HBO Max to launch Romeo Santos pop-up in Washington Heights, including holograms, cultural insights

HBO Max’s new Latino-focused audience initiative, Pa’lante, is making a big splash with the interactive promotion of the upcoming documentary and concert “Romeo Santos: King of Bachata” and “Romeo Santos: Utopia Live from Metlife Stadium,” which starts streaming July 30.

In a global first for a Latin artist, Santos will welcome guests to the “House of Bachata” in hologram form – beamed in from an undisclosed location – during a weeklong pop-up experience, located in Washington Heights at 421 W. 202nd St. (10th Ave.) from July 30-Aug. 6 (12 p.m.-8 p.m.).

The experiential activation promises to transport visitors to a space celebrating Dominican culture and bachata music featuring iconic fixtures such as a bodega, barber shop and salon.

Free programming and special events throughout the week will include an Opening Night VIP reception, bachata dance class, daily hair stylist and barber services, a documentary screening, a children’s instrument class, a daily happy hour sponsored by Presidente beer and more. More information and reservations could be made online at houseofbachata.rsvpify.com/.

The CUNY Dominican Studies Institute also partnered with the “House of Bachata” to showcase the history of the genre as well as highlight its greatest luminaries and their contributions, such as the 40-year-old Aventura frontman, who has sold over 100 million singles and 40 million albums internationally.

Directed by Charles Todd and Devin Amar, the documentary traces the ascent of the disenfranchised music genre from the oppressed countryside of the Dominican Republic to its unprecedented international recognition—culminating in a record-breaking concert starring Romeo Santos, alongside the legendary bachateros that paved the way before him.

Best-selling author and award-winning talk show host Joel “The Kid Mero’' Martinez (of “Desus & Mero” fame) is captured journeying to the Caribbean nation to find the soul of bachata music.

Fans will also get a behind-the-scenes look at Santos’ creative process, his inspirations, and his work in the studio.

Hip-hop superstar Cardi B and Aventura will make surprise performances at the concert, which HBO Max describes as “a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of Latin culture and a defining moment in the history of Latin music.”