Seven festivals will travel the country between September 2025 and April 2026. Gastronomy, music, theater, and dance will be the cornerstones of these nationwide activities.
Costa Rican art is celebrating. The Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCJ) announced today the creation of seven new cultural festivals that, between September 2025 and April 2026, will visit different communities across the country with open, diverse, and accessible programming for all audiences.
“These festivals represent an opportunity for communities to participate in, enjoy, and be enriched by varied, accessible, and high-quality cultural offerings. From the Ministry of Culture and Youth, we reaffirm our commitment to bringing art and culture to every corner of the country. We want everyone, regardless of their location, to have access to transformative experiences that foster creativity, identity, and community,” stated Jorge Rodríguez Vives, Minister of Culture and Youth.
The seven events aim to celebrate the artistic diversity of Costa Rica and Ibero-America and reaffirm the commitment to take culture beyond the Central Valley, making art a bridge for connection and citizen participation.
“These festivals represent a valuable opportunity for national artists from all corners of the country to be seen and considered in spaces that recognize and celebrate local and national talent. We want to open the doors to new voices and artistic expressions,” added Minister Rodríguez Vives.
A Cultural Route Across the Country
Folklore Festival
- September 5, 6, and 7, 2025
- Chachagua de San Ramón, Sarchí, and Atenas
- A tribute to Costa Rican roots that includes workshops and presentations celebrating the nation’s folklore. This festival will be part of the RIDE Cultural de Occidente (Western Cultural Network).
506 JAZZ Fest
- November 20 to 22, 2025
- National Theater and Fidel Gamboa Amphitheater (CENAC), San José.
- The city will be filled with rhythm during this jazz festival dedicated to Nice, France, the birthplace of the first international jazz festival in Europe in 1948. This festival, with great international impact, was known as the Nice Jazz Festival, a pioneering event that marked a milestone for jazz on the European continent and opened the door for other festivals, solidifying Nice as a key city in the genre’s history.
Costa Rica Canta: Choir Festival
- For this festival, voices from all over the country will unite in a collective song that celebrates Costa Rica’s rich choral wealth.
- The call for participation will be open from August 25 to September 20.
- Workshops will be held in Puntarenas, Limón, and Guanacaste on December 2, 3, and 4, while concerts are scheduled for December 5, 6, and 7 at the La Aduana Theater.
Sonograma: San José Experimental Sound Festival
- To be held on December 6 and 7, 2025, at La Pila de la Melaza and El Tanque at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design – CENAC.
- 13 artists will participate in an experimental sound festival dedicated to showcasing contemporary artistic practices that use sound as their primary medium of expression.
Fogón Futuro: Costa Rican Cuisine Festival
- Concerts, workshops, and activities to celebrate Costa Rican gastronomy. A festival that links local flavors, ancestral knowledge, and culinary creativity.
- It will take place at Parque La Libertad in Desamparados, with workshops and activities on March 7 and 8, 2026, and concerts on February 28 and March 1.
Ibero-American Theater Festival of Costa Rica
- From April 10 to 19, 2026
- A window into Ibero-American theater with works from different countries and Costa Rican theater companies.
- The venues will be the National Theater, La Aduana Theater, the 1887 National Theatre Company space at La Aduana, and the Teatro de la Villa in Desamparados.
Volcánica: National Dance Festival
- April 20 to 30, 2026, at the Melico Salazar Popular Theater and the Dance Theater, San José.
- An event that brings together the best of national contemporary and traditional dance.
All calls for participation in these activities will be announced through the website and social media channels of the Ministry of Culture and Youth.
For more information, follow the social media of the Ministry of Culture and Youth or visit: www.mcj.go.cr
