The 16th Summer Festival – a spectacle of concerts, kite shows, urban salsa bands, monster truck madness, Bogota’s anniversary celebrations and a grand pyrotechnic final – will open Saturday in Colombia’s capital.
The festivities, which will take place from August 4 until August 12, offer different events each day. Below is a list of the main festivities. Fore a schedule of all events visit the organizer’s website.
Saturday, August 4
The Summer Festival kicks off with a concert starring vallenato singers Peter Manjarres and Omar Geles, hip hop duo Golpe a Golpe and reggaeton artist J Balvin in the Simon Bolivar park between 4PM and 10PM. The show is free of charge.
Sunday, August 5
More than 1,500 artists will take to the street for the “Cultural Diversity of our City” parade from Jorge Tadeo Lozano university to the Simon Bolivar park starting at noon.
In another event, national and international kite flyers will showcase “big, elaborate and acrobatic” kites at the El Tunal park from 2PM and 7PM. More than 70 kite experts from Colombia, Argentina, Canada, Japan, Great Britain and the United States will come to Bogota to celebrate the 15th version of the kite spectacular.
Monday, August 6
Bogota celebrates it’s 474th anniversary with a concert of the Philharmonic Orchestra from 6PM until 8PM at the Simon Bolivar park.
Tuesday, August 7
Calle 26 will suspend its Transmilenio service to make space for cyclists, skaters and rollerbladers. The route starts in the Renacimiento park, continues until the Reyes Catolicos roundabout in Carrera 107, extends along Carrera 60 and finishes at the Simon Bolivar park. The streets will be free of traffic from 9AM. Visitors can join in with their bicycles or simply enjoy one of the many BMX and skate shows along the way.
Wednesday, August 8
The city invites to a beach in the park with different recreational events in the Simon Bolivar park from 9AM until 5PM.
Thursday, August 9
The Palacio de los Deportes will host a comedy theme night between 6PM and 10PM. The theatre is free of charge.
Friday, August 10
An international acrobatic group will convert the Plaza Cultural La Santamaria into an open-air circus. Shows take place at 5PM and 7PM and are free of charge. The circus will be repeated on Saturday and Sunday at 2PM, 4PM and 6PM.
Saturday, August 11
The Red Bull X-Fighter Jam World Tour comes to Bogota’s Simon Bolivar park to mesmerize visitors with an extreme freestyle motocross show. The event is free of charge and starts at 3PM.
Sunday, August 12
The grand finale of the Summer Festival will be celebrated with a concert starring vallenato singers Felipe Pelaez, Daniel Calderon and Martin Elias at the El Tunal park between noon and 6PM.
The festivities will end with a bang and an international pyrotechnic show at 8PM in the Simon Bolivar park.