Ruidosa Fest, the acclaimed women-led festival founded by singer-songwriter Francisca Valenzuela, returns to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts as part of Summer for the City on Sunday, July 12, 2026, with a free day celebrating the music, activism and cultural creation of artists from the Americas.
Ruidosa defines itself as an international platform that amplifies female voices and gender dissidence, and this year it returns with an expanded program that includes six concerts, panels, masterclasses, DJ experiences and a literary meeting space. The festival transforms the Lincoln Center campus into an open tour where stage, conversation and the dance floor coexist.
The musical program brings together artists of global impact such as the GRAMMY winner Lila Downs, the Brazilian star Pabllo Vittar with his CLUB VITTAR takeover, the founder of the festival Francisca Valenzuela, the Colombian artist Elsa y Elmar, the experimental proposal of Rubio, the vocalist and composer duendita and the Mexican Edna Vázquez, in a mix that crosses pop, folk, electronic and contemporary performance.
Beyond music, Ruidosa reinforces its educational and community dimension with an agenda of dialogue and creation. The panel “How to Be a Guerrilla Girl and Making Noise” stands out, which brings together the feminist collective Guerrilla Girls with the artist and writer Coco Fusco to reflect on art and activism. Also featured is the “From Cultural Memory to Sound” masterclass, led by Latin GRAMMY-winning producer Ella Bric, which explores how identity and memory shape musical production.
The festival also includes a collaboration with the National Book Foundation and Café Con Libros, with readings and literary conversations that celebrate the diversity of contemporary voices and narratives.
The day culminates with a powerful transformation of the public space into a dance floor, with sets by Dominga & Volvox, a takeover by Pabllo Vittar and a silent disco experience with Armana Khan, consolidating Ruidosa Fest as a total celebration of music, critical thinking and community in the heart of Manhattan.
More information: https://lincolncenter.org/series/summer-for-the-city/ruidosa-fest-1-104
