La Onda Festival organizers silent on cancellation, leaving fans ‘saddened’
Lea el artículo en español aquí.
Latino music powerhouse Festival La Onda abruptly canceled its third edition, organizers announced Monday, Feb. 23.
“Unfortunately, the 2026 Festival La Onda will not be taking place,” the social media post reads in part. “All ticket buyers who purchased through Front Gate Tickets will receive a full refund in as little as 30 days.”
Organizers did not offer a reason for the cancellation when asked on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
“I’m sorry, I don’t have more (information) for you,” said Tom Fuller, a spokesman for La Onda.
The all-Spanish music festival launched in the summer of 2024 as a spinoff of BottleRock, the region’s largest music festival. La Onda aimed to serve Northern California’s Latino audience by pairing world-class production with a variety of genres and drew fans from across the country.
According to organizers, the first La Onda festival drew approximately 65,000 to 70,000 fans to the Napa Valley Expo during its two-day run June 1-2, 2024 with headliners such as Mexican band Maná and ranchero balladist Alejandro Fernández.
-
Abraham Fuentes/For The Press Democrat
Alejandro Fernandez performs at the Verizon stage during La Onda Festival in Napa on June 1, 2024. (Abraham Fuentes/For The Press Democrat)
Abraham Fuentes/For The Press Democrat
1 of 4
Alejandro Fernandez performs at the Verizon stage during La Onda Festival in Napa on June 1, 2024. (Abraham Fuentes/For The Press Democrat)
Expand
This years’ planned lineup included big names such as J Balvin, who made an album with Bad Bunny in 2019, Christian Nodal, and the return of Maná.
Rosy Sánchez, a TikTok creator who covers concerts for the Latino community, said she was saddened after posting about the festival’s cancellation. Sánchez, who is based in Chicago, had planned to purchase her tickets this week and fly to the event in May.
“The lineup sounded amazing,” she said Tuesday, Feb 24. “I was looking forward to attending the festival for the first time.”
While her followers voiced their frustration on her post, all comments on La Onda’s Instagram and TikTok accounts were disabled when checked midday Tuesday. Sánchez said organizers should re-enable comments because “people want to be heard.”
Monday’s announcement did not immediately confirm a comeback: “We remain hopeful that Festival La Onda can return in the future.”
According to the La Onda website, no action is required from customers to obtain a ticket refund. Customers will receive email confirmations once their refunds are processed, organizers said.
To read more about the refund process, see laondafest.com/info.
