Feria de Cali 2026: A Guide to Colombia's Year-End Salsa Festival

Between Christmas and New Year's, Cali stops being just a city and turns into one giant dance floor. The Feria de Cali fills the streets with dancers in sequined outfits, salsa plays from noon until sunrise, and neighborhoods fill with street parties, open-air stages and record-collector meetups. It's the biggest festival in southwestern Colombia, and the best excuse to experience the world capital of salsa at its most intense.

Here's what's actually on the program today (some old classics no longer exist), how to buy tickets without getting scammed, where to stay, and how to get around.

What the Feria is, and where it comes from

The Feria began in December 1957, a little over a year after the August 7, 1956 explosion — a disaster that killed and injured residents, destroyed part of the city, and triggered a serious economic crisis. City authorities at the time created the festival to help revive the local economy and lift the city's spirits. For years it was known as the Feria de la Caña (Sugarcane Fair), named for the crop that shapes the Valle del Cauca landscape, and centered on the bullfighting season at the Cañaveralejo bullring.

Over time, salsa became the main event. Today the Feria is, above all, a celebration of Caleño identity: dance, live orchestras, and the tradition of going out to party as a family.

The main events

Programming shifts a bit year to year and some names change, so treat this as a guide to what's usually on. The specifics below come from the 2025 edition (the 68th), the most recent one at the time of writing.

Salsódromo (December 25)

This is the parade that opens the Feria (a tradition since 2008) and the most anticipated event of the week. Thousands of dancers from Cali's salsa schools, orchestras and performance groups move through a stretch of the city with competition-level choreography, bright costumes and floats. In 2025, more than 2,200 performers took part, along the Autopista Suroriental. The route has changed between editions, so confirm it once the 2026 program is published.

There's paid grandstand seating, and in 2025 the city also opened free viewing areas beneath the grandstands, with limited, controlled access. Arrive early if you're aiming for one of those spots.

The other parades

Between December 26 and 28, the same circuit hosts three more parades, all with the same grandstand-seating setup:

• Fiesta de mi Pueblo Parade: floats and performance groups from Valle del Cauca municipalities and rural districts, with regional music and traditional dress.
• Classic and Antique Car Parade: carefully restored collector cars, driven by their owners.
• Carnaval de Cali Viejo: costumed characters and performance groups evoking Cali's past — colorful, theatrical and very much a family event.

What happened to the Cabalgata (horse parade)?

Plenty of visitors still ask about it, but the Cabalgata is no longer part of the Feria. City officials removed it starting in 2014, citing public-order concerns and the welfare of riders and horses, and have since had to debunk social-media posts announcing "official" horse parades that don't exist. If you see one advertised, it isn't part of the official program.

Melómanos (Record Collectors) Meetup

This is one of the most genuine events on the calendar, and a favorite among serious salsa fans. Vinyl collectors set up their sound systems, play classic salsa, pachanga and boogaloo, and the crowd dances, buys records and talks music. In 2025 it ran December 26–30 at the Canchas Panamericanas sports venues, with free entry, from afternoon into the early morning.

Superconcierto

This is the Feria's headline concert, featuring national and international salsa stars alongside other genres. It's held at the Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero and requires a ticket. In 2025 it took place on December 27 and was privately funded. Pricing ranged from budget bleacher seats to boxes; the cheapest 2025 tickets started around COP $110,000 (Colombian pesos — check the current exchange rate before you budget), as of December 2025. Once the 2026 lineup is announced, buy only through the box office the organizer specifies.

Casetas, the Agüelulo and neighborhood celebrations

• Casetas: paid street parties with live orchestras, in covered or open-air venues. In 2025 these were set up at the Acuaparque de la Caña and elsewhere around the city.
• Agüelulo: the salsa gathering hosted by Barrio Obrero, one of the neighborhoods most closely tied to Cali's salsa history. For 2026, Corfecali announced it will run over more days than usual.
• Feria in the comunas and rural districts: under the "Feria pa' todos" model, the city brings free programming to Cali's 22 comunas and its rural districts — a good way to see the party at neighborhood level.

Bullfighting season

The Cañaveralejo bullring still holds a bullfighting season during the Feria, but Law 2385 of 2024 bans bullfighting in Colombia, with a phase-out period ending in 2027; the December 2025 season was billed as the second-to-last.

How to buy tickets safely

Fake-ticket scams show up every year on social media. These rules will save you a headache:

1. Buy only through official channels. For the 69th edition, Corfecali awarded official ticket sales for the parade passes to Maseventos S.A.S. in July 2026. Check feriadecali.com.co and Corfecali's official social channels for authorized sellers.
2. Be wary of resellers on social media, WhatsApp groups, or outside the venues. A QR-code ticket can be sold more than once.
3. Handle exchanges early. In 2025, digital parade passes had to be exchanged for a physical ticket at authorized points before the event — do this with several days to spare.
4. Traveling with kids? Check which grandstands allow them. In 2025, only two family-designated grandstands admitted children (from age 8), and none allowed alcohol.
5. Keep your receipt and pay using a method that leaves a paper trail.

Where to stay during the Feria

Hotel occupancy spikes between December 24 and 31, so book early — ideally in September or October. A few options depending on what you're after:

• Granada and El Peñón: restaurants, bars and boutique hotels in the north-central area. Convenient for nightlife and well connected.
• San Antonio: the colonial-era neighborhood, with hostels and guesthouses — full of character and a bohemian vibe.
• The south (Ciudad Jardín, for example): quieter, close to shopping malls, and depending on the year's route, sometimes closer to parade venues.

See our Cali guide for more on choosing where to stay.

Getting around

Major roads close during the parades. In 2025, for instance (before the earthquake forced a route change for 2026), the Autopista Suroriental was closed between carreras 34 and 66 on Salsódromo day, and the city recommended alternate routes, public transit and taxis.

• MIO: Cali's bus rapid transit system, the most practical way to reach the parades — check for announced detours.
• App-based or phone-booked taxis: the safest choice at night and when leaving casetas.
• Your own car: best avoided on parade days, and never drive after drinking.

The Alfonso Bonilla Aragón airport is in Palmira, about 30–40 minutes from the city; budget extra time over the Christmas period because of traffic.

Safety and practical tips

The Feria is a massive public event, so the usual precautions for any large festival apply. See our general safety guide for more.

• Travel light: minimal cash, a copy of your ID, and your phone kept secure. Parade crowds get tight.
• Protect yourself from the sun: parades start in full afternoon sun. Bring a hat, sunscreen, light clothing, comfortable shoes and water.
• Respect the barriers: sitting or standing on the parade route is prohibited — dancers need that space.
• Don't accept drinks from strangers, and agree on a meeting point with your group in case you get separated.
• Take an app-based taxi home after midnight.
• Fireworks: common in Colombia in December, but genuinely dangerous. Keep children away and don't handle them yourself.

Make the most of your trip

Combine the Feria with a river day at Pance, an afternoon in San Antonio, or a salsa class to walk into the dance floor with a bit of confidence. For Valle del Cauca cuisine, start with our guide to Cali's local food, and for the full picture of the city, see our Cali guide. If you love festivals, don't miss our guide to the Petronio Álvarez Festival, Cali's other major cultural event, held every August.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Feria de Cali 2026?

Corfecali announced the 69th Feria de Cali will run December 25–30, 2026. Detailed programming, with times and venues, is published a few months ahead at feriadecali.com.co.

Is the Salsódromo free?

Grandstand seating costs money, but in 2025 the city also opened free viewing areas beneath the grandstands, with controlled access and limited capacity. Arrive early if you want one of those spots.

Does the Feria de Cali still have a horse parade (Cabalgata)?

No. The Cabalgata was dropped from the official program in 2014, and the Feria has opened with the Salsódromo ever since. City officials have repeatedly denied rumors of unofficial horse parades circulating on social media.

Where should I buy Feria de Cali tickets?

Only through the official channels Corfecali publishes. For 2026, parade-pass sales were handled by Maseventos S.A.S. Avoid resellers on social media.

How far ahead should I book a hotel?

Ideally two to three months out. Demand — and prices — rise sharply between December 24 and 31.