The event was preceded by a celebrity red carpet. Among the attendees were
Christina Milian,
Mario Lopez,
Ryan Seacrest,
Katy Tiz,
Bleona,
Oscar De La Hoya,
Dascha Polanco and
Selenis Leyva. A free pre-event concert called "La Villita" was held in the Forum parking lot before the show, featuring
Taboo from the
Black Eyed Peas,
Becky G and
Voz a Voz.
Ricky Martin opened the show and
Pitbull closed the show. Pitbull then hosted and performed at the
2014 American Music Awards the following evening. August Brown, writing in the
Los Angeles Times, said the show represented the dual interests of the young Latino audience. Some of the acts were "cosmopolitan, combining American hip-hop and R&B, European techno and the hip-swinging rhythms of the Spanish-speaking world," while others were "foundational acts in Latin popular and regional music." Ramon Gonzales, for the
Orange County Register, wrote that the five-hour festival "did a remarkable job of tending to the nuances under the umbrella of Latin music and featured a multitude of subgenres". He described that Martin whipped the crowd into such a frenzy, it allowed him to walk offstage almost as if to suggest, "Top that", then said the audience "had the pleasure of watching the collective bill impressively attempt just that". Gonzales described
Alejandra Guzman getting the evening's photo op concluding "Hacer el Amor Con Otro" amid a shower of confetti. La Banda Original El Limon had the entire house singing the traditional "
Cielito Lindo" while Pitbull emerged as the evening’s triumphant headliner, proving why he is considered the most bankable star in the Latin urban crossover market". ==2015 event==