La Feria de las Flores (Flower Fair) in August is a good time of the year to visit Medellin. If for no other reason, for the fantastic live music you can find at Parque Cultural Nocturno.
Medellin With La Feria de las Flores
La Feria de las Flores is 10 days. During that time you can if you want, find the national Trova competition (traditional music where singers duel in improvised verses) –Cabaret –Reggaeton & Pop concerts – Orchestras – + so much more in lots of different locations/venues in and around Medellin.
I’m sure all of those things were great. But I went to none of them :).
I was mostly at Parque Cultural Nocturno (Cultural Night Park) – a program of free outdoor concerts at Parque de los Pies Descalzos.
Parque Cultural Nocturno
Night 1 of Parque Cultural Nocturno is ‘Negra Noche’ (Black Night).
Night 2 is ‘Musicas del Mundo’ (World Music).
Troker (Mexico) with guest Emcees @ Musicas del Mundo
Night 3 is ‘Noche de Humor’ (Humour Night).
Night 4 is ‘Noche Tropical’ (Tropical Night).
Each of those Parque Cultural Nocturno events is a great environment for listening, dancing to, and appreciating live, and often incredible Colombian and international music.
- It’s an open-air venue – under beautiful, clear Medellin night skies.
- Stage visibility is good for the tiered venue layout.
- Quality sound and lighting .
- Lots of seating (granny am I).
- Sensible program times 🙂 (granny I am I tell you) – 6.00 pm til midnight (finishing the same time Jamaican events start!).
- Restaurants and basic bars to nourish yourself.
- Family friendly – with a play area for kids. This venue is not a ‘punto libre’ (a location immune from police harassment for smoking a spliff:).
Most importantly at Parque Cultural Nocturno – you are there amongst a friendly, music loving, artist appreciating group of people.
Emcees regularly remind the crowd about creating a secure, friendly, clean and respectful space for everyone to enjoy music in together. All the people in the crowd agree. They create and enjoy that healthy space together – along with the emcees and artists on stage of course.
Las Alegres Ambulancias-Negra Noche
If you get to Medellin when La Feria De Las Flores and Parque Cultural Nocturno are on in August, you’re pretty sure to find some incredible Colombian & international artists for your listening and dancing pleasure. I did this year, and last year too.
Medellin Without Parque Cultural Nocturno
I don’t know what goes on musically in Medellin during the rest of the year when La Feria de las Flores isn’t on.
My time in Medellin looking for musical experiences away from Parque Cultural Nocturno wasn’t very fruitful:
- visits to Medellin music stores turned up almost no contemporary local music;
- my attempts to find cool nightlife I’m into failed;
- asking lots of Medellin folk about where to find live music got me nowhere much.
There must be good stuff happening in the Medellin music scene during the rest of the year? Si? No? Maybe I spoke to the wrong people? Went to the wrong places? Wasn’t looking hard enough because Parque Cultural Nocturno was there?
If someone knows about other good times to visit Medellin for live music and festivals, please let me know! If not I’ll just keep my Medellin visits for La Feria De Las Flores where I know I’ll find live musical goodness at Parque Cultural Nocturno.
Troker @ Musicas del Mundo
Quite apart from La Feria de las Flores and its music, there are lots of good reasons to visit Medellin at any time of year by the way. One is Los Paises – the super friendly & ever-so-proud-of-Medellin (especially over Bogota) people. Another is the glorious all-year-round Spring climate and the beautiful, vivid colours it creates in nature and people.
