Chile: The stage of major international events

Art, sports, music and culture are the protagonists of huge annual parties that take place in Chile, elevating the country at the end of the world by taking its attendees on an unforgettable adventure.

Music, art, literature, dance, sports, gastronomy and more, Chile is the stage of huge international events throughout the year. Activities that manage to gather crowds in encounters ranging from fairs to festivals to carnivals and cultural meetings for people of all ages and preferences.

In regards to music, many Chilean cities create their own annual festivals of great importance. Such is the case of the Festival del Huaso de Olmué, near Valparaíso; the Dichato Festival, close to Curico Valley, and the Talca Festival, in Colchagua Valley, where every summer an outdoor popular festival is organized.

However, without a doubt, the event that draws everyone’s attention in the Chilean summer and makes all Latin America sing is the Viña del Mar International Song Festival. This huge annual event is hosted in Chile but makes noise on a global level.

Known for summoning a demanding public known as “the monster of the Quinta Vergara”, this musical encounter that takes place in the city of Viña del Mar is capable of making 15 thousand spectators roar, sing, shout and dance every night until dawn. The “monster” intimidates the artists, but also rewards them with silver and gold “sea gulls”, depending on their opinion of the show.

LOLLAPALOOZA

Chile is the stage of huge international events, one of the reasons why it was chosen as the first Latin American country to host a music festival like Lollapalooza.

This festival of American origin, but of worldwide recognition, has gathered great artists in Santiago since 2011 to perform their numbers in multiple stages for two or three days. Lollapalooza brings together more than 100,000 spectators and even offers attractions especially designed for children, like Lollapalooza Kids.

Fotografía: Ramiro González

CARNIVAL OF ARICA 

The Andean Carnival with the Force of the Sun is one of the most and popular carnivals in Chile. This party takes place in the summer and revolutionizes the city of Arica, filling it with colors, music and traditional dances from Northern Chile.

For three days, the dances of the Altiplano and Afro-descendant communities that live in towns in Arica’s interior take over the city with more than 20 thousand musicians and dancers who are prepared throughout the year to shine in this annual event.

This multicultural party congregates more than 160 thousand spectators and takes place in the middle of February, infecting visitors with joy through foam and confetti. The Spanish guitar, the Andean charango, the quena, the zampoña and the tarka makes everyone dance in their place. It is one big energetic party!

VALDIVIAN NIGHT

Another cultural festival that has made Chile the stage of major international events is the Valdivian Night. This unparalleled activity mixes traditions, dances and gastronomy on the waterfront of Valdivia.

This event is a beautiful demonstration of cultural, artistic and costumbrist actions. All the boats that live in the Calle Calle River are filled with colors and lights and navigate its waters during the night amidst music and fireworks. This party, which brightens and illuminates the entire center of the city, takes place during the second half of February..

TAPATI RAPA NUI

When it comes to traditions and culture, the TAPATI Festival of Rapa Nui is the most important Pacific cultural festival on the island and one of the most influential in Polynesia.

It was born more than 40 years ago during the ancient “spring festivities” that were celebrated in Chile. In the midst of stunningly beautiful nature, the island is divided into two sides that compete to find the territory’s annual king and queen.

This friendly competition requires its highly skilled participants to endure various feats, such as the Tapati horse race; the “Haka Honu”, an old style of bodyboard that imitates the way in which the turtles approach the shore; the “Haka Pei”, a competition where the bravest of each side must slide down the slope of hill Maunga Pu’I lying on a kind of rustic sledge built with two banana trunks attached to each other; Polynesian boating and the Tauá Rapa Nui “triathlon”, which includes boat rowing and swimming races on totora floats, as well as a run carrying banana bunches. Undoubtedly, this is one of the most anticipated annual events in Chile on the island.

GRAPE HARVESTS

The world of wine also enjoys a party of its own, the Grape Harvests. The fall season revolutionizes Chilean wine regions, providing the perfect opportunity for its traditional party that includes gastronomic and artisan samplings, as well as tastings of great Chilean wine.

Between March and May, grapes that have ripened during the summer are harvested, and with this, the party begins. Vineyard and wine tours come together to offer long stretches of wine tasting of different grape strains, sampling of typical foods, dancing, and live music as well as extraordinary events open to the whole family.

CULTURE

In the cultural field, the International Book Fair of Santiago (FILSA) brings together more than 100 writers, experts in the publishing industry, illustrators and experts in the literature sphere.

The annual meeting proposes an extensive cultural program with live performances, children’s activities, exclusive releases and book signings. This activity takes place in the Estación Mapocho Cultural Center, Santiago’s iconic building, during the last quarter of the year, helping position Chile as the setting for major international events.

To this, add the already recognized scenic proposal of “Santiago a Mil”. This theatrical meeting takes place throughout January in the Chilean capital and extends to nearby cities, where theater and circus performances as well as artistic interventions take over the streets, parks and event centers, with both free and paid shows.

SPORTS

If we are talking about sports, Chile hosts multiple international sporting events. One of the first is the IRONMAN in Pucon that brings together emblematic triathletes worldwide.

The competition, known as the “most beautiful race in the world” takes place with the Villarrica volcano as a backdrop. In addition, Chile has the IRONMAN 70.3 in Coquimbo, and various events for running lovers such as the Santiago International Marathon, the Rapa Nui Marathon, the Temuco Araucanía International Marathon (MITA) and the Atacama Xtreme.

Among the hundreds of sporting events, the Atacama Crossing Chile also stands out. This is a 7-day race, which runs 250 kilometers through the Atacama Desert, taking competitors through valleys, lagoons, impressive volcanoes and old Inca roads. This adventure is not only an opportunity to train, but to also enjoy Chile’s beautiful landscapes during the month of October.

In Puerto Natales, the Ultra Fiord, an international trail running event in Chilean Patagonia, challenges runners to a long journey that crosses fjords and monumental glaciers during the month of December.

For extreme sport lovers, the Patagonman in Coyhaique is the new must-see race. Of great difficulty, but impressive scenic beauty, athletes gather from all corners of the world to compete. Athletes swim to Puerto Chacabuco, bike 180 kilometers along the Austral Highway and run 42.2 kilometers through forests and waterfalls until they reach the General Carrera Lake.

This is a tough competition, but one with a great reward. We told you! Chile is the stage for major international events.

In addition to these competitions, 2019 Chile will host first-level sports activities such as the sixth date of the World Rally Championship, the third version of the Formula E and the first final of the Copa Libertadores, officially named Copa Conmebol Libertadores 2019, which is the 60^th edition of the most important club tournament in South America.

Chile is able to host new sporting challenges every year thanks to the diverse climates and landscapes that its territory boasts, allowing the country to create challenges through the sea, mountains, islands, glaciers, desert and Patagonia. These very attributes have also earned the country the title of Best Adventure Tourism Destination in the World for three consecutive years.

CINEMA

Finally, the cinema could not be absent and, with almost a quarter of a century of existence, the Valdivia International Film Festival is the main meeting point of Chilean cinema and is one of the most important cultural events in Latin America.

This encounter has been characterized by occupying a position in the forefront of cinema, allowing the public and the Chilean industry to participate in the new movements and cinematographic gazes worldwide. Currently, the International Film Festival of Valdivia (FICValdivia) programs more than 200 films, most of them premiering in Chile and Latin America, and brings together a whole city around the seventh art.

In addition to this festival, there is a summer version of FICValdivia where internationally awarded feature-length films are presented free of charge.

The events and activities that you cannot miss when in Chile are numerous. However, the one that tops this list is holds a special place in Chilean hearts and conquers every foreigner who visits the country – we are talking about Chile’s Independence Day celebrations that take place during the month of September.

This holiday is the perfect mix of gastronomy, music and typical games that flood every corner of Chile with the colors of the flag: white, blue and red. The country’s national pride creates a festive environment that peaks on September 18, the day that commemorates the first meeting of Chile’s government. On this day, Chileans of all ages dance “cueca”, the national dance, raise flags and celebrate with their families enjoying the best of Chilean cuisine. Do not miss it!