Pitchfork Music Festival CDMX returned for its third edition this weekend, assembling a broad spectrum of artists from Latin America and beyond. Spread across several days and venues, the lineup seamlessly moved through Latin rhythms, alternative folk, indie rock, techno, Midwest emo, art pop, urbano, and Spanish-language R&B—a slate diverse enough to mirror the city itself. These were five of the standout moments.
Lido Pimienta – Friday, September 25, Foro Indie Rocks!
The undisputed queen of Latin alternative music delivered the weekend’s sharpest expression of Latinidad by capturing something deeply familiar: the way joy and anger often coexist. One moment she had the crowd laughing and dancing; seconds later, she was channeling pure fury over injustice, shouting “Free Palestine” and “go home, gringos, you fucking Zionists.” At its most intense, Pimienta’s vocals—which she draws from traditional Colombian styles—are as visceral as a metal singer’s. Performing with programmed sequences, looped notes, and a formidable percussionist—and while images of Barranquilla flashed behind her—Pimienta moved fluidly between humor, rhythm, and confrontation, pulling the audience along with her. It felt like one of the clearest representations of where Latin music is today.
Safety Trance – Thursday, September 24, Foro Indie Rocks!
Luis Garban turned Foro Indie Rocks! into a complete audiovisual experience built around music from his debut album, sacrificio. The Venezuelan producer, who has worked with artists including Arca and Rosalía, has spent years developing a sound that pushes reggaeton into more experimental territory without losing its physical pull. The result onstage was a striking collision of electronic force and Latin rhythm. Industrial textures, distorted low end, and deconstructed club patterns hit with real weight, while the visual language amplified that tension using imagery that blurred the line between bodies and machines. Safety Trance’s set was dense, aggressive, and layered, but never lost the sense of movement that keeps Latin club music alive.
DAVID DUIS
