This Saturday, September 26, the Matucana 100 cultural center will open its doors at 3:00 PM to host the tenth edition of Festival Neutral, an event that has not taken place since 2018 and now returns with 16 Chilean independent music acts spread across four stages. Here is where the festival comes from, who is taking the stage and what to expect from a day that will run into the early morning hours.

A Festival With History in the Independent Scene

Neutral was born in 2004 at Teatro Novedades, driven by the Quemasucabeza label and organized by the Armónica agency. Its name comes from a fanzine created by Rodrigo Santis and Walter Roblero, founders of Congelador, and its spirit has always been the same: giving room to emerging projects that had no place in traditional circuits. Past editions featured names that later became key figures in Chilean pop, such as Gepe, Javiera Mena, Fakuta and Caravana. According to Carla Arias, director of Armónica and head of the festival since its beginnings, the comeback reflects a particularly active moment for the local scene, with independent bands now drawing large audiences.

A Lineup Mixing New Names and Pioneers

The program brings together some of the acts with the most momentum on today’s circuit: Candelabro, Hesse Kassel, Estoy Bien, Javiera Electra, teodioteodio, María y los Templos and Nando García. They will be joined by Cóclea, Cicuta, Déjenme Dormir, La Cámara Chilena de la Destrucción, Suaaaave, Inundaremos, Asakusa Mon Amour and Alfilera. A special nod is the presence of Congelador, the band behind the fanzine that gave the event its name, linking the festival’s origins with the generation that drives the scene today.

Four Stages and a Party Until 3 AM

Shows will be split between the Explanada, the Teatro Principal, Sala Bunster and the Huerto. The Explanada will have no restrictions, but the other three spaces have limited capacity, so access will close once they are full; it is worth arriving early for the concerts you do not want to miss. From 11:30 PM until 3:00 AM, a closing party will feature DJs Kuina, Lilen, Nando García and Matías Ávila. Throughout the day there will also be record sales, merchandise, a bar and food trucks. The last tickets are on sale through Ticketplus after the presales sold out.

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Source: Futuro Chile and La Tercera.

Image: Carlos Figueroa Rojas — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.