Festivals Around the World Celebrating Music From Ibero-America and Beyond
Written by djfrosty on February 16, 2023
As Latin music continues to soar across the world in various facets of the industry — from breaking historic records on the global pop charts to setting new ones in music streaming — stateside festivals are also seeing a significant boom of Latin performers.
For instance, Coachella hosted more Latin acts than ever last year, which signaled a new era for the south-of-the-border genre. Anitta, Karol G, Ed Maverick and Grupo Firme were among the almost 20 Latin music performers who graced the global stage. “[Coachella] can no longer be exclusive to any genre, and it looks like they are now understanding the value of our music,” Sergio Lizárraga of Banda MS told Billboard.
Last year also saw the birth of several brand new Latin-focused festivals across the United States. Of the giants were Chicago’s Sueños y Más Flow, which highlights mainly urban music, and Los Angeles’ Bésame Mucho, with a nostalgic ’90s-era roster.
Just as American institutions are visibly beginning to embrace more sonic entertainment coming from Latin America and Spain, those regions continue to host thriving music festivals of their own, thus elevating their own game.
This year sees the return of many iconic brands, such as the Latin rock-centric Vive Latino and the Norteño pride festivity Tecate Pa’l Norte in Mexico. The Lollapalooza franchise, originally from Chicago, also continues to reach various corners of the world with installments in Argentina, Chile and Brazil. London indie fest La Línea also returns to showcase Latin music exclusively.
While this might not be a complete list of some of the most compelling Ibero American and Latin music-centric festival listings around the globe, it should be a great starting point. See our list below, arranged in sequential order.