Baja Beach Festival is coming up fast, and there are still available passes! Sitting oceanfront on 3-acres of beach with a ferris wheel, local food vendors, games, a glam station, and more, it’s a festival to add your annual calendar.
This years headliners include Maluma, Anuel AA, Farruko, Banda MS, Wisin Y Yandel and Daddy Yankee, who is currently on his farewell tour. The festival runs the weekend of August 12-14 and the weekend of August 19-21, and we talked to founders Aaron Ampudia, and Chris Den Ujil, to get the inside scoop about what to expect, how to make the best of your 3 day weekends, after parties, and more.
How important is it to you that a festival like this, with the biggest names in Reggaeton and Latin music exists?
Aaron: I think it’s one of the coolest things cause the Latino community has been underserved in these types of experiences. There was really nothing that they could call their own. In my opinion, I’m Mexican American, I lived in Mexico, and San Diego, and you would have the typical festivals, right? Like the Coachellas the EDCs, but there was nothing that celebrated the culture, the food, the music, obviously all these big headliners that we like to listen to. So it’s super cool and super special to me.
Chris: I think the time when we started this festival, it was a moment in time when the Latin urban, reggaeton, Latin artists in general, that we really book started to really feel momentum beyond their hard ticket touring that they had been working so hard year over year. I think as we launched this, it was this really pivotable moment, especially in the United States. But now fast forward a couple more years, it’s very global that this genre really exploded. And there wasn’t this festival every year that the artists could call their own, as much as the Latinos could call their own from a fan perspective. So I think that Baja beach Fest really checks that box, not just from a fan and from that inclusivity story, but also from the artists. I talk to these guys all the time, and one thing that’s super, super special that not a lot of people get to see because it’s so behind the house, is just the comradery and love that all the teams have for each other and artists have for each other. It’s kind of like the Super Bowl or certain large athlete gatherings where it’s kind of unique. They don’t all get to go to one place at one time very often, so I think there’s just a lot of magic that goes on in the event.
What should festival-goers get most excited about when it comes to this year’s Baja Beach Fest? What makes it different than all the other years.
Aaron: If Baja beach festival-goers have gone to past years, I think the major point of difference is that we’ve really mixed up the talent this year. Three of the six headliners we’ve never had at the festival. One of them is Daddy Yankee, who is in the middle of doing his retirement tour. So I think it’s gonna be a pretty special moment for his fans as this is the only festival that he’s playing.
Chris: As far as the experience goes, we’re always trying to elevate the experience. So there’s a bigger Ferris wheel, and there are now helicopter rides. There are more photo ops and more food vendors.
What’s your advice for festival-goers to make the most of their three days?
Aaron: If you can stay in Rosarito, I think the experience is way better in one of the hotels, whether it’s the Rosarito Inn, Festival Plaza, or Rosarito Beach Hotel. Just because you get to park your car, forget about that, any type of transportation. Everything is within walking distance, from a five-minute walk to maybe an eight-minute walk from the furthest hotel, and you get to enjoy all the restaurants around, you get to enjoy the festival after-parties, and other bars that are around also. So the town just comes to life. Baja Beach Fest takes over Rosarito.