Mexico's Vive Latino Festival Welcomes Salsa for the First Time With El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico Performance

The legendary salsa group will take the stage at the iconic annual rock festival, expanding its musical spectrum.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 2:56pm

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For the first time in its 26-year history, the Vive Latino festival in Mexico City will feature a salsa performance, welcoming the legendary Puerto Rican group El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico to its lineup. The inclusion of this iconic salsa band reaffirms the festival's commitment to expanding its musical offerings and challenging stigmas by incorporating diverse genres like pop, reggaeton, cumbia and regional Mexican music over the years.

Why it matters

The addition of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico to the Vive Latino lineup signals a shift in the festival's programming, embracing the growing popularity of salsa music sparked by artists like Bad Bunny. This move aligns with Vive Latino's mission to continuously evolve and represent the breadth of Latin music, solidifying its position as a leading cultural event in Mexico.

The details

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, considered a generational salsa band, will take the stage on Saturday, March 14th. Their performance will feature the group's classic hit 'Un Verano en Nueva York,' which was recently revived in Bad Bunny's 'Nuevayol.' The festival's director, Jordi Puig, emphasizes that this addition will allow attendees to 'have fun and dance to the beat of a first-class salsa orchestra.'

  • The Vive Latino festival is taking place on March 14-15, 2026.
  • El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico will perform on Saturday, March 14th.

The players

Vive Latino

An iconic annual rock festival in Mexico City that has expanded its musical offerings over the years to include diverse genres like pop, reggaeton, cumbia and regional Mexican music.

El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico

A legendary salsa group considered a generational band and one of the most famous salsa orchestras.

Jordi Puig

The director and founder of the Vive Latino festival.

Bad Bunny

A Puerto Rican artist whose hit album 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos' and adaptation of the classic 'Un Verano en Nueva York' into 'Nuevayol' has reignited interest in salsa music among younger generations.

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What they’re saying

“We're going to have fun and dance to the beat of a first-class salsa orchestra.”

— Jordi Puig, Director and founder of Vive Latino

“It's fair to say this is already a generational band; it's the great salsa band.”

— Jordi Puig, Director and founder of Vive Latino

What’s next

The Vive Latino festival is expected to welcome between 140,000 and 150,000 attendees over the two-day event, similar to previous years. The concerts will also be livestreamed exclusively on Amazon Music's Twitch and Prime Video platforms, covering approximately 98% of the festival's programming.

The takeaway

The inclusion of the legendary salsa group El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico in the Vive Latino festival lineup demonstrates the event's commitment to continuously evolving and representing the diverse musical landscape of Latin America, solidifying its position as a leading cultural event in Mexico.