Corona Capital 2024: ‘We had important lessons to learn’

Competing with last year’s record edition of Corona Capital was no small feat but lead talent buyer Ricardo Gómez says Mexico’s biggest festival is on an upward trajectory.

The 14th edition of the Ocesa-promoted festival took place last week (15–17 November) at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez racetrack in Mexico City.

The Friday drew 74,000 attendees for performances from the likes of Green Day, Toto and Zedd, while the Saturday attracted 69,000 for a lineup headlined by Shawn Mendes, Melanie Martinez and New Order.

Thanks to a headline set by Paul McCartney, the Sunday drew the largest number of attendees in the history of Corona Capital with nearly 82,000 people. It marked the ex-Beatle’s debut at a Latin American music festival and the grand finale of his tour in the region.

“Having a legend like Paul McCartney playing in the festival was nothing short of a dream come true for many of us,” Gómez told IQ.

“There is an amazing team behind Corona Capital and every year we look for opportunities to improve and ask ourselves how can we make the festival better?” he adds. “Based on the overall experience this year and the feedback we’ve received so far, it seems that we’re moving in the right direction.”

Though Corona Capital is going from strength to strength, the talent buyer is candid about the current challenges in the festival landscape.

“Having a legend like Paul McCartney playing in the festival was nothing short of a dream come true for many of us”

“Although 2023 was a record year for us, we had many important lessons to learn this year, from pricing to bookings, schedules, profitability, marketing, etc,” he says.

“Nowadays, the way most artists approach festival performances from a production perspective is particularly challenging. In the past most non-headliners would feel comfortable sharing a common festival rider. Now every artist from top to bottom wants their own rider for their performance. While we understand that they want to deliver the best possible show for their fans and maximize the event’s success, finding the right balance can be difficult.”

It’s perhaps these challenges that have led to Ocesa hitting pause on sister event Corona Capital Guadalajara, as well as Tecate Coordenada – also based in Guadalajara.

As Ocesa’s head of festivals, Leizer Guss, told IQ earlier this year, the company is “reassessing” its vast stable of events.

“I think we are getting to that saturation point,” said Guss. “Is that saturation point because of festivals or because of festivals plus shows? We are figuring it out. Either way, we’ll take a step back and won’t launch any new festivals in Mexico City next year.

“We’ll also take a very close look at our existing festivals and ask ‘Is this really an annual thing or is it bi-annual or a once-off when the conditions are right’?”

The Live Nation-backed promoter organises 23 festivals across the country including ARRE, Vive Latino, Hera and Coca-Cola Flow Fest – which is taking place this weekend.

Closing the chapter on this year’s Corona Capital, Gómez says: “We’re extremely lucky to have such an amazing group of extremely hard-working people behind the festival, who are so committed and passionate about what they do. Without them Corona Capital wouldn’t be where it is today.”

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