If you’re spending your days in South America or simply want to visit, check out these top music festivals in South America all over the continent! From Colombia down to Chile and Argentina, these music festivals cover a range of sounds from hip-hop and alternative rock to pop and techno.
Some festivals are two-day events, while others are over a week long. Some feature big crowds in open fields, while others feature smaller gatherings in the jungle. At these South American festivals, any festival goer can find what fits their festival life goals! So get down to some psytrance or get up and bounce to hip-hip beats; you can find any sound in some beautiful locations at these South American festivals!
Music Festivals in South America
There are many different kinds of festivals all over South America from the deserts to the jungles. MAny of these festivals require camping or maybe car rental to get to remote locations. Here are some extra helpful festival articles you might like to read also:
- The Most Comprehensive Festival Camping Checklist
- The Top 10 Festival Backpacks + Hydration Packs
- Top Festival Tips and Hacks
Universo Paralello (Brazil)
Where: Pratigi Beach
When: December/January
Universo Paralallo is one of the best music festivals in South America for true festivalgoers. However, it’s beyond just a musical event but a celebration of life and the coming new year. Happening every two years over new years, the nine-day festival has numerous stages, activities, and art installations to wow your senses the whole festival.
It’s a true transformational festival with workshops, talks, yoga, and the whole shebang! Past headliners have included Dimitri Nakov, Groundbass, and Burn In Noise. Check out more transformational festivals in Central and South America if you prefer this kind of festival.
Time Warp Brazil and Time Warp Chile
Where: Autódromo de Interlagos (Brazil) / Expocenter Espacio Riesco (Chile)
When: May
The Time Warp music festival has a long history as one of the best electronic music productions. Born in Germany, it’s now made its way to Brazil and Chile, making them some of the best music festivals in South America, especially for techno lovers.
With almost 30 years of experience, Time Warp has made its way worldwide in countries like the USA, Italy, and Germany. Past featured DJs at the two-day events in Chile and Brazil have included Adriatique, Bob Moses, and Artbat.
Baum Festival (Colombia)
Where: Coferias
When: May
The two-day Baum Festival in Bogota, Colombia, has hosted up to 40,000 attendees in the past, making it one of the top festivals to hit in Colombia for electronic lovers! So trust me, if you’re traveling or living in Colombia and don’t want to miss some epic electronic music – this might be the event to go to!
The festival has multiple stages that are mostly indoors with warehouse vibes, so you can explore different sounds and keep up dancing no matter what time of the event! Ben UFO, Dax J, and Adam Beyer have performed past sets at this epic electronic event that focuses on techno.
MITA Festival (Brazil)
Where: Jockey Club, Rio De Janiero / São Paulo
When: May/June
With two locations, the MITA Festival ensures you don’t miss out on your favorite artists. With options to attend in either Rio or São Paulo, there’s no need to decide! MITA hosts massive lineups on huge outdoor stages to make for a big day party going into the night. Past line-ups have included Gorillaz, The Kooks, and Tom Misch, making for various musical tastes to be pleased here!
Tomorrowland (Brazil)
Where: Parque Maeda, São Paulo
When: October
Making a revival in São Paulo, Brazil, Tomorrowland Brasil is one of the biggest EDM festivals in South America! At the festival site, it’s possible to camp so you can stay the three days without ever having to leave the park! Tomorrowland is known for having epic camping setupd with many different tiers so this is a great festival to camp and truly enjoy the experience.
Expect the best visuals, bass, and dance vibes at this festival. Past line-ups have included Arman van Buuren, Dimitri Vegas, and David Guetta, meaning you know you can set your expectations high when you sign up for Tomorrowland! Check my Tomorrowland Belgium guide too for some ideas of what to expect.
Festival Estéreo Picnic (Colombia)
Where: Briceño Golf Course
When: March
This massive (100,000 plus!) event is one of the top music festivals in South America for festivalgoers who love a big event with famous names and need more than just two days of sound! The four-day festival has included artists like Kendrick Lamar, Florence + The Machine, Snoop Dogg, Drake, and Fatboy Slim, bringing some of the biggest names in music to Colombia.
With many sounds celebrating global musicians, Festival Estéreo Picnic is not to be missed as you can jam to your favorite hits and discover new beloved artists!
XXXperience Festival (Brazil)
Where: Arena Maeda, São Paulo
When: June
With over 25 years in Brazil’s music festival scene, XXXperience is not an event to miss in São Paulo, Brazil. The EDM festival grounds host multiple stages, incredible art installations, and a food court and bar. THe production value is fantastic with great lights and lasers and even pyrotechnics to accompany EDM, house, and techno music.
So take lots of photos at the art installations, enjoy the green grounds, and dance and sing like no one’s watching at one of the epic music festivals in South America! Past lineups have included Infected Mushroom, Green Velvet, Agents of Time, Vini Vici, and Showtek.
Rock in Rio (Brazil)
Where: Olympic Park – City of Rock, Rio
When: September
Rock in Rio brings together an incredible mix of sounds from top artists such as Drake, Bon Jovi, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Megan Thee Stallion — all artists who’ve graced the Olympic Park stage in the past.
The festival has numerous stages with over a week of music, so you can see a variety of artists and find your favorite new ones! This is a great time to be in Rio (besides in February for Carnaval) to see some of the most famous artists in the world making their way to South America for a week of all genres of music and performances.
Ultra (Brazil)
Where: Vale Do Anhangabaú, São Paulo
When: April
Calling at EDM-lovers! If you want high-end, heavy bass and non-stop dancing – Ultra Festival Brazil is here for you! Having brought the top names in EDM, such as David Guetta, Marshmello, and Alesso, to Brazil in the past, and with famous Ultra festivals run all over the world, you can always expect a strong line-up at Ultra.
There are two stages – one for EDM and trance, and one for heavier techno beats. The two-day festival kicks off in São Paulo and is one of the best music festivals in South America for fans of electronic music!
Asuncionico Festival (Paraguay)
Where: Olympic Park
When: March
Just like any festival – you’ll be left exhausted after this experience at one of the best festivals in South America and possible one of the only music festivals in Paraguay! At Asuncionico, there are three stages, a yoga zone, a relaxation zone, and a green space, so you can fit your energy where needed — whether bouncing around dancing or taking a well-needed break!
Artists in the past have included Miley Cyrus, Justin Quiles, Jhay Cortez, and Janes Addiction, bringing a variety of sounds to the stage, such as pop, reggaeton, and alternative.
Lollapalooza Argentina, Brazil, and Chile
Where: Hipódromo de San Isidro, Argentina / Autódromo de Interlagos, Brazil / Parque Cerrillos, Chile
When: All in March
Lollapalooza brings a variety of the world’s top artists hitting Argentina, Brazil, and Chile — so no matter where you’re traveling, you don’t have to miss out! These South American festivals have lined-up artists like Machine Gun Kelly, A Day To Remember, A$AP Rocky, Rosalia, and The Foo Fighters in the past, featuring a variety of genres for all music lovers!
The festivals in all three countries take part over two weekends all over South America, bringing top artists on a tour of the continent each March. The venues are all large parks with plenty of space to dance under the sun.
LAST Festival (Ecuador)
Where: Concha Acústica Parque Samanes, Guayaquil
When: May
Come for the house, techno, and all the electronic sounds — stay for the people, the dancing, and the culture. While the majority of these music festivals in South America are bringing in major international artists, LAST Festival features many Ecuadorian DJs to perform their sets.
For a more local and less commercial music festival in South America, and the only Ecuadorian festival on this list, LAST Festival is a great one to add to the list and a perfect cherry on top of exploring the beautiful country of Ecuador.
Look for the Return of these South American Music Festivals
Here are some of the best music festivals in South America that have had some hiccups in the last few years, but we are all hoping they will return one day. Keep an eye out for these if they do come back!
Storyland (Colombia)
One of the biggest EDM festivals in Colombia, Storyland moved every year to a new city in Colombia, bringing new sounds and energy to the celebration! Featuring line-ups of global DJs and local artists, Storyland is a perfect way to enjoy the party in Colombia and we hope it returns.
Solaris (Peru)
The one-day festival in Peru is a great way to experience Latin American sounds and talent!
Primavera 0 (Uruguay)
Celebration legends in alternative and independent music, Primavera 0 has featured artists such as Gorillaz, The Chemical Brothers, and Sonic Youth.
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