5.25.2025
Sueños Music Festival 2025: Saturday Recap
Photo credit: Sueños / @sflynnphoto
THE RECAP:
Each year, Sueños Music Festival brings the most vital Latin artists to the shores of Lake Michigan for a celebration of music, community, and culture. For the fourth edition of Sueños, El Festival Latino pulled out all the stops, expanding the event’s footprint in Chicago’s Grant Park and adding two additional stages for festival-goers to dance the night away. Saturday brought one of the most exciting slates of performers in Sueños history, who warmed up the chilly spring night with their summer-ready vibes.
Saturday night finished with an incredible performance by Shakira, who performed a career-spanning set with amazing production from her current Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour. Touching the Sueños stage for the very first time, Shakira pulled songs from her deep bag of hits from the last three decades. The Colombian pop queen put her all into each song, from her 2002 English language breakout “Whenever, Wherever,” to more recent singles like 2024’s “Monotonía.” Playing into the hands of the mostly-Latin crowd, Shakira played multiple songs from her early career, including “Objection” and “Antología.”
Leading into Shakira was Mexican music superstar Peso Pluma, whose setlist switched between corridos tumbados like “Rompe La Dompe” and “Ella Baila Sola,” and reggaeton hits like “La Bebe” and “QLONA.” Peso welcomed special guests, including Oscar Maydon, El Alfa, Tito Double P, and Jasiel Nuñez, and serenaded the crowd in a classic black-and-white Sox cap to pay homage to Chicago’s South side.
Earlier in the day, Sueños presented an array of Latin music’s most exciting artists, who showed out for the Chicago crowd until dusk. Reggaeton legend Arcangel cut an imposing figure on stage, as he flawlessly performed hits from throughout his career. As always, Dominican dembow trail blazer El Alfa brought the energy, boosting the bass and testing the limits of the Sueños speakers. Rising corridor Oscar Maydon was a fan-favorite, as he demonstrated why he is one of Mexican music’s hottest acts. Earlier in the day, Sueños showcased some of the scene’s hottest risers, including rising urbano star El Malilla and genre-bending Monterrey native Nsqk. Meanwhile, La Fuente Stage (Presented by Toyota) provided an option for dance music fans, presenting a DJ set from superstar Nicaraguan-American DJ Gordo, Bad Bunny collaborator DJ Luian, and others.
Proudly produced by La Familia Presenta and C3 Presents, producers of Lollapalooza, Sueños Festival has become an institution in its home city and one of the premiere showcases for Latin Music and Reggaeton in the United States. Stay tuned for Sunday, which promises another full day of incredible music, from Don Omar, Wisin, Grupo Frontera, and many more.
View photos from Sueños HERE (credit all photos to “Sueños / @photographer”)
Follow Sueños on Instagram for in-the-moment updates
Find more information at suenosmusicfestival.com
CONTACT:
Media Contacts:
suenos@audibletreats.com
SHAKIRA
Shakira Shakira! The global pop icon stuns the festival crowd and prompts group sing-alongs with her hip-shaking anthems (Photo credit: Sueños / @sflynnphoto)
(Photo credit: Sueños / @sflynnphoto)
PESO PLUMA
Mexican music’s biggest star showcases his unmistakable singing voice and rockstar charisma
(Photo credit: Sueños / @diegoguillen)
(Photo credit: Sueños / @el_matzu)
ARCANGEL
A Latin trap originator who has expertly surfed each wave of Reggaeton since his 2004 debut, Arcangel remains one of Latin music’s most vital artists
(Photo credit: Sueños / @sflynnphoto)
EL ALFA
In what is most likely his last Sueños set ever, the Dominican Dembow king brought an electric energy to Grant Park, pushing the tempo and the crowd to their limits with his rapid-fire flow and barrage of hits.
(Photo credit: Sueños / @rios.mov)
GORDO:
A close collaborator of Drake who has experience in both hip-hop and EDM, the artist formerly known as DJ Carnage set the La Fuente Stage presented by Toyota ablaze (Photo credit: Sueños / @diegoguillen)
OSCAR MAYDON:
The Rancho Humilde hitmaker sang his heart out in front of an adoring crowd
(Photo credit: Sueños / @sflynnphoto)
EL MALILLA:
A rising force in the regional urbano scene, El Malilla lit up the stage with his gritty vocals and streetwise swagger, proving why he’s one of the most buzzed-about names in Latin rap.
(Photo credit: Sueños / @luiisrtz)
NSQK:
Performing the day’s first set, the Mexican polymath gave early arrivers a taste of his exciting blend of hip-hop, reggaeton, and pop
(Photo credit: Sueños / @luiisrtz)
SCENES FROM THE FESTIVAL:
(Photo credit: Sueños / @el_matzu)
(Photo credit: Sueños / @el_matzu)
(Photo credit: Sueños / @rios.mov)
(Photo credit: Sueños / @frankievergara_)
ABOUT SUEÑOS:
Sueños Music Festival, founded in 2022, unites the city of Chicago under the banner of incredible Reggaeton and Latin Music. Bringing unprecedented star power to Grant Park and offering spectacular views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline, Sueños Festival (translation: dreams), was created to be an inclusive event with a mission to continue to celebrate and uplift Latin culture and the extraordinary music, people, food, and amazing energy that comes along with it.
Sueños takes pride in its meaningful contribution to Chicago’s Latin communities year-round, with a focus on supporting youth initiatives and Latin-owned businesses. This includes a partnership with Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center to develop youth art centers in Chicago’s predominantly Latin neighborhood, Hermosa, along with scholarships and immigration services for Latin communities through its collaboration with Pilsen Neighbors Community Council. Sueños’ ongoing partnership with the National Museum of Mexican Art includes a program to deliver art supplies to aspiring art students, a festival activation that allows young writers from the museum’s youth journalism program to conduct interviews at the festival, and a program that integrates art created by the museum’s youth mural program into the festival. In addition, Sueños has partnered with Puerto Rican Arts Alliance to provide music education programs and studio arts programs for children on the Southwest Side, including Chicago Public Schools’ vital after school and summer programs. Sueños supports Latin-owned businesses in the city through festival partnerships and its 20 Days of Sueños initiative, which shines a spotlight on 20 Latin-owned Chicago restaurants over a 20-day period, further amplifying the talent within Chicago’s Latin communities.
In 2024, Sueños Music Festival contributed $240 million to the Chicago economy and paid $1,992,952 in direct rent payments to the Chicago Park District. Additionally, the festival generated more than $2.01 million in amusement tax revenue for the City of Chicago and Cook County.
Now in its 4th year, Sueños is quickly becoming an institution in the Chicago community and a premier destination for Latin music fans from all around the world. In Fall 2024, Sueños producers C3 Presents and La Familia Presenta, secured a new 5-year deal with the City of Chicago and the Chicago Park District, which will allow the Sueños team to continue bringing music lovers together in one of the nation’s most vibrant cities.
Links:
Sueños: official website | instagram | facebook | twitter