Executive Overview
From the historic heights of Hope Street down to the vibrant echoes of Chinatown, Liverpool is once again preparing to transform into a vibrant epicentre of Latin American arts, music, and performance. This October, La Feria Festival returns for its landmark eighth edition, cementing its place as a cornerstone of the North West’s cultural calendar. Spanning five action-packed days, the festival offers an immersive exploration of the continent’s rich artistic tapestry, bringing together world-class musicians, boundary-pushing theatre troupes, indigenous artisans, and dynamic dance ensembles from across Latin America and its flourishing British diaspora.
Launched in 2018 by Luma Creations—the Liverpool-based arts organisation spearheaded by Chilean-born songwriter and visionary Francisco Carrasco—La Feria was founded with a singular, uncompromising mission: to carve out a permanent, prominent space for Latin American artists on major UK stages. Over the past seven years, the festival has grown from a localized celebration into a nationally recognized cultural phenomenon. It challenges archaic Eurocentric paradigms by showcasing the immense diversity of a continent whose artistic output ranges from ancient Andean folk traditions to cutting-edge electronic fusions.
This year’s iteration promises to be the most ambitious yet. The carefully curated programme bridges historical memory with contemporary urgency, addressing themes of revolution, ecological preservation, indigenous resilience, and diaspora identity. Audiences will journey from the haunting, low-tuned resonance of the Argentine ronroco to the thunderous brass of a 13-piece salsa big band; from the breathy notes of Afro-Colombian gaitas to the pop-infused forró rhythms of São Paulo. Alongside evening concerts and theatrical performances, the festival features expansive visual art exhibitions, free artist-led workshops, and weekend family takeovers designed to engage all generations in cultural exchange.
Detailed Chronology: A Day-by-Day Festival Guide
Wednesday: Revolutionary Echoes and Andean Strings at Unity Theatre
La Feria’s official curtain-raiser takes place on Wednesday at the Unity Theatre, setting a powerful tone of resistance and historical reclamation. The evening opens with a performance by 18-year-old Argentine-British musician Eli Rowley, who commands the stage with traditional Argentine and Andean melodies played on the ronroco—a large-bodied, deep-toned relative of the charango. Drawing inspiration from masters like Gustavo Santaolalla and Jaime Torres, Rowley’s performance establishes a meditative, earthy atmosphere that bridges the landscapes of South America with a modern British upbringing.
The centerpiece of the evening is Manuelita, a critically acclaimed one-woman show brought to Liverpool by the innovative theatre company Popelei. Performed by Tamsin Hurtado Clarke, the play charts the extraordinary life of Manuela Sáenz, the Quito-born revolutionary who fought valiantly alongside Simón Bolívar during South America’s wars of independence. History remembers Sáenz not only as a military strategist and Bolívar’s fierce partner, but also as the "Libertadora del Libertador"—the woman who, in 1828, heroically helped him escape an assassination attempt in Bogotá. Hurtado Clarke weaves this epic narrative through physical theatre, biting comedy, and poignant storytelling, underpinned by the evocative live guitar compositions of Colombian musician Camilo Menjura.
Thursday: Intimate Folk Traditions at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
On Thursday, the festival shifts to the intimate surroundings of The Music Room at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, welcoming back Camila y Silvio following their unforgettable, sold-out performance at La Feria in 2022. Comprising Camila Soria and Silvio Rozzi, the Chilean duo’s musical partnership was forged in the crucible of Chile’s 2011 student protests. Their subsequent travels across Argentina immersed them in the deep-rooted folk traditions of the Southern Cone.
On stage, Soria and Rozzi create a rich acoustic tapestry. Soria’s powerful, grounding percussion on the bombo legüero provides a heartbeat for Rozzi’s intricate guitar and charango work, while their intertwined vocal harmonies breathe new life into traditional huayno, tinku, chacarera, and vidala forms.
Opening the evening are fellow Chileans Peregrinos. Guitarist Raimundo Santander and Brooklyn-based percussionist Rodrigo Recabarren first joined forces in New York in 2013. Their collaboration treats traditional Chilean folk material not as a museum piece, but as a living, malleable foundation for spontaneous jazz improvisation and contemporary sonic exploration.
Friday: Big Band Power and Salsa Dura
Friday night transforms The Music Room into a high-octane dance hall as it accommodates a massive 13-piece ensemble: Orchestra Mambo International. Formed in 2022 by Leeds-based salsa DJ Lubi Jovanovic and trombonist Jonny Enright, the band was conceived to resurrect the ferocious, brass-heavy mambo and salsa dura sounds pioneered by legends like Tito Puente, Machito, and Eddie Palmieri.
The orchestra features a formidable frontline of trumpets, trombone, and baritone saxophone stacked over a driving rhythm section of piano, bass, vibraphone, bongos, congas, and timbales. Much of their set draws from their critically acclaimed debut album, Apúntalo, showcasing original compositions that range from scorching mambos to sultry cha-cha-chás. Sharing lead vocal duties are Venezuelan powerhouse singer Carlos Peña—formerly a featured vocalist in Oscar D’León’s legendary orchestra—and Cuban vocalist Claritzel Miyares. Marking the band’s debut Liverpool performance, the evening is opened by acclaimed Cuban singer-songwriter George Peguero, returning to La Feria by popular demand.
Saturday: Electronic Beats, Afro-Colombian Grooves, and Brazilian Pop
The weekend kicks off at District, the industrial-chic club nestled in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle. Here, Medellín-based producer and multidisciplinary artist Killabeatmaker commands the stage, fusing traditional Afro-Colombian rhythms with heavy electronic bass and club-ready beats. Killabeatmaker’s music is deeply political and ecological; his compositions echo the sounds of Colombia’s endangered rainforests and diverse wildlife. Performing live, he seamlessly layers beatboxing, rapping, and singing over heavy electronic soundscapes, accompanied by Guadalupe Giraldo, who anchors the performance with traditional percussion and the breathy, haunting notes of the Caribbean gaita flute.
The night also marks the historic UK debut of São Paulo singer-songwriter and producer Mari Merenda. Merenda first gained international acclaim through viral masterclasses of the asalato—a West African pair of seed-pod shakers played on a cord. Her 2025 EP, Reverbero, showcases her ability to set traditional Brazilian forró and coco grooves against sleek pop, R&B, and electronic textures. In Liverpool, Merenda switches effortlessly between piano and asalato, backed by Guilherme Monteiro on bass, guitar, and vocals, before taking her groundbreaking sound to Brighton and London.
Sunday Daytime: Community, Museum Takeovers, and Indigenous Artistry
Before the final weekend celebrations unfold, World Museum on William Brown Street opens its doors and galleries to the festival for a landmark free family day. This takeover forms a core component of Cuerpos del Tiempo ("Bodies of Time"), an ambitious collaborative project with the museum’s Global Cultures Collections team aimed at decolonizing and radically reimagining the permanent Americas Gallery.
Artists hailing from eleven nations—ranging from Argentina to Venezuela—perform, dance, and share stories directly among the museum’s historical display cases. At midday, visitors are treated to a rare cultural exchange led by Tamachij Chihuatl, a collective of over 100 Indigenous Nahua women from Hueyapan, Puebla, Mexico. Meaning "handmade" in the Nahuatl language, the collective has spent four decades safeguarding their village’s intricate textile traditions, shearing wool, spinning thread, and coloring fabrics exclusively with organic plant and mineral dyes. Their culinary and textile workshops offer festival-goers a direct, tactile connection to ancestral Mesoamerican heritage.
Sunday Evening: The Grand Finale at The Black-E
La Feria’s energetic crescendo takes place on Sunday at The Black-E, Liverpool’s historic community arts centre on Great George Street. The evening’s musical anchor is a trans-continental collaboration between Orkney folk fiddler Catriona Price and El Guapo, a dynamic Buenos Aires-based duo blending Latin American folk roots with rock and funk sensibilities. Price and El Guapo co-lead Routes to Roots, an ongoing cultural exchange initiative that brings international musicians together to compose original works and reinterpret traditional folklore. Following a triumphant appearance at the Edinburgh International Festival in August, their collaborative energy lights up Liverpool.
The grand finale also showcases three distinct dance troupes representing the breadth of Latin American movement:
- ArtPer UK: London-based custodians of Peruvian heritage, bringing coastal, Andean, and Amazonian folk dances to life—including the breathtaking marinera norteña, a flirtatious courtship dance where couples gracefully circle one another waving white handkerchiefs.
- Colibrí: A Manchester-based Mexican dance troupe led by Guerrero-born choreographer Magaly Flores, performing dazzling regional dances in authentic, hand-stitched costumes spanning from Veracruz and the Huasteca to Oaxaca and Chiapas.
- Inti Tusuy: Taking their name from the Quechua phrase for "sun dance," this ensemble unites dancers of diverse backgrounds rooted in Bolivia, Mexico, Peru, and the UK.
Surrounded by authentic Latin American street food vendors, impromptu dance workshops, and vinyl DJs, the afternoon captures the true communal spirit of the festival.
Supporting Context & Metrics: Growth and Cultural Impact
Since its inception in 2018, La Feria has steadily expanded its footprint, evolving from a grassroots community showcase into one of the United Kingdom’s most vital platforms for contemporary and traditional Latin American culture. Operating under the umbrella of Luma Creations, the festival addresses a historical underrepresentation of South and Central American artists within British cultural institutions.
- Geographic Reach: The festival routinely features artists from over a dozen nations, creating a direct cultural pipeline between Latin America and the North West of England.
- Audience Engagement: By offering multiple free-admission events—including the World Museum takeover, public workshops, and family days at The Black-E—La Feria ensures that world-class arts remain accessible to economically diverse local communities.
- Diaspora Representation: Beyond importing talent directly from Latin America, the festival serves as a crucial springboard for UK-based diaspora artists, musicians, and theatre makers, providing them with professional stages and intergenerational audiences.
Official Statements and Artistic Vision
Reflecting on the cultural significance of the festival’s eighth iteration, Luma Creations artistic director Francisco Carrasco emphasized the vital role of art in bridging geographical and political divides:
"La Feria has always been about more than just entertainment; it is an act of cultural reclamation and community building. When we launched in 2018, our goal was simple: to ensure that the rich, complex, and varied voices of Latin America and our diaspora were not treated as a monolith, but as a vibrant mosaic of distinct histories and modern expressions. From the revolutionary fire of Manuela Sáenz to the electronic cumbias and ancestral weaving techniques on display this year, we are inviting Liverpool to experience the heartbeat of a continent. Culture knows no borders, and through music, dance, and storytelling, we continue to build enduring bridges between Latin America and the UK."
Tamsin Hurtado Clarke of Popelei theatre company added regarding the UK premiere of Manuelita:
"Bringing Manuela Sáenz’s story to Liverpool feels profoundly relevant today. She was a woman ahead of her time—a soldier, a politician, a visionary, and a lover who defied the patriarchal confines of 19th-century South America. Through comedy, physical theatre, and Camilo Menjura’s stunning score, we want audiences to feel her indomitable spirit and recognize that the fight for liberation and autonomy is a universal struggle."
Future Outlook: Legacy and Continuing Exhibitions
While the live music and theatrical performances draw to a close on Sunday evening, La Feria’s cultural footprint will continue to resonate across Liverpool for weeks to come.
As part of the festival’s ongoing commitment to visual arts and diaspora storytelling, the Unity Theatre will host Belonging—a powerful group exhibition featuring works by UK-based artists of Latin American heritage. Running until November 6th, the exhibition explores complex themes of migration, generational memory, ancestry, and the dualities of home. Through painting, sculpture, and mixed-media installations, the featured artists grapple with what it means to carry one’s roots across oceans while constructing a new identity in contemporary Britain.
Looking forward, Luma Creations has confirmed that planning is already underway for La Feria’s ninth edition in 2027. With its unique blend of political consciousness, artistic excellence, and exuberant celebration, La Feria has firmly established Liverpool as the UK’s spiritual capital for Latin American culture—a legacy that will continue to grow, evolve, and inspire for generations to come.
