Right off the bat, fans were excited to see the plethora of artists announced on the lineup. Having a solid mix of music genres across the many different Latino cultures gives everyone a moment to shine. From Reggaeton, Corridos, Pop etc., it was a great way to get a taste of each.

Unfortunately getting inside the event wasn’t as smooth as many hoped it would be. Many attendees arrived late and were stuck in entry lineups but once you were things were all smooth sailing. Unless of course, you were trying to get food or drinks, which is a pretty typical issue when it comes to music festivals. Walking through the festival grounds you quickly noticed many fun popups to take photos in, relax or dance your heart away in the safety of the “Girls Only” dance area. There was even a giant Ferris wheel that gave fans a nice view of Downtown and Lake Michigan, especially at sunset.

With beautiful weather being on our side 2 years in a row, we embraced the sun and lakefront breeze to gather for Mexican superstar Junior H. The young Corridos Tumbados singer had the crowd in a frenzy right away. Bangers like “Mente Positiva” and “Como Jordan” made us all sing till our cups were empty. Junior H did run into audio issues with his mic cutting out but was able to play it off by being honest with the crowd.

Another high-profile singer that ran into audio issues was reggaeton legend Ivy Queen. She was visibly upset during her set by the distraction but was able to recover. She overcame the obstacle by putting on a great show like the illustrious artist she is. Ivy Queen hit us with the throwbacks like “Quiero Bailar” and “La Vida Es Así” making me reminisce all those junior high dances.

Another artist that had the same nostalgic feel were Wisin Y Yandel – the duo has been rocking shows for over 20 years! In late 2022, the pair announced that 2023 would be their last time touring together. While they haven’t specified when exactly their last performance will be, it was a must-see featured act on Sueños lineup. Their impressive catalog has plenty of iconic club tunes like “Rakata,” “Me Estás Tentando,” and “Mirala Bien”.

Myke Towers is another artist that returned for another year of Sueños. He was featured in the seminal promotional video with former Mayor Lori Litefoot. Myke Towers came onstage decked out in Bulls leather jacket with backup dancers dressed in gold, all fitting the championship theme. He did songs off his Easy Money Baby and Lyke Myke albums as well as his verse on Fied’s “Jordan IV” adding to the Chicago Bulls love. Speaking of Feid, he was one of the new faces the crowd was excited to see. Throughout the day you saw hundreds of attendees wearing green to match the signature color of the Columbian singer. Green aesthetics covered the stage including a green monster truck. He got the crowd hyped right away with “Castigo” followed by “Otra Vez”.

However, the loudest crowd reaction erupted for Becky G. It Felt like the president was in town with how intense security got. For 20 minutes the DJ hyped the crowd up as we swarmed the stage waiting in anticipation for her arrival. When she did arrive, the crowd exploded in thunderous applause. Wearing a matching light purple shirt and skirt, she opened up her set with “Mayores”. The crowd was ecstatic by everything, hanging on to each word she sang from “Mamii” to “Sin Pijamas”. The pop star created hysteria by the time she performed “Baile Con Mi Ex” yet we were civil enough to keep it fun and dance to it.

Sueños Music Festival is quickly becoming the summer kickoff party to attend in late May. For 2 years in a row, the festival team has knocked it out of the park. While there were a few hiccups that still need to be figured out, this event is showing its determination to continue to grow. It’s a great way to experience the variety of Latino culture has to offer in a diverse city like Chicago in one weekend. From great food to have more interactive features to of course some of Latin America’s biggest stars. Most importantly it brings a sense of unity amongst Latinos, everyone is welcome to join.

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Despite the rainy weather threatening the event days before beaming sun came out to welcome enthusiastic fans ready to dance the weekend away. From the start, the crowd was not were for a treat when Dominican artist Tokischa lit up the stage. Styled with shades, braids, and white pants eventually revealing her backside Tokischa got the party rowdy. She was seductive not only in appearance but in how she dominated the stage, getting the crowd riled up as she twerked while singing “Singamo.”

Things slowed down a bit when Mexican rapper Natanael Cano took the stage singing his popular tune “Amor Tumbado,” having heard the song in bars it was cool seeing it performed live. Usually, a little buzzed when the song comes on the jukebox but the chorus always hits home: “Yo no soy aquel que te dio rosas, pero te di mi corazon y es mas valiosa”.

The energy picked back up when heavy hitters like Farruko, Myke Towers, and El Alpha took their turns. Farruko absolutely had to play his hit song “Pepas” – if you have been to any parties in the last year then you’ve definitely heard the song. The synthesized horns ringing vibrantly and Spanish chanting engulf you, forcing you to jump around sharing energy with the crowd. Ozuna took the reins next closing out the first night. The heat from his pyrotechnics set the intensity of the audience to high, the crowd was electric, singing along and vibing to some of his classic bangers like “Dile Que Tu Me Quieres” and “Se Preparo”.

Day tw had a high standard to live up to but this lineup was no pushover. Even when artists weren’t performing it was still a celebration of Latino culture, it is after all what we were all here for. The in-house DJ’s would ask the crowd, “Where are my Puerto Ricans? Where are my Mexicans?” etc.,  while also showing love to the non-Latino participants for we are all familia in the end. They played songs our parents listened to, tracks by Selina, Vicente Fernandez, Celia Cruz, and old school reggaton of yesteryear like Don Omar and Daddy Yankee. Anything to keep the good times rolling!

Arguably one of the best performances was by Sech (photos above). The big Panamanian stud controlled the audience expertly while playing through his vibrant tunes, stopping a few times to make sure people in the audience were safe and ordering water to be handed out in the pit. Sech was followed by one of my personal favorite artists, Puerto Rican singer Jhay Cortez (photo below and cover image). Dressed in green leather with a skeleton pattern, Cortez danced with backup dancers and a ton of swagger.

Following Jhay Cortez were Wisin Y Yandel, legends in the raggaeton scene. In fact, many in attendance argued the duo probably should have closed out the event since they were one of the best acts. They went through the back catalog of tracks that made them famous including “Pam Pam”, “Me Estas Tentando,” and “Sexy Movimiento”. The crowd absolutely loved their performance.

Colombian sensation J. Balvin was the one to close out the weekend. Easily one of the hottest acts in music right now J. Balvin, dressed in a pajama-like fit, in a way was reflective of the state of the exhausted crowd. Fans were tired from all the dancing and drinking while the sun beat on them and were not too engaged at first but J. Balvin brought them back to life with “Mi Gente”.

Suenos Festival was a damn good time. Everyone was dressed for the occasion and came with the dance moves to back it up. The atmosphere was filled with a sense of freedom, everyone was letting loose and getting wild. But more importantly, it was a celebration for the Latino community. From all backgrounds, we danced united inviting everyone who came out to support. The audience represented our culture and our city with pride. It was a huge success and we can’t wait to see Sueños Festival return next year.

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