singer\u2019s album \u201cDeb\u00ed Tirar M\u00e1s Fotos.\u201d Clad in all white, Martin sat in a white chair and dove into \u201cLo Que Le Pas\u00f3 a Hawaii,\u201d a ballad that implores Puerto Ricans, should the opportunity arise, to resist compromises that Hawaiians made when those islands became a U.S. state in 1959.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n