Feria de las Flores: Medellín, Colombia (July 31 to August 9)
Medellín opens the month of August with the Feria de las Flores, the largest event in the city’s calendar. The 2026 edition takes place from July 31 to August 9, with a program spread across several neighborhoods and a highly anticipated finale: the Desfile de Silleteros, scheduled for August 9.
The feria maintains a direct link with Santa Elena and silletero culture, but it goes far beyond the floral parade alone. Concerts, markets, neighborhood events, trova competitions (sung poetry) and cultural activities give Medellín several days of urban animation. For the city, it is also one of the moments of greatest tourism visibility of the year.
Our article: Medellín celebrates the Feria de las Flores: a unique spectacle
Festival Petronio Álvarez: Cali, Colombia (August 9 to 17)
In Cali, the 30th Festival de Música del Pacífico Petronio Álvarez brings together the music of Colombia’s Pacific region and several expressions linked to the region’s Afro-descendant communities. The event features competitions for groups in different categories, including marimba, chirimía, violín caucano, traditional songs and free music, while opening spaces dedicated to crafts, Pacific cuisines and transmission.
For a few days, Colombia’s third-largest city becomes the meeting point for the towns and villages of the Pacific coast, attracting an audience drawn by the music, products, stories and Afro-Colombian cultural practices.
Full program to come
486th anniversary of the Spanish founding of Arequipa: Arequipa, Peru (August 15)
Arequipa celebrates the 486th anniversary of its founding in August. August 15 remains the central date in the calendar, with the Corso de la Amistad, a major parade organized in the city’s streets.
Throughout the month, the city offers a cultural program, public activities and festivities in its historic center and traditional neighborhoods, an opportunity to discover more of its traditions, gastronomy and the life of the White City.
IBTM Americas: Mexico City, Mexico (August 19 and 20)
IBTM Americas will be held on August 19 and 20 at Centro Banamex, in Mexico City. The trade show brings together destinations, hotels, DMCs, agencies, event planners, hosted buyers and suppliers connected to events and MICE.
For two days, Mexico City becomes a meeting place to follow developments in the sector: incentive travel, conventions, corporate events, technologies and destination promotion. For Latin America, IBTM Americas remains a major event for observing market expectations and the formats shaping the events industry in the region.
Tango BA: Buenos Aires, Argentina (August 20 to September 2)
Buenos Aires hosts Tango BA from August 20 to September 2. The event combines a festival open to all with the Mundial de Baile de Tango, an international competition organized in the Tango de Pista and Tango Escenario categories.
Concerts, milongas, shows, classes, special activities and the world championship make up a program that occupies several venues across the Argentine capital. The interest of Tango BA lies in this dual dimension: a cultural event accessible to the public and a competition that attracts professional dancers from around the world.
Abierto GNP Seguros: Monterrey, Mexico (August 22 to 29)
In Monterrey, the Abierto GNP Seguros takes place from August 22 to 29 at Club Sonoma. The tournament, part of the WTA 500 calendar, is played on outdoor hard courts and brings together a high-level women’s singles draw.
The 2026 edition draws attention with several established players, including defending champion Emma Navarro (No. 26 WTA), Donna Vekić (No. 33), Elise Mertens (No. 23) and Linda Nosková (No. 6). The latter knows Monterrey well: winner of the 2024 edition, she arrives this year with favorite status after her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2026.
Encuentro Internacional del Mariachi y la Charrería: State of Jalisco, Mexico (August 26 to September 6)
Guadalajara hosts the Encuentro Internacional del Mariachi y la Charrería from August 26 to September 6. The 2026 edition marks the event’s 33rd anniversary, organized around mariachi galas, the charro championship, public concerts and cultural activities in Guadalajara, Zapopan and several municipalities in Jalisco.
This event remains one of the major markers of the region’s cultural calendar. It brings together music, heritage, equestrian traditions and urban programming in a city that continues to build part of its image around mariachi.
Our article: Ranchera Music: Symphony of the Mexican Soul
