Rawayana in Santiago: three evenings marking the "¿Dónde es el after?" era
Rawayana arrives at Movistar Arena in Santiago at a time when its blend of reggae rhythms, funk, Latin American pop, rock, soul and electronic elements has moved beyond the boundaries of the alternative scene. The concert on August 24, 2026, starting at 21:00, is the group's third consecutive evening at the same venue, following performances on August 22 and 23. The very fact that the schedule was expanded to three dates clearly illustrates the scale of interest surrounding the current "¿Dónde es el after?" Tour.
This is not Rawayana's first encounter with Santiago. The group has already progressed from a sold-out Teatro Caupolicán to a performance at Movistar Arena in 2024, before returning for Lollapalooza Chile 2025. The new series of concerts is therefore not about introducing an unknown act to a new audience, but rather continuing a relationship that has grown alongside the band's international success.
For audiences who want to see Rawayana specifically in its current career phase, the third evening in Santiago carries additional significance: it comes as part of the tour dedicated to the new album, after major performances in cities such as Bogotá, Madrid, Barcelona and Ciudad de México, and during the final stretch of the South American leg of the tour.
It is worth securing tickets in time. At the beginning of August, additional lateral grandstand sections were opened for the three concerts in Santiago following strong sales of the previously available seats.
Why Rawayana is much more than a reggae band today
The simplest way to describe Rawayana is as a band that refuses to remain in a single genre category. Reggae remains an important part of its identity, but over the years much more has accumulated around it: funk, psychedelic pop, rock, soul, urban rhythms, Caribbean music, electronica and various traditions from Venezuela.
As a result, the concerts can move within a short period from a relaxed groove into an intensely dance-oriented section, then into a pop chorus sung by the entire arena, and then into a song with a more traditional Venezuelan character. This very versatility explains why Rawayana today attracts several types of audiences at the same time. Long-time listeners recognize material from the band's earlier phases, while a large portion of the newer audience arrived through songs such as "Feriado", "Veneka", "La Noche Que No Había Uber", "Reyimiller" and "Inglés En Miami".
The momentum of the band's career has been further confirmed by awards. The album "¿Quién trae las cornetas?" won the 2025 Grammy in the Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album category. A year earlier, the writers of "Feriado" won the Latin Grammy for Best Pop Song, while "Veneka", a collaboration between Rawayana and Akapellah, won the 2025 Latin Grammy for Best Latin Electronic Music Performance.
Such recognition is important to the context of the Santiago concert because it shows how much the group's position has changed between its earlier club and theater performances and the current large-arena tour. Rawayana no longer arrives with only a few recognizable songs, but with a catalog broad enough for a concert to be built around several different musical moods.
"¿Dónde es el after?" as the centerpiece of the current concert
The sixth studio album, "¿Dónde es el after?", was released on January 1, 2026, and contains 23 songs. It is a major project even for a band whose music has always tended to combine different influences. Rather than following one strictly defined formula, the album moves through Venezuelan rhythms, Caribbean percussion, funk, afrobeats, urban elements and contemporary Latin pop.
Guests on the album include Manuel Turizo, Elena Rose, DannyLux, Joaquina, Carín León, Grupo Frontera, Servando and Florentino Primera, Magic Juan, Mazzarri, J Quiles and Jowell & Randy. It is important, however, to distinguish guest appearances on the studio album from appearances at an individual concert: their presence on the recordings does not mean they will perform in Santiago.
The album also delivered several songs that have already become an important part of the band's current period. "La Noche Que No Había Uber" gained additional international visibility through Gallery Sessions, while "Reyimiller" was presented through COLORS. "Inglés En Miami", recorded with Manuel Turizo, shows the album's more accessible pop side, while songs such as "Cimarrón", "Tonada Por Ella", "Como De Sol A Sol" and "Amor De Contrabando" expand its sonic map in entirely different directions.
The album's concept is also broader than the simple idea of an after-party. Beto Montenegro has spoken about the "after" as a metaphor for the constant human search for what comes next, while the album tries to turn that idea toward the present moment. Musically, this becomes a project that can sound highly hedonistic and dance-oriented, while at the same time often remaining tied to Venezuelan identity, memory and a sense of belonging.
Songs that best explain Rawayana's current phase
- "La Noche Que No Había Uber" - a combination of contemporary production, Caribbean feeling and an extremely memorable chorus.
- "Reyimiller" - one of the songs through which the group further expanded its international visibility during the new era.
- "Inglés En Miami" - a collaboration with Manuel Turizo and one of the most direct pop moments on the new album.
- "Tonada Por Ella" - an example of how the new material incorporates recognizable Venezuelan cultural references.
- "Feriado" - an award-winning favorite from the previous album phase and an important link between the older and newer repertoire.
- "Veneka" - a song that has become one of the key moments of the band's recent career and won a Latin Grammy.
What Rawayana is like live on this tour
The exact set list for Santiago has not been confirmed in advance, so it makes no sense to present individual songs as guaranteed. Previous concerts on the tour nevertheless show the structure audiences can expect: the new album takes up a large amount of space, but it has not completely displaced songs from the band's earlier phases.
Reports from concerts in Madrid describe a performance that moved between new songs and older favorites such as "Dame Un Break", "Binikini" and "Feriado". "Veneka" was one of the most emotionally powerful moments, while "La Noche Que No Había Uber" represented the new album-and-tour phase. Such a range works well for an audience that is not coming solely because of the latest album.
Rawayana live also does not operate like an act that simply reproduces studio recordings one after another. Reviews of the current tour note extended transitions, interaction with the audience, instrumental sections and changes in energy that turn the concert into a continuous flow. Funk and reggae allow the band to develop a groove, while the pop songs provide clear moments for collective singing.
This is also important for those attending one of their concerts for the first time. There is no need to know all six albums to follow the evening. A large part of the repertoire is based on rhythm and choruses that quickly involve the audience, while fans who have followed the group for longer will get an additional layer through songs connecting different periods of its career.
The third evening in Santiago is not just an additional date
The concert originally announced in Santiago grew into a series of three evenings. For August 24, this creates an interesting context: Rawayana will already have spent the two immediately preceding evenings in the same venue with the audience, the production and the same touring concept.
That does not mean a different set list, a special guest or an extended concert should be expected - none of that has been confirmed. But three consecutive performances in an arena with a maximum capacity of approximately 15,500 people clearly show how much the band has grown compared with its earlier appearances in the city.
The return is all the more interesting because Rawayana also performed at Movistar Arena in 2024, after previously selling out Teatro Caupolicán. In just a few years, audiences in Santiago have therefore been able to follow the band through several levels of concert venues and then see it again in an arena, now with a new album and an even greater international profile.
Bruno Borlone opens the evening
Bruno Borlone has been confirmed for all three evenings at Movistar Arena. The DJ and producer combines funk, soul, pop, R&B and electronic beats in his work, making him a logical introduction to a band that also builds its identity around crossing genre boundaries.
Borlone has also performed at Lollapalooza Chile 2026, and in Rawayana's case his role is clear: to prepare the venue for an evening in which dance rhythm is not an addition to the concert but one of the main elements of the experience.
He is the only additional name confirmed for these concerts in the currently available information. Other possible guests should not be expected in advance simply because the new album contains a large number of collaborations.
Movistar Arena: a large venue that can change configuration
Movistar Arena is located within Parque O'Higgins in Santiago and is one of the busiest large concert venues in Latin America. The space has approximately 15,500 places in its maximum configuration, 12,000 numbered seats and the possibility of installing around 3,200 movable chairs on the floor. The entire complex covers around 44,000 square meters, while the dome reaches a height of approximately 50 meters.
Those figures should not automatically be equated with the capacity for Rawayana's concert. The arena has more than ten possible configurations, meaning the actual number of spectators varies depending on the position of the stage, the production, closed sections and how the floor is used.
For the concert experience, precisely this flexibility is important. Rawayana brings music that often calls for a large dancing crowd, but at the same time has enough melodic and more intimate sections to work for the more distant grandstands as well. A large indoor venue provides more controlled production conditions than an outdoor festival, while the final sound result will depend on the touring production and the position of each individual seat in the arena.
The opening of additional lateral grandstand sections for the three concerts shows that the venue configuration was adjusted to audience demand. Visitors in such positions should therefore pay particular attention to the section indicated on their ticket and reach the appropriate entrance without unnecessarily circling the arena.
Seats are disappearing quickly.
Getting to Parque O'Higgins
For visitors coming from other parts of Santiago or traveling to the city, the arena's most important practical advantage is its location beside Parque O'Higgins and the possibility of arriving by public transportation.
According to information from the venue, pedestrian access is possible from the direction of Parque O'Higgins and Tupper Street. A different system applies to vehicles: entry by car is possible only with parking reserved in advance, with access via Av. Viel or Av. Tupper depending on the designation on the parking reservation. The number of parking spaces is limited.
- The concert on August 24 starts at 21:00.
- Movistar Arena is located within Parque O'Higgins.
- Pedestrians can access it from the direction of Parque O'Higgins or via Tupper.
- Parking for events requires advance reservation, and it is not advisable to count on arriving spontaneously by car.
- Security checks and metal detection are carried out at the entrance.
- Bottles, food and drinks, sharp objects, umbrellas, professional cameras and banners attached to rigid poles are not permitted inside the venue.
- The venue has adapted access points, areas and restrooms for people with reduced mobility.
The door-opening time for the third evening is not stated in the currently available event information. Because of the three consecutive concerts and the expected intense influx of visitors, it is reasonable to plan arrival with sufficient extra time, especially if it is necessary to locate a specific grandstand entrance or use pre-reserved parking.
What to expect from the audience
Rawayana has an unusually broad audience profile for a band that emerged from the alternative, reggae and Caribbean scene. Current concerts bring together long-time fans, audiences who discovered the band through "High", "Funky Fiesta", "Véngase" or "Binikini", newer listeners attracted during the "Feriado" and "Veneka" period, and listeners who arrived with the album "¿Dónde es el after?".
The connection with Venezuelan audiences outside Venezuela is particularly strong. At concerts in Madrid in 2026, it was visible through flags, collective singing and emotional reactions to songs carrying Venezuelan references. At the same time, Rawayana's music is not confined solely to that identity-based context: funk rhythms, reggae, pop melodies and dance sections have enabled the band to build a much broader international audience.
In Santiago, this combination has already been evident at previous performances. It is therefore more realistic to expect a highly active arena than a traditional concert where most of the audience remains passively in their seats. For songs with a pronounced groove and big choruses, the audience's reaction becomes an integral part of the arrangement.
Santiago as a stop in the final stretch of the South American tour
The "¿Dónde es el after?" Tour began in April in Bogotá, and throughout the year it has passed through major venues in Spain, Mexico and other parts of Latin America. The August section of the tour brings the band back toward the southern part of the continent, with Lima, Buenos Aires and three evenings in Santiago before continuing toward Ecuador.
Such a schedule places Santiago at the center of one of the tour's densest stretches. It is particularly rare for an act to occupy the same arena for three consecutive evenings in one city, and the third date on August 24 was added precisely as an expansion of the initially smaller number of announced performances.
For Rawayana, it is an appropriate image of the band's current career. A group that spent years developing its own "trippy" Caribbean identity can now simultaneously fill arenas, win Grammy and Latin Grammy awards, perform at major festivals and release a 23-song album that deliberately expands its sound instead of simplifying it.
For audiences, the result is a concert where there is no need to choose between the older Rawayana and the current Rawayana. Previous performances on the tour combine precisely those two sides - the reggae and funk roots, major favorites from previous albums and the new material that has turned "¿Dónde es el after?" into the latest chapter of the band's career.
Sources:
LOTUSPRO - confirmed Rawayana concerts at Movistar Arena on August 22, 23 and 24, 2026.
Movistar Arena - information about the concert, venue characteristics, capacity, access, parking, security rules and accessibility.
Epicenter Entertainment - information about the album "¿Dónde es el after?", the number of songs, collaborators, musical influences and the context of its release.
GRAMMY.com and LatinGRAMMY.com - Grammy for "¿Quién trae las cornetas?", Latin Grammy for "Feriado" and Latin Grammy for "Veneka".
Radio Hoy - confirmation of the third evening, additionally opened grandstand sections and Bruno Borlone's performance.
AS - report from the current tour in Madrid and description of the repertoire and audience reactions.
Los Angeles Times - context of the new album, its concept and the band's current career phase.
Expectador - Rawayana's previous performances in Santiago, including Teatro Caupolicán and Movistar Arena.