The diaspora of the UK is widespread, and that’s expressed in countless festivals across the country. The likes of Notting Hill celebrate the incredibly strong and diverse cultures of the Caribbean islands while Bangra continues to influence everything from club culture to current chart toppers. Latin music and culture in the UK however is somewhat underrepresented, at least for the casual listener.
That’s not to say it isn’t here by any means. Take a walk through areas like London’s Elephant & Castle and you’ll find Colombian restaurants serving Sancocho alongside full English breakfasts while the sounds of Joropo intersperse with mainstream Radio 1 hits. But how Latin culture has embedded itself in the DNA of the UK is lesser known.
A festival changing that however is London’s La Linea. Marking its 26th year in 2026 La Linea takes over some of London’s most prestigious venues for a two week party that spans the many sounds of Latin America.
Heading this up is Elena Beltrami, Director at La Linea. Here, she tells us about how Latin culture is thriving in the UK, the challenges they face in tackling stereotypes and more.
“Everything we do is for the community and countries we represent.“
Festival Insights: It’s a big question because as it’s been running for so long, but how did this festival begin? And how has it grown over the years to where you are today?
“La Linea is the oldest Latin music festival in the UK and it started as a way to bring major artists such as Buena Vista Social Club and Gilberto Gilles to the UK. So it’s always been characterised by a high quality programme, but it’s about bringing these artists into iconic and established venues across London such as The Barbican to Jazz Cafe.
We also recently became a not for profit, so we can now include activities for the community such as free workshops and mentorship programmes. Everything we do is for the community and countries we represent.“
Festival Insights: Is it important for you to place latin music on a great pedestal in the UK?
“La Linea has always been about showcasing the best artists from Latin America, and we want to give them the space that they deserve. There’s always been a really strong partnership between the festival and these really iconic venues. This year we have two shows at the Barbican, but it’s always been our aim to use these established venue to give this culture access to a wider audience.”
Festival Insights: How have audiences reacted to Latin music over the past 5-10 years?
“It’s been really impactful. We can see how people are more interested in discovering Latin music and we want to become a hub for people to discover Latin music. It’s a good moment in London because the latin community is growing, and the people coming to the UK from Latin countries is increasing. This is being reflected in our audience.
It’s always a challenge. Right now, Latin music is a trend, and we see major corporate promoters like Live Nation invest more in Latin artists. So the international audience are only becoming more curious to discover this music.”
Festival Insights: Latin music can often be pigeonholed into a few genres. Is it important for you to kind of showcase a breadth and diversity of Latin music in the UK?
“We are trying to challenge the stereotypes. There are genres like reggaeton that you usually associate with Latin America, but Latin America has the most amazing artists from across different genres. We do still celebrate genres like salsa and Cumbia, but it’s important to highlight Latin electronic music, indie rock, hip-hop and the breadth of music Latin America has to offer.“
Festival Insights: What are some of the unique challenges you face in running a festival like La Linea in the UK?
“The challenges about London is the fact your competing with so many events during the festival period.
There’s an increase of Latin music programming in London in general which increases competition, but we’re fortunate because the Latin community is stronger in London than in other cities in the UK. We bring an artist to London and sell 2000 tickets, but bringing that artist to a city like Liverpool will have a much smaller audience which makes it harder to justify the cost.”
Festival Insights: More Latin artists such as Bad Bunny are playing bigger stages, but as an independent festival are you now finding yourself competing with these huge events with much bigger budgets?
“There’s definitely a risk. We are still at an initial stage, which means that only the mainstream artists are going to the bigger festivals. But it could be a challenge in the future for sure.”
Festival Insights: How can people highlight there culture through a new festival? What can people learn from you La Linea?
“Most of all it’s about respecting the culture. We’re an inclusive festival where everybody’s welcome. We try to represent different styles of music , and this year our line-up is made up of 90% female acts. That’s something we’re really proud of, so it’s about making everyone feel welcome.”
La Linea takes place in multiple venues across London from 20 April to 6 May. Tickets are available now.
