From top left to bottom right: duendita, photo by Andrea Rojas; Lila Downs, photo by Enrique Leyva; Edna Vazquez, photo by Tania Gomez Daza; Pabllo Vittar presents CLUB VITTAR; Rubio; Elsa y Elmar, Francisca Valenzuela. All images courtesy of Ruidosa Fest.

As temperatures heat up, New York City is packed with outdoor arts events, and Summer for the City is no exception. The arts festival, held at the iconic Lincoln Center, has returned for its fourth year. It has since attracted more than a million visitors, featuring hundreds of performances throughout the summer.  One of its main draws? The performances are all either free or pay-what-you-wish.

Ruidosa Fest

On July 12, you can join Summer for the City celebrations at Ruidosa Fest. The all-day event was founded by Chilean musician Francisca Valenzuela in 2016, and 2026 marked its third consecutive year at Lincoln Center. It made history as the first Latin American festival to only feature women.

Photo Courtesy of Ruidosa Festival

Its female-only lineup is an intentional nod to the festival’s name: ruidosa, the feminine Spanish word for noisy or rowdy. “I chose it because it’s always just an insult for women,” founder Valenzuela explained. “It was a cheeky refiguration of that word. We’re creating a community that creates noise.”

This year’s lineup features Mexican-American songstress Lila Downs, Colombian synth pop sensastion Elsa y Elmar, and a performance from Chilean poet, singer, and Ruidosa founder Francisca Valenzuela. Other performers will include Rubio, blending ambient electronic pop with immersive vocals; a powerful solo vocal performance by singer / songwriter Edna Vazquez; local vocalist duendita; and high-energy Brazilian DJ Pabllo Vittar’s CLUB VITTAR.

Beyond the music, the festival also hosts feminist community programming. Attendees can participate in conversations with the feminist art collective group Guerrilla Girls, a literary gathering with diverse storytelling hosted by the National Book Foundation , Café Con Libros, and more. 

Its Initiative

“It’s a feminist Latinx platform because we’re giving a mic to female creatives throughout the whole Latin American region,” Valenzuela exclaimed. “Imagine if we had a space where not only can we showcase the diversity of female talent, but also make the issues that we’re facing in the industry visible.”

Founder Francisca Valenzuela/Photo Courtesy of Ruidosa Fest

The creation of a feminist platform is all too necessary in the entertainment industry, and Valenzuela continues to expand Ruidosa Fest internationally. Through her community initiatives and music with women in mind, Valenzuela is an artist to watch.

Ruidosa takes place at David Geffen Hall and the Dance Floor, beginning at 3pm, first come, first served.