Latin artists may rule the charts and pack stadiums worldwide, yet Latin America still lacks a Eurovision-style televised music mega-festival; the reasons lie in history, industry and politics.
Spanish-language music is enjoying one of its most globally prominent moments.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latin American artists are filling stadiums in Europe and the United States, topping international charts and have become key players in the digital ecosystem.
Yet despite this growing cultural presence, Latin America still does not have a major televised music contest that brings the region together as a bloc, in the style of the Eurovision Song Contest.
The possibility of creating a similar format in the Ibero-American sphere has surfaced on several occasions in recent years. In 2022, 'RTVE' presented the Hispavisión project, a festival inspired by Eurovision that aimed to bring Spanish-speaking countries together on a single stage. Cartagena de Indias in Colombia was even floated as a possible host city for a first edition in 2023.
The project, however, never came to fruition and months later the Spanish public broadcaster itself acknowledged that the initiative was at "a standstill".
Even so, the idea has not entirely disappeared. In recent comments to 'SIX', (source in Spanish) a TelevisaUnivision executive once again opened the door to potential joint music projects between Spain, Latin America and the Hispanic market in the United States. Although he stopped short of confirming the return of the historic OTI Festival or announcing a specific new format, he did hint at a willingness to explore ways of linking the music industry on both sides of the Atlantic.
The absence of a major regional festival comparable to Eurovision does not, however, come downto a single cause, says Pablo Solís, director of Latin American Cultural Connections. According to him, this is a phenomenon where historical, industrial, geographical and political factors all converge.
"I think there have been previous efforts and contests, perhaps also linked to Spain, such as the OTI contest," he notes. "There have also been song contests and platforms that have helped to give artists visibility. Chile, for instance, has the case of Viña del Mar, which acts as an important platform. There are festivals around the region, but perhaps we are missing an exercise similar to what Europe has, something more structured and regional."
For decades, Latin America did in fact have an initiative that sought to play that role. The OTI Festival, created in 1972 by the Ibero-American Television Organisation, brought together artists from different countries in the Spanish-speaking world for years and was one of the few television projects conceived with a truly regional vocation. However, the contest gradually lost strength over time until it disappeared in 2000.
For Solís, the problem was not only the disappearance of that festival, but the lack of an industrial structure capable of sustaining an initiative of that kind over the long term.
"A great deal depends on the platforms and on the efforts made to integrate the region," says Solís. "In Latin America we have had major media companies, such as Televisa in Mexico, which acted as platforms for cultural dissemination and helped content and artists circulate around the region, but perhaps we have failed to create a coordinated, sustained initiative like Eurovision."
A more fragmented continent
Latin America's own political and economic structure has also made it harder to consolidate transnational cultural projects. Unlike Europe, where institutional integration has facilitated the development of joint initiatives, the American continent presents a more fragmented landscape.
"The region has struggled to integrate, both from a geographical and logistical point of view," Solís explains. "Europe has undergone various processes of unification and joint work that are reflected in shared institutions. In Latin America we have not managed to create a similar initiative."
On top of this comes the traditional logic of the television industry in the region, historically oriented towards national markets. "Perhaps interests have not been aligned to generate that kind of content," says Solís. "Each broadcaster has developed formats mainly with its local audiences in mind."
That does not mean there is no musical exchange between countries. In fact, some of the continent's most important festivals operate precisely as spaces of cultural circulation.
"We do not have a Eurovision, but we do have festivals such as Vive Latino, Cosquín Rock or Viña del Mar, which act as permanent platforms for exchange," Solís explains. "At Vive Latino, for example, Argentine, Chilean or Colombian artists perform before Mexican audiences, and the same happens in other countries with Mexican artists."
The difference, he stresses, is that these spaces have developed mainly in the sphere of live concerts and in-person festivals, whereas the Eurovision model is based on a large shared television production involving multiple countries.
Paradoxically, the current context could offer more favourable conditions than in the past for the creation of a project of this kind. The spread of digital platforms, the growth of streaming and the increasing international prominence of Latin American artists have transformed the region's musical ecosystem.
"Latin America is going through a very particular moment, especially in music," Solís says. "On the one hand, we are seeing Latin American artists and genres breaking into the very top of the global mainstream. And on the other, there is growing acceptance of digital platforms and streaming."
To this we can add the growing presence of major international companies in the Latin American music market. "Companies such as Live Nation are beginning to have an ever greater presence in Latin America and are expanding their operations across the region," he points out.
In this scenario, Solís believes the ground may be being prepared for more ambitious regional initiatives. "More and more festivals and more platforms are emerging that allow artists to move between countries. I think that is fertile ground for an initiative like the one you mention."
Beyond its television or industrial dimension, a Latin American music festival would also have a strong cultural impact. In Solís's view, a project of this kind could become an international showcase for the diversity of the continent's music.
"It would be a great platform for the region's music and the cultural diversity we have to be seen and consumed by a much larger number of people", he says. "I think it could be a major bridge for communication and exchange."
The potential reach of such an initiative would go far beyond the Spanish-speaking world. "Although Spanish is not spoken by everyone, music can be enjoyed by people who speak other languages," he explains. "A platform of this kind would help shine a light on everything that is happening in a territory of more than 600 million people."
The global boom in Spanish-language music and the transformation of the digital ecosystem have brought back onto the table an idea that for years seemed forgotten. The prospect of a major Latin American music festival remains unfulfilled, but an increasing number of voices in the industry believe that the right moment to try may be drawing closer.
