This Saturday, August 15, Sala Metrónomo in Recoleta opens its doors for free to celebrate Chilean Rock Day 2026, an evening bringing together six emerging music projects with a headline closing set from Cristóbal Briceño and El Grupo Crisis. Here is who is playing, how they got there, and what comes next for the local scene.

Six bands chosen from more than 1,600 applicants

The open call, run through the Rockódromo Network under Chile’s Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, drew 1,629 music projects from the Santiago Metropolitan Region. An outside panel of judges selected the six acts taking the stage starting at 6:00 p.m.: Paco Miranda, Amanitas, I.O, Paulina Pérez y Trama, Metrajazz, and Manul. The lineup spans a wide range of sounds within Chilean rock, from pop-leaning songwriting to more experimental territory.

Cristóbal Briceño and El Grupo Crisis close the night

The night’s biggest draw comes at the end: Cristóbal Briceño, known for his work with Ases Falsos and a solo career that has taken him to festivals across the country, will perform alongside El Grupo Crisis as the evening’s guest of honor. His set caps a bill built to give visibility to acts that are still building their audience, staying true to the original spirit of Chilean Rock Day.

A stepping stone to Rockódromo 2026 in Valparaíso

Beyond the concert, the event serves a concrete purpose on the national rock calendar: during the show, judges will pick the Santiago Metropolitan Region’s representative for Rockódromo 2026, set for December in Valparaíso. In other words, Sala Metrónomo will not just host a concert — it will double as a qualifying round that could reshape the season for one of these six bands. Free tickets, subject to capacity, have been available since Monday, August 10, through Passline.

Tune into the latest music news while browsing Webmusica Radio, our 24/7 online channel.

Source: Rock&Pop.

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