Chicago's largest Latin music festival will stick around through at least 2029.
Sueños Music Festival organizers scored a five-year permit agreement at a Chicago Park District board meeting Wednesday morning. The deal may include expanding the Grant Park festival over three days.
The proposal by La Cultura Presenta LLC includes a term of five years with an option for a five-year extension and paid attendance capped at 75,000 people per day. La Cultura is the sole entity responsible for organizing festival operations and facilitating the repair and restoration of the park grounds when the event is over. Either party may terminate the contract within 90 days.
Sueños is a two-day, single-stage festival held during Memorial Day weekend in Grant Park. The festival started in 2022 and gives performance space for reggaeton, regional Mexican and Latin trap artists. It also provides a space for dozens of local food and beverage vendors, many local Latino-owned businesses.
“The word ‘sueños’ means ‘dreams’ in English, and we try to impact the local community,” said Aaron Ampudia, one of the festival’s co-founders, during the board meeting. “With this deal, we extend that commitment with the Latino community.”
Sueños' success over the years was touted by park district officials as an example of good community investment, especially amid backlash and concerns from residents about large-scale events like Riot Fest, which was moved from Douglass Park in North Lawndale to SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview after community members complained of noise and increased traffic.
Each year, fest organizers host a job fair in partnership with Lollapalooza for city residents interested in working at the festivals. They also lead a campaign called 20 Days of Sueños that encourages residents and visitors to connect with and support local Chicago Latino businesses for a chance to win a pair of two-day general admission Sueños wristbands.
"Having a long-term commitment just kind of motivates us more to get more involved and get bigger and better year after year," Ampudia told the Sun-Times.
He said that the contract with the city, including the possibility of expanding to three days, is a "great option to have," especially if the festival continues to grow at its current pace.
Ampudia added that this news doesn't mean that the "cost of the festival shouldn't be exponentially higher or lower" for attendees.
The festival drew 38,000 attendees per day and made $120.9 million in profits in 2022, its first year, with $1.4 million in revenue to the parks, according to a preliminary report by AngelouEconomics and C3 Presents. This year, more than 60,000 people attended each day, generating $243.7 million in economic activity for the city, with revenue to the parks still to be determined.
In 2024, operational costs were just over $23.3 million according to a preliminary report shared with the Sun-Times.
"Just be ready for Sueños to be bigger and better next year," Ampudia said. "We promise you that we are not going to let Chicago down."
