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TLDR? The Festival Estéreo Picnic will be held in Bogotá in March 2023 and features singers such as Drake and Billie Eilish.
Most of us are familiar with big events such as Coachella, Electric Daisy, and Burning Man. But, there are also some big music festivals you can check out in Colombia.
The Estereo Picnic Festival is one of the most famous music festivals in Colombia, which takes place every year in the city of Bogotá.
If you’re thinking of checking it out, this guide is for you. Here’s everything you need to know about Estereo Picnic 2023, so you don’t miss it.
Before we jump into the lineup and all that good stuff, let’s talk about what Festival Estereo Picnic is.
With 12 years since its inception and more than 50 hours of live music, the Estereo Picnic Festival has become one of the most anticipated events every year. It’s a festival that lasts four days, so there’s lots to do and see!
This great party has stood out for the different styles of music it brings to its attendees. A couple of the genres include indie, rock, reggaeton, and pop.
It’s featured artists of national and international stature, such as Jbalvin and Machine Gun Kelly. The concerts also include new local artists.
On the other hand, the event doesn’t just focus on music; its agenda is a whole cultural day that highlights alternative activities to the concert. For instance, you’ll find lots of art and food exhibitions.
This colorful event comes back for another round in 2023 with the motto of Lxs Distintxs Somos Todxs (We are all different). It’s the perfect place to head to with friends!
The Estereo Picnic 2023 is scheduled for four days this year in the capital of the country. Here’s what else you need to know about this big event.
The party will start on Thursday, March 23 and will last until Sunday, March 26th. So, you already know there’s a lot going on!
Pro Tip: Places are booking up fast, so it’s not a bad idea to book your Airbnb in advance. Otherwise, you may find there aren’t any places left for you to stay!
Each day of the festival has two lead artists as well as smaller, local artists. This table breaks down each day and the artists who will be performing.
| Thursday, March 23 | Friday, March 24 | Saturday, March 25 | Sunday, March 26 |
| – Blink-182 – Tame Impala – The 1975 – Cut Copy – Melanie Martinez – Wallows – Cigarettes After Sex – Sofi – Tukker | – Bizarrap – Armin Van Burren – Moderat – Ryan Castro – Trueno – Alci Acosta – Gorgon City – Wu-Tang Clan – Chemical Brothers | – Drake – Rosalia – Blondie – Tove Lo – Jerry Rivera – Fred Again – Aurora – Devendra Banhart | – Billie Eilish – Lil Nas X – Morat – Jamie xx – Kali Uchis – Tokischa – Conan Gray – Dominic Fike – Polo & Pan |
As of yet, there’s no exact schedule confirmed. So, keep your eyes peeled on the official concert page so that you don’t miss it once it drops.
The event takes place at the Campo de Golf y Centro de Eventos Briceño 18 Golf, located in Sopó on the outskirts of the city. This is actually about an hour from Bogotá.
The place is a huge field surrounded by trees where the stage and tents are located in the middle.
Address: Kilometro 19 via Bogotá, Sopo, Briceño, Cundinamarca.
The event is divided into two locations, General and VIP. You can buy tickets in combos or individual tickets.
VIP tickets contain additional perks and amenities, such as skip-the-line restrooms, seating areas, restaurants with signature products, and round-trip transportation.
There are a number of ways you can get tickets:
If you’re based out of Medellin and are planning to attend the festival, you’ll need to know how to get there and back.
Let’s look at a few ways to get to Bogotá from Medellin.
Renting a car in Medellín is pretty easy. It basically works the same way that it would in the US or in any other country.
Most car rental companies also offer a variety of vehicles, including compact and luxury options.
Once you’ve got a vehicle, you’ll want to get on the road. From Medellín to Briceño 18, it will take you approximately 9 hours to travel.
There are a total of six tolls from Medellin to the festival, with an average payment of $ 2.50 USD each (subject to change). You can only pay for these in cash, so be prepared.
Pro tip: Try not to stop for long periods of time. Make sure to travel during the day as well, as it can get tough to navigate back country roads at night due to limited lighting.
Medellin has two bus terminals, making ground transportation to Bogota pretty simple. If you don’t want to drive on your own, you can take a bus.
To get to Bogotá, you’ll need to go to the North Terminal. From there, you can choose the departure time, depending on whether you like to travel at night or during the day.
The vehicles generally have amenities such as air conditioning, bathrooms, power outlets, and wifi.
Buses will arrive at the Salitre Terminal in Bogotá. From there, you’ll need to arrange your own transportation out to the festival grounds. Most people choose to go in an Uber or rideshare app, as they’re much cheaper than in the US.
Plane is probably the best option for getting to Medellin. It’s the fastest option, and there are flights leaving from the José María Córdoba International Airport in Rio Negro.
From there, the plane will only take an hour to reach the capital. I recommend you book your flight with Avianca or Viva Air promotions.
Once you are at El Dorado Airport in Bogotá, to get to the event, you must rent a car or pay for a private driver. Briceño 18 is located one hour from the airport.
Pro tip: Make sure to schedule your trip with enough time, taking into account the traffic of the city and flight delays. Bogotá has some of the worst traffic in the country and flight delays aren’t uncommon, so keep these in mind when planning.
If you’re staying in Bogotá but are interested in checking out Medellin for a weekend, I don’t blame you! The city has tons of great things to do.
Speaking of things to do, if you need to know what to do in Medellin, you can check out this post here. Or, if you’re looking for places to stay, we’ve got you covered with our guide here!
Let’s take a look at how to make your way from Bogotá to Medellin.
To travel from Bogotá to Medellín by car, I recommend choosing the airport as a starting point. This is mostly because it’s easy to navigate your way out of the city from there.
When you start the trip to Medellín, make sure you have your phone fully charged and have downloaded the directions because you may lose your signal along the way. The road can be a bit rural, which is why this is a good idea to have the map downloaded.
The trip lasts approximately 8 hours. The benefit of doing it by car is that you may be able to stop and take a look at the landscapes and towns in passing!
Note: Many rental car companies require you to notify them if you’ll be driving your rental car outside the city of Bogotá. Check your rental agreement first to make sure you don’t get incur any unnecessary charges.
If you decide to travel by bus, you should know that Bogotá has three bus terminals. There’s one in the north, the south, and the center of the city.
My personal recommendation is to book your trip at the Salitre Terminal. There are a number of high-quality buses that run out of this terminal.
Being long travel buses, they have basic amenities such as wifi, comfortable chairs, a television, and bathrooms.
Colombian airlines offer cheap flights from Bogotá to Medellin.
El Dorado airport is the international airport of Bogotá, and from there, you can get flights starting at $40 USD with airlines such as Viva Air or Avianca.
The duration of the flight is 55 to 60 minutes to get you back to Medellin.
Tickets and lineups might be the main things people want to know, but there are some other big details you should keep in mind.
Let’s check out a couple of frequently asked questions to help you have the best concert experience possible.
Medellin is known for its spring-like temperatures, but Bogotá is quite a bit colder. Temperatures in Bogotá average around 15ºC due to the high altitudes. So, make sure to pack in layers that you can remove or put on during the festival.
Minors cannot enter the event on any of the days scheduled to date. If you’re in Colombia with kids, you’ll need to pay for a babysitter so that you can enjoy the festival.
Many people are worried about safety at the festival, but Bogotá is generally pretty safe. It’s actually considered slightly less safe than Medellin, largely due to pickpockets. But, in general, Bogotá and the rest of Colombia is a safe place for you to visit.
Like Medellín, Bogotá is a city that receives thousands of tourists a year, and more and more different places integrate English into their services. But to be honest, it is not something you find on every corner. It’s not a bad idea to brush up on your Spanish before booking tickets to the festival.
If you’ve only known about Festival Estereo recently, you might think it’s impossible this event was not as famous as before. Yes, back in the day, Festival Estereo Picnic did not have this much of an appeal to locals and tourists.
Before Festival Estero Picnic blew up, this event only featured traditional Latin music, including Bomba Estereo, Instituto Mexicano del Sunido, Palenque Soultribe, and Frente Cumbiero. Many experts called it a risky experiment because not everyone enjoys dancing to Latin music.
During the event’s early years, Rock en Español and Latino Flavors were required. In 2011, Chocquibtown and Calle 13, ambassadors of Musica Urbana, joined Festival Estero Picnic. A reunion of different Mexican rock legends was the center of attention in 2012.
These rockstars and artists paved the way for Festival Estero Picnic to start to make a scene and become Colombia’s most popular music festival.
The event’s lineup twisted 180 degrees from traditional Latin artists, attracting prominent international artists to serenade the crowd. 2013 and 2014 were way better than the previous years, and the latter was regarded as the best edition by the attendees.
The 2014 Festival Estero Picnic combined three days of popular modern rock music and an unforgettable performance by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, who gave the final show of the epic event.
Thanks to 2014, Festival Estero Picnic finally guaranteed its spot in Latin America’s World-Class Festival Circuit. This also led to more big artists worldwide getting invited to the event, including The Strokes, Lana del Rey, New Order, Gorillaz, and more.
Festival Estereo Picnic is famous for its unforgettable songs and artists, but there’s so much more to that. It also features alternative spaces for interaction, innovation, and creativity. Aside from invited musicians, independent entrepreneurs and creators also play significant roles in the music festival.
Creativity can be seen through design, jewelry, artwork, clothes, and accessories from the attendees. These pieces served as their expressions and identities while supporting new talents.
Did we forget that the festival also occurs on a spacious land? The place features intricate designs and tree trunks where the musicians can enjoy playing and watching their fans singing delightfully to their songs.
Moreover, the venue also features interactive games, giant beanbags, sun loungers, a ball pool, and green spaces. These attractions ensure fans can enjoy their time with friends while dining, dancing, and singing to awaken their senses.
A music festival will never be complete without food! And the food hall is definitely a highlight of Festival Estereo Picnic. Expect a wide variety of international cuisines, including hotdog stands, burgers, sweets, sandwiches, burritos, and more.
Because Festival Estereo Picnic is an annual event, expect a new set of musicians, performers, and artists next year.
This also means you must come fully prepared to avoid unfortunate mishaps that can ruin your experience. One important aspect is choosing what you wear. And here are helpful tips!
Bohemian and chic looks are always the name of the game for music festivals. They make you look trendy and hipster. Plus, these looks are comfortable, elegant, and relaxed at the same time.
Wear a comfortable and loose top with floral-printed bottoms to achieve this look. And don’t forget to accessorize! Complete your look with wide-brimmed hats or long necklaces to make you look even trendier! And for your footwear, go for your pair of cowboy boots or strappy slippers.
Colors are important in any music festival! Go for vibrant ones like blue, purple, green, orange, and other cheerful hues to make you look lively and entertaining!
And finally, your look will never be the best if it does not make you comfortable. Music festivals will normally take place for an entire day, so what you wear should not limit your movements. Go for outfits that will make you look chic and last a whole day.
This guide has left you completely without excuses so you can be part of the Estereo Picnic 2023.
This is one of the most anticipated upcoming events in Colombia. As such, it’s definitely something that you don’t want to miss out on!
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