Garbage in the Zócalo! And for free?
No, we’re not talking about a sanitation worker’s revolt or some weird twist to recycling and reusing household waste.
The American rock band Garbage will play a free concert in the Zócalo on Saturday, Nov. 14, the final show of their North America tour which kicked off back in September 2025.
Lead singer Shirley Manson, aka “The Godmother of Rock,” said the show will mark the close of 30 years of traditional, continuous bus-touring for the band, saying long-term heavy touring has become economically and personally unsustainable.
Shortly after the Mexico City mayor’s office jumped the gun (officials shared the announcement through the government’s official X account before deleting the post), Garbage confirmed the gig on Instagram.
“Well. The news got leaked so here we are — a little off balance and rushing to catch up,” the band wrote. “We were going to announce this show tomorrow, but someone has beaten us to it.”
Overcoming the spilled beans, Garbage — which has sold 17 million albums worldwide — declared they were enthusiastic about the invitation.
“We are so immensely proud and deeply honoured to have been invited by the Mexican Government to play in Mexico City on the 14th of November at Mexico City’s most prestigious venue – The Zócalo,” the band said.
Manson also heaped praise on the band’s Mexican fans for supporting the group since their first visit in 1996. Since then, Garbage has played in Mexico 16 times, including three shows last year (April 4 in Zapopan, Jalisco; April 6 in Monterrey and Nov. 14 in Mexico City).
“We are one of the most fortunate bands in the world to have enjoyed playing in Mexico since we first arrived on the scene but this is the absolute cherry on the top of what has been a passionate and 30 year long love affair,” the Instagram post said.
Formed in 1993 in Madison, Wisconsin, the band’s four-member line-up has remained unchanged: the Scottish lead singer Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson (guitar, bass, keyboards), Steve Marker (guitar, keyboards) and Butch Vig (drums, percussion).
With reports from El Financiero, Consequence, Chilango and Billboard
