After the Embrace, the Feria: Cali Prepares to Dance Again in December

In October, Cali danced gently. The World Salsa Festival had no judges, no scores, no champions. It was an embrace—a city holding itself together after the earthquake. The slogan said it all: La salsa nos abraza. Salsa embraces us.

But an embrace is not the same as a party. And Cali, the World Capital of Salsa, does not stay still for long.

In December, the rhythm returns to the streets at full volume. The 69th Feria de Cali is coming, and it is being built as something more than a celebration. The event will go ahead, framing it as a tool for economic reactivation and a space to honor the victims of the August 10 earthquake . The Feria was born in 1957, one year after a devastating explosion in Cali, as a way to help the city recover. Seventy years later, the city is being asked to do it again.

The Stages Are Set

The main concerts will take place at the Arena USC, across three nights .

On Saturday, December 26, Guayacán Orquesta opens the celebration, joined by the legendary Hermanos Lebrón, Dayson Lyon, and Corito Salsero. It is a lineup that spans generations—Guayacán’s tropical salsa and the Lebrón brothers’ classic sound, both deeply woven into Cali’s musical DNA.

On Monday, December 28, the Romantic Night arrives with Víctor Manuelle, the Puerto Rican star whose salsa romántica has been the soundtrack of countless Cali nights. He will be accompanied by Orquesta La Palabra, Anddy Caicedo, and Marlong Son.

On Wednesday, December 30, Grupo Niche closes the Arena USC series. Cali’s own. The band that gave the world “Cali Pachanguero” and “Una Aventura” will share the stage with La Misma Gente, Orquesta La 16, and Maylo Martínez. It is the final night of the year, and the city will spend it dancing to its own heartbeat.

The First Breath Comes Earlier

Before the Arena USC opens its doors, the season begins on Saturday, December 19 with a free concert at Parque Obrero—the neighborhood that gave Cali some of its greatest salsa musicians .

The lineup is a homecoming. Alfredo de la Fe, the legendary violinist, will perform with the Cali orchestra Son Mujeres. Henry Fiol will bring his classic salsa dura. Kim de los Santos will add Puerto Rican energy. And the night will close with Hermanos Lebrón, the same group that opens the Arena USC a week later. Before the international stars take the stage, local orchestras Melaza, Zúmbale, and Orquesta Bavaria will warm up the crowd with Cali classics .

The Parque Obrero concert is free. It is the city’s way of saying: the party belongs to everyone.

Why This Matters

For international readers, the Feria de Cali might look like just another Latin American festival. But this year, it is something else.

The earthquake killed 154 people in Cali and left thousands displaced . The city is still counting the cost. The World Salsa Festival in October was a pause—a moment to breathe, to grieve, to hold each other. December is the next step. It is the moment when Cali decides that grief and joy can exist in the same city, in the same song, in the same night.

The Feria will not ignore what happened. There will be spaces to honor the families who are still suffering . But there will also be music. There will be dancing. There will be Guayacán and Niche and Víctor Manuelle. There will be the sound of a city refusing to be defined by the worst thing that happened to it.

In October, Cali learned to dance gently. In December, it dances again—together.

The Feria de Cali 2026. December 19 at Parque Obrero. December 26, 28, and 30 at Arena USC. The rhythm is coming back.