Overview
- The 2026 edition attracted a national-scale audience, with organizers reporting about 1.7 million total visitors and an average daily crowd that reflects a jump from roughly 10,000 per day in 2008 to about 170,000 per day in the latest festival.
- Journalists from local outlets say their workdays start weeks before the event and stretch seven to nine hours on site, forcing a need for secure places to store gear, charge devices, rest and process material between shifts.
- Coverage praised upgrades at major venues such as the Escenario Mayor and reported high visitor satisfaction and strong sales for artisans, but those improvements did not solve press-operational gaps across the Predio Ferial.
- A production company enforced entry rules in the Patio press room that limited accredited reporters’ movement after press conferences and required some interviews to take place only inside formal conference slots, which blocked access to artists without conference schedules.
- Reporters and cultural stakeholders are calling for a permanent, fully accessible press space and clearer accreditation rules so media teams can work safely and keep covering the festival as it continues to expand.