“Rock al Parque,” Latin America’s largest free open-air music festival, has concluded in Colombia, with organizers reporting a positive outcome.
According to Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan, over 252,000 people attended the three-day event held at Simon Bolivar Park, where this music festival takes place annually.
‘Rock al Parque’ draws over 250,000 as Colombia celebrates successful festival
On his account on the social media platform X, the Mayor of Colombia’s capital summed up the organizers’ sentiment for this edition of “Rock al Parque” in one phrase:
“Rock al Parque was a total success for Bogota,” stated Galán at the close of the festival’s twenty-ninth edition on the evening of the holiday Monday, June 23.
After three days of music, Simón Bolívar Park welcomed 252,097 attendees, a figure that solidifies this event as one of Latin America’s largest musical gatherings.
For his part, Bogotá’s Government Secretary, Gustavo Quintero, highlighted institutional coordination as a key factor in the festival’s success.
“An impressive coordination between Bogota’s entities (…) and a major role by Idartes as the festival’s managing entity,” he wrote, referring to the District Institute of Arts (Idartes), the body responsible for Culture in Colombia’s capital.
Rock al Parque 2025: rock is my home
From June 21 to 23, 2025, Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park throbbed to the beat of the 29th edition of “Rock al Parque” considered the most diverse and inclusive festival in decades.
Under the slogan “My house is rock,” the entirely free event brought together 56 bands: 20 from the capital district, 9 national, 3 invited by the Bogotá Culture Secretariat, and 27 international, featuring over 350 musicians on stage.
Among the most anticipated international artists were El Cuarteto de Nos (Uruguay), Los Cafres (Argentina), Los Rabanes (Panamá), Dismember (Sweden), Black Pantera (Brazil), and Bratislava from Spain, alongside other acts making their debut like A.N.I.M.A.L., Bala, Viniloversus, and Cemican.
National headliners featured Don Tetto, La Derecha, and Polikarpa and her Viciosas, all iconic names in Colombian rock.
The Bogotá representatives, selected through the 2025 Rock al Parque Festival Grant, included bands such as Apolo 7, Buha 2030, Chimó Psicodélico, Dead Silence, Devasted, and Herejía.
These groups, whose styles ranged from hardcore and metal to alternative and experimental rock, each received a participation grant of COP 5,500,000 (approximately US$1,350).
Programming was structured across three stages (Plaza, Bio by Electrolit, ECO), each with a thematic focus. Saturday, June 21 opened with Herejía, Hirax, and Dismember; Sunday, June 22 included Los Rabanes, Piangua, and Los Cafres; and Monday, June 23 closed with Don Tetto, La Derecha, and El Cuarteto de Nos.
The District Institute of the Arts (Idartes), under the leadership of María Claudia Parias, stated that the event aligns with the goals of the Bogotá Walks Safely District Development Plan, seeking to strengthen collective spaces and cultural memory among citizens.
Rock al Parque fue un éxito total para Bogotá.
Más de 252.000 asistentes pudieron disfrutar sin ningún inconveniente la edición 29 del festival en el parque Simón Bolívar. El lunes, para el día final, hubo más de 136.000 asistentes.
Durante los 3 días, @TransMilenio transportó… pic.twitter.com/8LElafr3mH
— Carlos F. Galán (@CarlosFGalan) June 24, 2025
A festival with history in Bogota, Colombia
“Rock al Parque” was born in 1995 as a continuation of the Encuentros de Música Juvenil (Youth Music Encounters), which had been held at the Bogotá Planetarium since 1992. The festival was spearheaded by singer Mario Duarte (from La Derecha), entrepreneur Julio Correal, and cultural manager Berta Quintero, with support from the Instituto Distrital de Cultura y Turismo (District Institute of Culture and Tourism).
The first edition took place between May 26 and 29, 1995, at venues including Media Torta, Olaya Herrera Stadium, Simón Bolívar Park, and La Santa María Bullring. It featured 43 national bands (Aterciopelados, Morfonia, 1280 Almas, Catedral, La Derecha) and international groups like Fobia (Mexico) and Seguridad Social (Spain), drawing around 80,000 people.
The festival solidified its status as a free event starting in 1996 by eliminating the entrance fee, exceeding 400,000 attendees by its tenth year (2004).
Over the years, “Rock al Parque” expanded its musical aesthetic, incorporating genres such as punk, ska, reggae, and blues under its philosophy of simultaneous diversity. By 2008, the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra was involved in organizing, though that year saw weather-related issues that forced stage closures during heavy rains.
The practice of using three simultaneous stages became standard from 2009 onward, and live broadcasts via Canal Capital and Radiónica were introduced.
‘Rock al Parque,’ a Bogota cultural heritage festival
In 1998, the Bogotá City Council saved the festival by declaring “Rock al Parque” a cultural heritage of the city, following criticism from some officials who deemed its funding unnecessary.
With over 473 national and international acts in its first 15 years and an average of 51 bands per edition, the festival cemented its role as a talent launchpad and gateway to international circuits.
Following its 29th edition, “Rock al Parque” reaffirms its position as Latin America’s largest free festival–a cultural phenomenon combining music, memory, and public policy. With the 2025 edition, the city reiterates its commitment to the local scene, sonic diversity, and its role as a hub for cultural exchange.
Over three decades, “Rock al Parque” has demonstrated that rock (in all its expressions) can be free, public, diverse, and above all, a space binding historical memory. Promising to remain a home for new generations, the festival advances toward its 30th edition, keeping its rebellious and inclusive spirit intact.