In an emotional gathering held in the foyer of the National Theater of Costa Rica, the organization of the 2025 Costa Rica National Song Festival (FENCCR) presented the 10 finalists who will grace the stage of that iconic venue of Costa Rican culture at the gala that will select the winning artist for the festival’s third edition.

For the organizers, it is a source of pride to announce that submissions arrived from every corner of the country, as evidenced by the 10 participants. Their names and the titles of their songs are as follows:

• Juanpa Salas – Turrialba – Canción: “La Luna y el Sol”
• Karol Barboza – San José – Canción: “Canción en el armario”
• Eduardo Montero – Pérez Zeledón – Canción: “Magia pura”
• Laura Ureña – Coronado – Canción: “La vaca”
• Marcelo Rojo – Desamparados – Canción: “Katarsis”
• Maché Tinoco – Santa Ana – Canción: “Corazón de hule”
• Malí – Curridabat – Canción: “Verde Limón”
• Mar Navarrete (intérprete) Nicoya y Edgar Brenes (Compositor) San José – Canción: Ya no imagino otro mundo
• Melany Soto – Alajuela – Canción: “Estar sin tí”
• Warner Méndez – Desamparados – Canción “¿Dónde estás?”

The presentation ceremony was attended by distinguished figures from Costa Rican culture, as well as companies and organizations that value and support the significance of FENCCR, including Erwen Masís, Costa Rica’s representative to BCIE; Ronald Barrantes, Coopeande; Marianella Feoli, Director of Fundecooperación for Sustainable Development; Alexander Castro Mena, Acting Minister of Culture and Youth; and Guillermo Madriz, Director of the National Theater of Costa Rica.

The event also featured the presence of most of the FENCCR jurors: Álvaro Esquivel, Elena Zúñiga, Adrián Goizueta, Sonia Bruno, Carlos “Pitusa” Gutiérrez, and Alexis Morales; the jury was rounded out by Elesban Rodríguez, María Paula Madrigal, and Érick Sánchez.

During the presentation, several important announcements were made; one of them was delivered by the Ministry of Culture and Youth, an institution that is joining the festival. “The Ministry of Culture and Youth has decided to support the Costa Rica National Song Festival in a decisive manner; therefore, in this third edition, we will recognize national talent with the ten awarded songs, which will be part of a discographic production; in addition, first place will also receive the audiovisual production of its music video and a cash prize of $2,000,” stated Alexander Castro Mena, Acting Minister of Culture and Youth.

“Additionally, we will open a showcase for the ten finalists through a concert at the 2025 Limon National Arts Festival. We are also currently working on an executive decree that will allow this Ministry to make the Mélico Salazar Popular Theater and the National Theater of Costa Rica available, so that they can alternately serve as the home of the prestigious Costa Rica National Song Festival,” concluded Castro Mena.

In this way, the countdown begins for the FENCCR 2025 Final Gala, which will take place on July 2 at the National Theater of Costa Rica, where the “First Place” winner will be chosen; in addition to the aforementioned benefits, the winner will represent Costa Rica at the International Song Festival in Punta del Este, Uruguay, and the “Legacy Award” will be granted, whose song will become part of the repertoire of national marching bands and, as an innovation for this edition of the festival, will also be included in the repertoire of the National Concert Bands of the Ministry of Culture and Youth.