Baja Beach Fest ’24 Recap

(Photo credits: Baja Beach Fest / @DanielPressPlay)

Baja Beach Party is one of a kind. The 2024 edition of the festival featured sets from some of the hottest names in Latin music, showcasing their immense talent against the glistening Pacific Ocean. The city of Rosarito Beach came alive to welcome the artists and fans.

The opening day of the festival featured performances by Latin American superstars, Reggaeton kings and hometown heroes. Raw Alejandro The Phoenix-born regional Mexican singer closed out the night with his signature flair, performing his best-known songs and giving a choreography clinic. Xavi was warmly received by the crowd as he performed his Hot 100 hits.

Friday was a great day for old school reggaeton fans, who got to see performances by the legendary reggaetonero YandelPlan B rapper Chencho Corleoneand Latin staircase innovator From La Getto. Emerging Puerto Rican Artists Alvaro Diaz, Omar Courtz, And RaiNao performed their duties earlier in the day on the enormous stage, announcing their greatness for years to come, while on the tower stage DJs such as Deorro And Breeze took turns wowing the audience with amazing performances.

On Saturday, Baja Beach Festival 2024 brought one of the artists most responsible for that boom to the stage on the beaches of Rosarito: Pound plum. La Doble P proved his rock star bona fides on the festival stage, leading a massive ensemble of Mexican musicians while serenading the crowd with his signature rasp. He was joined on stage by several of his homies, including Jhayco to perform their joint hit, “Ex-Special,” live for the first time. Junior H And Oscar Maydon came to perform “ROMPE LA DOMPE” as well as surprise performances by Tito Double P And Jasiel NunezIn between special guests, Peso and his band surprised the sold-out festival with his unique style of regional Mexican music.

Peso Pluma provided the highlight, but he was far from the only star on a sunny and full Saturday. Inglewood’s own Becky G appeared with a full complement of dancers, performed hits in English and Spanish, and even performed a beautiful cover of Selena’s classic, “Baila Esta Cumbia.” Hitmaker Jhayco showed his wonderful penmanship, while the Panamanian maestro To search sang his heart out to the crowd. In addition to regional music, Mexico has also grown as an exporter of contemporary styles, as evidenced by performances by genre-bending Mexican groups Latin MAFIA and rap queen from Mexico City Bellakath. Talents like Engo current, Elena RoosAnd Paopao completed one of the most charged days in BBF history.

The closing artists were Regida Lighthousewho like much of the audience are Mexican-American residents of Southern California, fluent in both English and Spanish. The group and frontman Jesus Ortiz Paz (JOP) have become one of the main purveyors of popular corridos and have changed their sound with their new album, BUT I DON’T WANT YOU TO FALL IN LOVEwho incorporated elements of hip-hop, Jersey club and EDM into the group’s sound. Fans responded to the turn-up music in kind, singing along to the group’s hits and going wild to the relentless beat.

The San Bernardino-born group was just the icing on the cake of a packed Sunday filled with many of Latin music’s most exciting stars. Kali Uchis stopped by for a “special Sunday set,” playing songs from her new album Orchids and highlights from her career. Reggaeton legends Jowell and Randy reappeared on the beach, while More showed what he was made of. The day brought South American stars, including Argentine rapper Tiago PZK and Colombian pop group 21st floor. Mexican American rapper Snow Da Product proved to be a fan favorite and benefited from years of legendary status in SoCal and Baja.

Baja Beach Fest proved once again why it’s the best destination for Latin music and reggaeton. The festival transforms its hometown of Rosarito Beach, bringing the city to life with vendors, beach activities, street food and more, creating a party atmosphere that stretches for blocks in both directions. While the festival continues to recruit higher-profile talent, it maintains its local charm, celebrating Baja California culture and community, and establishing the idyllic coast as a must-attend attraction for music lovers from around the world.

Stay tuned for more from Baja Beach Fest and festival founders La Familia Presenta, because the countdown to next year has begun: Nos vemos a la playa!

© 2024, Seth “Digital Crates” Barmash. All rights reserved.