Ricky Martin opens up onstage about his mental health and struggles with anxiety

Even the people who look the happiest can struggle with mental health. Over the weekend, Ricky Martin took a moment to get vulnerable with fans during a show in Madrid, opening up about anxiety.

The singer performed his first and only concert in Spain as part of the Starlite Festival. As he sang some of his biggest hits like “Maria,” “La Mordidita,” and “Vente Pa’ Ca,” he took a break and admitted, “It’s been a bit of a difficult week for me, and I want to share that with you.”

Ricky opened up about his struggles with anxiety, crediting music and his fans for helping him get through. “I’ve had many episodes of anxiety, and it hasn’t been easy, but for me the most important thing is to let you know that my music is my medicine, that your applause is my medicine, that your smiles are my medicine, that I feed off your energy to be here again and again,” he told the crowd.  “So thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for so many years we’ve spent united, holding hands.”  

© Getty Images for MTV

His confession came just days before his birthday. The Sagittarius turns 54 on December 24.  He reassured fans that things were getting better. “There are many highs and lows; I’m going up, and with a lot of strength, and in part it’s thanks to you.”

It seems things were so stressful that Ricky even considered not doing the show. “I could have stayed home, but I couldn’t do that to Madrid,” he said. In 2023, Ricky canceled his appearance at the same festival due to health issues, later apologizing to fans and promising he’d return. 

His supportive and loyal followers responded with loud cheers and applause, making it clear they were always going to be in his corner. 

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Looking ahead to the holidays and his birthday

© @rickymartin

The singer had been nonstop doing shows for the last couple of years and is on a well-deserved break until January. He’ll celebrate his 54th birthday on Christmas Eve, the same day his daughter Lucía, whom he shares with ex-husband Jwan Yosef, turns seven.

He’ll also be ringing in the holidays with all four of his children: twins Valentino and Matteo, 17, and his younger kids, Lucía and Renn, 6. 

After the new year, he will be back on the road, performing at Highland, CA, on January 8th before traveling to the United Arab Emirates and Mexico with the tour coming to an end on March 28, 2026.