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Chicago's Sueños Music Festival Celebrates Rise Of Regional Mexican Music, Love For Reggaeton
CHICAGO — In its third year, Sueños had the largest crowd yet. Nearly 70,000 people attended the Latino music festival on Saturday in Grant Park, bringing Latinos from all over the country together.
The headliner for Sunday, Grammy winner Peso Pluma, promised to galvanize a larger crowd, though weather kept the grounds closed after the expected noon start. The festival opened later Sunday afternoon, but the grounds were emptied again when threatening weather moved in shortly before 8 p.M.
What started as a festival to celebrate Latino culture and to create a unique space for reggaeton music has transformed into a festival highlighting the rise of regional Mexican music over the last few years.
Artists like Pluma and young Mexican American singers like Xavi and Ivan Cornejo, who performed to a thrilling crowd on Saturday, have crossed over into a more mainstream market. Last year, Junior H and Grupo Firme performed on closing day, putting on a unique show that left the crowd wanting more.
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Concertgoers hold a Mexican flag as Bizarrap performs during the Sueños Music Festival at Grant Park on Saturday, May 25, 2024, in Chicago.
John J. Kim, Chicago TribuneCornejo's sweet melodies have made him a Gen-Z favorite. Cornejo, 19, taught himself to play the guitar by watching videos and says he began songwriting after enduring a heartbreak.
On Saturday, the young Mexican American singer passed out red roses to girls in the crowd as the strings of the guitar playing pierced a cheering crowd.
Amid sparkling and vivid outfits, hundreds wore cowboy boots and hats, honoring a genre that had long been somewhat neglected. The sounds of accordion or the guitar, which characterize regional Mexican music, now intertwine with Latin trap and reggaeton at the festival as more artists collaborate.
This year, Puerto Rican rappers Young Miko and Rauw Alejandro closed the first night to an excited crowd that danced and sang along to their lyrics. Despite the rain and thunder on Sunday that delayed the opening, festivalgoers lined up again to try to get a front stage view of some of the top artists, including the anticipated acts from Gabito Ballesteros, Maluma and Pluma.
Sueños has quickly become a staple of the city, recognizing the presence and economic power of Latinos in Chicago and across the nation. Though attendees vary in background, the majority are young Latinos.
Now on par with Lollapalooza and Pitchfork, some hope that organizers add more stages and create a better system to enter the festival. A line with hundreds of festivalgoers wrapped along Michigan Avenue as they waited to enter the festival Saturday. Several said they had been in line for more than an hour.
The two-day festival, taking place over Memorial Day weekend, is presented by the producers behind Baja Beach Fest, Chicago's Reventon Promotion and C3 Presents, the Live Nation subsidiary that also puts together Lollapalooza. Organizers reported the festival brought in $120 million to the local economy in 2022 and created 1,000 jobs, and also contracted dozens of local food and beverage vendors.
For Latinos in Chicago, the festival is more than just a celebration of music, it's a celebration of their identity and culture. On Saturday, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Cristina Pacione-Zayas, his chief of staff, stopped by the festival.
"This is the most amazing and fastest-growing music festival in the country. We wanted to make sure that we welcome all the patrons and make sure that folks know that we have a deep interest in this and make sure that this festival continues on and on," Pacione-Zayas said.
Chicagoan Lisset Gamino, 27, attended the festival for the first time this year. She said she was inspired to attend because of the lineup, a mix of "good reggaeton and Mexican music."
Gamino is a first-generation Mexican American from Michoacan and Guerrero who grew up listening to regional Mexican music.
The rise of regional Mexican music and how it is celebrated and accepted now makes her proud, she said. "But it also irritates me a little because everyone wants a bandwagon. Artists want to collaborate with the bandas. It's annoying because they're only doing it because it's popular.
"I'm very proud to be Mexican," she said, "But I love seeing so many people from different Latin American countries together listening to music together."
Concertgoers Nikki Franco, and Juli Perez, both 19, say they met when they were children at their local church in Albany Park. Their friendship turned into romance and the two have been dating for over a year. Their love for reggaeton music took them to attend Sueños for the second time. "It makes me feel proud that all these Latin artists are here with us," she said.
Stephanie Ramos, 29, was born and raised in Logan Square. She says she loves Young Miko and Peso Pluma, said she attended the festival after experiencing the vibe last year as she worked one of the stands.
"Everyone is proud to be Mexican nowadays," Ramos said, which was not the case when she was in grammar school and high school. "Everyone was ashamed of their music, but Peso Pluma really brought that out of people."
Ramos, a first-generation Mexican American, said that the festival brought a sense of dignity to the Latino community in Chicago. "Now everyone wants to wear cowboy boots and hats," she laughed.
Alex Bejar, 27, of Cicero has attended Sueños since its 2022 inaugural festival.
"I love that it brings people from all over the United States. It's a very Latino space and it's so cool to experience this," he said. Growing up, he said, he noticed the way Latinos were marginalized and the festival now dedicated to his community makes him proud.
"We've come a long way," he said.
Performers from 10 countries are coming together to celebrate the art of puppetry.
Concertgoers hold a Mexican flag as Bizarrap performs during the Sueños Music Festival at Grant Park on Saturday, May 25, 2024, in Chicago.
John J. Kim, Chicago TribuneGet local news delivered to your inbox!
The Chicago House Music Festival Makes Its Grand Return To Millennium Park
Top left to right: DJ Alan King and Tony TouchBottom left to right: Johnny Fiasco and Farley "Jackmaster" Funk The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events debuted the Chicago House Music Festival in Millennium Park on Memorial Day weekend in 2018. Even in its first year, the fest felt like part of a tradition, because the city had presented house-music events in the same place at around the same time for years. On June 3, 2014, the city hosted a belated memorial for Frankie Knuckles next to the Bean, and in 2016 the first Chicago House Party (not festival) arrived in Millennium Park the Saturday before Memorial Day.
In the years since the COVID pandemic obliterated spring and summer programming in 2020, the Chicago House Music Festival has suffered more indignities than any of the city's other heritage music fests. DCASE has moved it around the calendar like a sticky note. In 2022, Lollapalooza producer C3 helped launch Sueños, a three-day fest of reggaeton and Latin pop on Memorial Day weekend in Grant Park—and the House Music Festival hasn't returned to its Millennium Park that weekend since. Last year, the department relocated the House Music Festival to Humboldt Park, where it ran in late June in conjunction with satellite programming for Taste of Chicago (the NASCAR race delayed Taste's usual Grant Park event till September). As much as I like to see more free music programming in a neighborhood park, I still feel like this "Taste of House" experiment was a sop to distract us from the city's continued sale of downtown to the highest bidder. Thankfully, the House Music Festival happens in Millennium Park again this year, albeit on the Sunday after Memorial Day. It caps four days of house-centric programming that includes a conference at the Cultural Center on Friday, May 31, and a fantastic festival preparty on Saturday, June 1, that's disappointingly held at Navy Pier's Wave Wall Stage. The Sunday festival is nearly as robust as the pre-COVID version, with a full day of DJ sets by historically important house figures on two stages. Ghetto-house pioneer DJ Slugo headlines the Chicago House Stage on the north promenade, which also hosts the Queer Fam Pride Jam at 10 AM (presented by Slo 'Mo and Kido) and a 4 PM set by footwork producer Jana Rush. Pioneering woman house DJ Lori Branch kicks off the music on the Main Stage (aka Pritzker Pavilion) at 1 PM, opening a bill that climaxes in a terrific one-two punch: Farley "Jackmaster" Funk followed by a set from Wayne Williams and Alan King of the Chosen Few DJs. Early arrival is a must—I'm betting the park will reach maximum capacity hours before the headliners perform.
Chicago House Music Festival The Main Stage features Wayne Williams and Alan King of the Chosen Few DJs, Farley "Jackmaster" Funk, Tony Touch, Anané, Karizma, Ash Lauryn, and Lori Branch. Sun 6/2, 1 PM, Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph, free, all ages
The Chicago House Stage features DJ Slugo, Johnny Fiasco, Flores Negras, Jana Rush, and more. Sun 6/2, 10 AM–9 PM, Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph, free, all ages
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Sueños Festival 2024: What To Know, Who To See, What To Wear
Ragging on our neighbor to the south is always good sport. But if you're a music fan in Milwaukee — or anywhere in the Midwest — you gotta give Chicago credit for the festival scene it has built over the years.
Lollapalooza and Pitchfork are the longstanding members of that sphere, having started their Windy City residencies in 2005 and 2006, respectively. The most explosive growth, however, has come from Sueños, the Latin music festival that debuted in 2022 and this past January announced that it sold out Grant Park for this year's edition.
If you're one of the lucky pass-holders for the event being held this Saturday and Sunday, May 25-26, we gathered some helpful information that'll help you navigate the festival. We'll start with the basic details, but keep heading down the page for the performance schedule, our two can't-miss artists and a few styling tips to make the most of your weekend.
First up, how to get there. Like getting around almost anywhere in downtown Chicago, driving yourself is not recommended. Better to take the CTA or Metra, use a rideshare service or even rent a bike. If you opt for public transportation, you can take the CTA Red Line and exit at Jackson, Harrison or Roosevelt stations; or the Metra Electric line and exit at Van Buren Street station.
After you arrive, keep in mind that any bag you bring will be searched at the gate. If it's any bigger than 6"x9", it needs to be clear. You're allowed to carry in reusable water bottles (as long as they're empty), hand sanitizer and sunscreen, binoculars, blankets and even Frisbees. But leave any fancy recording equipment (drones, pro-style cameras, selfie sticks), chairs, and outside food and drinks at home.
Inside the festival grounds, you'll find music of course, as well as plenty of food available for purchase from more than 50 vendors — we're talking arepas, jibaritos, tacos, tamales, empanadas and beyond. New this year, there's a "Munchies y Miches" area dedicated to the classic Mexican cocktail, plus a range of desserts and snacks. You'll be able to pick up other drinks at bars set up throughout the grounds, as well as vendors like Corona, Bacardi and Don Julio.
Sueños Music Festival
Sueños set timesSaturday, May 25
Sunday, May 26
It's often said that an artist is "breaking barriers" or "doing something that's never been done before." For Young Miko and Xavi, these claims are not only widely believed, but also undeniably true.
These two Gen-Z artists are redefining norms and earning credibility across the board. Endorsed by Grammy-winner Karol G, their music resonates with fans who see their own stories reflected in the lyrics. Young Miko explores themes of sexuality with intimate and vulnerable narratives, while Xavi shares heartfelt tales of an immigrant upbringing and a close bond with his mother.
As performers at the Sueños Music Festival, they are drawing diverse crowds eager to connect with their powerful messages and electrifying performances. Unapologetically authentic, Young Miko and Xavi are not only here to stay, they are bringing communities together through their music.
Young MikoSaturday at 7:30 p.M.
A Puerto Rican native and former tattoo artist, Young Miko initially gained attention as a SoundCloud rapper and now shares stages with Karol G, Bad Bunny and Feid. One of the most compelling aspects of her music is her ability to make fans feel welcome and understood.
One of her fans, Nancy Gomez, explained it perfectly after seeing Young Miko perform several times, including a Sueños After Party event in 2023. "She resonated with me because she's a queer Latina," Gomez said. "It was an all-women-based event, and all of us in that moment could resonate with the music, the vibes, and feel like one whole community. It was incredibly empowering."
XaviSaturday at 2:45 p.M.
Xavi, the 18-year-old sensation whose fame skyrocketed after releasing "La Diabla" and "La Victima," creates a nostalgic and emotional connection with his fans. This multifaceted artist sings about heartbreak and the women who have hurt him through his iterations of Corridos Belicos, a genre popularized by artists like Peso Pluma and Natanael Cano. But there's a duality to Xavi's music that draws dedicated fans like Claudia (@cloudd.A), a dedicated fan
"'La Diabla' is still one of my hype beats when I go to the gym. I like the beat, I like the lyrics," she explained before switching gears to My Mom's Playlist, a project that saw Xavi cover seven songs he remembers his mom listening to. "It reminds me a lot of my mom, and I was listening to it on repeat for a while. Those songs remind me of my childhood because these covers are what I grew up listening to with my mom."
What to wear at SueñosIf you haven't figured out what you're wearing for Sueños yet, don't worry. We've got you covered. Whether you're looking to completely switch up your vibe and attract some serious attention or stick with what works for you, here are some tips to keep in mind.
Since concerts and festivals have been reopening post-pandemic, the importance of making a fashion statement at these events has skyrocketed. With A-list celebrities turning venues into runways and musicians emphasizing the concert experience, looking fabulous has never been more crucial. So, with a two-day festival in the Midwest featuring top Latine artists, how can you keep up?
At a festival like Sueños, where reggaeton beats rule and dancing is a must, dressing to impress is key. Marycruz (@_msnchz), a festival fashionista, has some great advice about balancing style and functionality, ensuring you can dance the night away without a care in the world.
"I always try to find outfits that are both comfortable and cute, especially ones that allow me to dance freely," she said. "For example, my cargo pants provide full coverage while still letting me move easily. My little tennis skirt is perfect because it has shorts underneath, so I can dance without worrying about anything showing. While I personally prefer a bit more coverage, I fully support those who enjoy showing a little more skin when they dance."
Because music and fashion go hand in hand, you might be more focused on leaving a mark with your festival outfit. Another style guru, Christian (@kfchristian), shares his insights to making a bold statement while staying true to yourself.
"My looks are inspired by artists, combining elements of masculinity and femininity, and Y2K fashion with influences from Rauw and Young Miko," he said. "For day two, I go for a more fashion-forward, girly pop style, incorporating Mexican culture with some boots and accessories. I also like to include a bit of politics in my outfits, especially during a political year, as public events are a great opportunity to make a statement."
Among attendees, Christian aims to turn heads and drop jaws: "For me, style trumps comfort," he explained. "I believe that if an outfit looks great, it's worth enduring a bit of discomfort, like a few poking accessories or tight straps, for a few hours. Additionally, I think dressing appropriately for the weather and elements is more important than prioritizing comfort."
His commitment to looking fabulous, no matter the cost, is a testament to the lengths we sometimes go to in the name of fashion. So, as you gear up for this weekend, make sure your clothes are either comfortable or fabulously uncomfortable. Get ready to shake your 🍑 and, of course, let your favorite artists inspire your looks.
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