At a time when most major festivals in North America (ahem, in the U.S.) feature homogenized lineups that try to cater to everyone and end up being beloved only by influencers who can’t wait to take a photo in front of an Instagrammable art installation, Mexico City’s Corona Capital is a refreshing change. The lineup is filled with artists under the modern, alternative, and indie rock umbrellas, and even those who don’t play guitar-dominant music still fit into the cultural puzzle.
Look no further than the booking of Chappell Roan as Saturday night’s headliner. Roan, who broke through globally with a string of hits in 2024, played her first show at Corona Capital in front of 75,000 people (no big deal). In typical Roan fashion, she catered to the Mexican crowd with an elaborate set design befitting of a pop-meet-rock star. On top of that, in her typical theatrical form, she was dressed as a “screaming banshee” that she felt “Mexico City can handle.” That it did. Later in the set, Roan honored Dia de Los Muertos, a Mexican tradition that takes place right after Halloween.
In a city full of music lovers, rock music by mostly international acts has a clear audience. With that, Corona Capital has a clear-cut identity. Knowing its audience and having built a strong local reputation, the festival’s 15th edition aims to raise its global profile.
Corona Capital Goes Beyond Great Music
As part of its food options, Corona Capital enlisted Marcello Lara, aka BurgerMan, an influencer (and musician) who, you guessed it, tastes burgers. This small section, aptly called BurgerLandia, nestled in its own area in the sweet spot between the outer-laying stages, features nine burger vendors, all BurgerMan-approved. Additionally, on the food front, the festival wisely placed individual vendors throughout the grounds (often no more than 50 feet apart), allowing attendees to grab food or a beer without straying too far from the stage. It was an underrated yet vital tactical plan to keep the crowd engaged without straying too far to eat and drink.
But of course, There Was Plenty Of Great Music, too
As for the rest of the music, Corona Capital’s lineup featured many veteran international artists with strong followings in Mexico, including Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, the much-anticipated return of the Deftones, Queens of the Stone Age, Vampire Weekend, Franz Ferdinand, 4 Non Blondes, Weezer, AFI, James, Alabama Shakes, Jehnny Beth, and Mogwai. For the latter band, performing a twilight set on the festival’s main stage on Saturday afternoon showed respect to the veteran Scottish indie rock band that they don’t take for granted.
“The audiences in Mexico are pretty unique,” Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite says. “They’re really passionate. I like playing everywhere, but I think there’s definitely a special kind of energy in this place. They’re really up for it.”
AFI has toured Mexico for nearly two-and-a-half decades. Having a firm audience base helps, but as bassist Hunter Burgan notes, it’s even better when that base is “energetic and super passionate.” The band previously performed at the festival in 2014, and Burgan saw firsthand how those descriptors have grown in the years since.
“We don’t play here often, but I think we should,” he says. “People in the U.S. are a little more fickle with their music taste. Here in Mexico, generally, audiences are more receptive to rock.”
Mexican music Fans Make Great Audiences
It’s something younger non-rock artists, such as Canadian indie electronic musician Debby Friday and Welsh singer-songwriter Marina (who played the fest in 2022), notice as well.
“I’m always shocked when I go to Mexico City,” Marina says. “A lot of us artists know that we are going to get, like, a big, energetic response back to us here. That strengthens the connection that you have on stage, and ultimately, makes you have more fun as well.”
“Latin American fans are way different than North American fans,” Friday says, “with their energy and their excitement. Even just like in the way that they engage, like online and stuff like that, I can tell that there’s a very strong music culture here, like people love music in a very different kind of way. When they see international artists, they’re really excited, happy, and very passionate.”
It was shown throughout the weekend. Enthusiasm and participation during the sets were evident. Fans showed up early to check out the sets and were active participants in setting the vibe, which the artists fed off, like Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell’s solo set. For a late-afternoon second-stage performance on the festival’s final day, it would have been understandable if the crowd was a bit beaten and wary from a long weekend. Yet it was the opposite, and the band noticed the crowd’s energy and singing along.
This Year’s Lineup Stretched Into the Mid-Aughts
While the festival leans heavily into the 90s and 2000s, a few artists from the 2010s were also on the bill, including Of Monsters and Men. The Icelandic quintet, which shot to fame in the early part of that decade, favorably compared it to one of the biggest and most important festivals in the music world.
“This was more like Coachella or something like that,” singer/guitarist Raggi Þórhallsson says. “It looks like the States out there.”
Of Monsters and Men play festivals all over the world, and both Þórhallsson and fellow singer/guitarist Nanna Hilmarsdóttir point out the reserved nature, yet attentiveness of the crowd. For them, it shows that they’re playing in front of an audience that wants to immerse themselves in the music, which is what the artists appreciate most about the festival’s vibe.
What We’ll Be Watching For In Future Festivals
All of this set Corona Capital apart not just from its domestic peers, but also from international ones. Many festivals across Europe, Asia, and Latin America have rock-centric lineups. The U.S. has a rock scene that’s alive and well (look no further than the rise of hard rock bands playing arenas and the acclaim of rising artists like Wednesday and TK). There’s a place for it, too, and it exists at festivals like Riot Fest, Hinterland, Kilby Block Party, the Fest, and Welcome to Rockville. In Mexico, the rock culture isn’t just alive, it’s thriving.
The one thing to watch in the coming years is what happens when older rock bands age out. Younger international bands weren’t well-represented on the bill, so it will be interesting to see how the festival adjusts its booking in the years to come. That said, Corona Capital is one of North America’s biggest rock-focused festivals, and 15 years in, it continues to grow in prestige and global importance.
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