Feria de Cali 2026: Dates, Parades, Tickets and Travel Tips

Feria de Cali 2026 runs from Friday 25 December to Wednesday 30 December 2026 in Cali, Colombia, according to the city's official calendar as reported in October 2026 ⁴. It is the 69th edition, the number used by the organiser Corfecali and by the fair's website ^{2 3}. The fair is held every year from 25 to 30 December, so only the weekdays shift from one edition to the next ¹⁷.

The fair began in 1957 as the Feria de la Caña, the sugar cane fair, a year after an explosion on 7 August 1956 destroyed much of the city and left it in recession ¹⁴. The government organised it to revive the economy, and Mayor Alejandro Eder drew the same comparison in August 2026 when he said the 2026 fair should help reactivate Cali after the earthquake ^{5 6}.

What has not been published is the detailed programme. As of 18 October 2026 the official site still showed a link to the previous year's programme and the Corfecali home page carried only a poster call and a call for 160 dancers for the 2026 Salsódromo ^{3 2}. For orientation, the 2025 sequence was ¹:

• 25 December: Salsódromo opening parade ¹

• 26 December: Fiestas de mi Pueblo parade ¹

• 27 December: classic and antique cars parade ¹

• 28 December: Cali Viejo carnival parade ¹

• 29 and 30 December: Calle de la Feria orchestra concerts ¹

Tip: Book flights and rooms for 24 to 31 December 2026 and keep dates flexible until Corfecali confirms the programme.

You do not need a ticket for most of Feria de Cali, and in 2025 only two things charged admission: the Salsódromo grandstands and the Superconcierto ⁹. The same report said 97% of events were free ⁹. For the Salsódromo, a grandstand package for the four days of the event cost 350,000 COP in 2025 ⁹.

Standing along the route costs nothing, and the 2025 guide from Publimetro noted free-access zones for the Salsódromo and for the parades of 26 to 28 December ¹⁰. The same guide warned that grandstand tickets usually sell out quickly ¹⁰.

No 2026 price had been announced by 18 October 2026, and the 2026 ticket seller had not been named ⁴. Because the route may move, a grandstand ticket bought this early would be a risk. Wait for Corfecali to publish the venue and the official seller.

What to check before paying:

• Seller: only the official site feriadecali.com.co and Corfecali channels, since fake offers circulate for fair events ¹³

• Route: confirm which street the grandstand stands on

• Days covered: in 2025 one package covered the four-day parade programme ⁹

• Rain plan: the 2025 Salsódromo went ahead in rain ¹²

The Superconcierto is the other paid event. In 2025 it was held at the Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero ⁴.

Tip: Standing room at the barrier arrives early and fills first. Seated or not, bring a poncho rather than an umbrella so you do not block the view behind you.

The 2026 route has not been confirmed, and Semana reported on 24 September 2026 that the Autopista Suroriental was ruled out because nearby buildings were damaged by the 10 August earthquake ⁷. The alternatives under study were sectors of La Quinta and the area around the Estadio Pascual Guerrero, and the reconstruction manager described them as drafts the Alcaldía would decide on later ⁷.

For comparison, the 2025 map was clear. The parades ran on the Autopista Suroriental from carrera 56, south to north, to the start of the carrera 39 bridge ¹. Calle de la Feria sat on Calle 25 between carreras 10 and 15 in Barrio Obrero, with no bleachers ¹. Caseta Feria de Cali stood at Parque de la Caña on 26 to 28 December and at the Coliseo María Isabel Urrutia on 29 and 30 December ¹. The Encuentro de Melómanos y Coleccionistas used the Canchas Panamericanas ¹. The Plaza de Toros de Cañaveralejo, a bullring with a capacity of 16,000, is also used during the fair ¹⁵.

The fair also leaves the centre. The Feria Rural y Comunera ran across the 22 comunas and 15 corregimientos from 25 to 30 December 2025 ¹. Tourist information points were set up at the Centro Cultural Plazoleta Jairo Varela, the Transport Terminal and River Boulevard ¹⁷.

What to do while the venue is unconfirmed:

• Pick a base that works for several routes rather than one street ¹⁵

• Check the Corfecali map and social channels weekly from November

• Treat any 2026 map found before the official announcement as unverified ⁷

Note: Some blogs and tour pages already name a 2026 route. None had official confirmation as of 18 October 2026 ⁴.

Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO) lies between Palmira and Cali in the Cauca River valley, between the Western and Central Andes ¹⁶. Cali is Colombia's third city, with about 2.2 million people in the district in 2023 ¹⁵. Airport listings include flights to Bogotá, Medellín, Panama City, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Madrid ¹⁶. The Rio Times reported that a daily direct route from Fort Lauderdale was due to start in July 2026 ⁴.

Once in the city, the MIO is the public option. It is a bus rapid transit system that began in March 2009 and uses articulated buses on dedicated lanes along main roads, with a cable car, the MIO Cable, serving the Siloé district ¹⁵. Closures on parade days can affect routes, so check which corridors stay open.

For late nights, use a dispatched taxi or a ride app, not a street-hailed cab ^{4 18}. In 2025 only partial and short closures were announced rather than prolonged ones ⁹.

How to plan arrival:

• Christmas week: the Rio Times advised booking flights and rooms early ⁴

• Money on arrival: carry a small amount of cash, one card and a copy of your passport ⁴

• Leaving: allow extra time on 30 and 31 December 2026, when departures peak

Tip: Land in daylight if you can. Reaching the hotel before dark means you see the closed streets before you try to cross them.

The 2025 fair opened with the Salsódromo on 25 December, then ran a different parade each evening until 28 December ¹. About 2,200 artists took part in the Salsódromo, in five themed wings that included the Pacific, women's empowerment, sporty Cali and the popular fiesta ¹². In 2025 the parade drew 32,000 spectators ¹¹.

Fiestas de mi Pueblo followed on 26 December. It was introduced in 2021 to honour the 42 municipalities of Valle del Cauca, and its 2025 crowd was 15,000 ^{14 11}. The classic and antique cars parade on 27 December drew 18,000 people, and the Cali Viejo carnival on 28 December drew 23,000 ¹¹. Cali Viejo dates to the early 1910s ¹⁴. Colombia's tourism board lists a 4 p.m. start for it in earlier editions ¹⁷.

Around the parades, other events filled the days ¹:

• 27 and 28 December: Renace el Agüelulo del Obrero, a salsa tradition revival in Barrio Obrero ¹

• 26 to 30 December: Encuentro de Melómanos y Coleccionistas at the Canchas Panamericanas ¹

• 29 December: Día del Pacífico at Plazoleta San Francisco ¹

• 29 and 30 December: orchestras at Calle de la Feria ¹

Corfecali had opened a call for 160 dancers to join the 2026 Salsódromo ². Wearing all white was the dress code at the 2025 White Festival ¹⁰.

The evenings belong to the neighbourhoods. In 2025 the Caseta de Oriente ran from 28 to 30 December at the Bulevar de Oriente for comunas 13, 14, 15 and 21 ¹. The Festival Brisas Caleñas, with Pacific groups such as Herencia de Timbiquí and Mambanegra, played at Parque Uribe in front of La Ermita ¹⁰. Chivas House, an invitation-only party that often marks the opening, is not open to the public ¹⁰.

Tip: Pick one big parade per evening. Each ends late and the next morning's events start early.

No: the horseback Cabalgata has not been part of the Feria de Cali programme since 2014, according to the authorities quoted in December 2024 ¹³. It was banned gradually over horse welfare, and the Alcaldía said it prioritised public order and the welfare of riders and horses ¹³. Some reference pages still describe the Cabalgata as an opening event, which is out of date ¹⁴.

The warning that matters is about fraud. In December 2024 the Alcaldía and Corfecali warned about false messages on social media and WhatsApp advertising a cabalgata, said no permits had been given to private operators, and said such adverts could be scams ¹³. They asked people to rely only on feriadecali.com.co, cali.gov.co and the official social media accounts ¹³.

The Festival de Orquestas is the other name from older programmes. The organiser's 2025 programme lists no event under that name ¹. Orchestras instead play at Calle de la Feria, on the roadway of Calle 25 with no bleachers, on 29 and 30 December 2025, with national and international groups ¹. The fair's casetas also host concerts ¹.

What replaced the old opening:

• Salsódromo: now the opening parade on 25 December ¹

• Fiestas de mi Pueblo: a parade of Valle del Cauca towns since 2021 ¹⁴

• Calle de la Feria: free orchestra concerts at the end of the fair ¹

Tip: Any "Cabalgata Feria de Cali 2026" ticket offer is a red flag. Report it, do not pay.

Cali is warm in late December. The December mean high at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón airport is 29.5°C and the mean low 18.9°C, with 68.5 mm of rain, based on 1991 to 2020 averages ¹⁵. The city sits at about 1,018 m above sea level ¹⁵, so nights are cooler than the coast.

The sun is the other factor. The parades run on an open urban highway with little shade, which is why a paid grandstand is sold as a shaded seat, while standing along the route is free ¹⁸. Afternoon parades such as Cali Viejo, which started at 4 p.m. in earlier editions, still catch the late heat ¹⁷.

December is not dry, and rain can arrive during a parade. The 2025 Salsódromo ran under persistent rain and the crowd stayed ¹². A light poncho is more useful than an umbrella in a packed grandstand.

Rough crowd levels (1 quiet, 5 packed), judged from the 2025 attendance pattern ¹¹:

• 25 December: 5, the Salsódromo with 32,000 spectators in 2025 ¹¹

• 26 and 27 December: 3 to 4, with 15,000 and 18,000 spectators in 2025 ¹¹

• 28 December: 4, Cali Viejo with 23,000 spectators in 2025 ¹¹

• 29 and 30 December: 3, open-air concerts with no grandstand cap ¹

What to pack for Cali in December:

• Light cotton clothes for the 29.5°C afternoons ¹⁵

• A thin layer for the 18.9°C nights ¹⁵

• A poncho for the showers ¹²

• Comfortable closed shoes for standing on the Autopista ¹⁸

• A refillable bottle, since you will be outdoors for hours ¹⁸

Tip: Hotel occupancy reached 88% in 2025, one of the highest of the decade ¹¹. Cheap rooms disappear first, so book before you plan the outfits.

San Antonio is the easiest base for a first visit. The district sits below the 18th-century Iglesia de San Antonio and is walkable, with cafés and restaurants ¹⁸. Colombia Move also recommends El Peñón, Granada and San Fernando, with San Fernando close to the stadium and the parade routes ¹⁸.

Publimetro's 2025 guide named Galería Alameda, San Antonio, El Peñón, Granada and Ciudad Jardín as the main eating zones ¹⁰. Dishes it mentioned were sancocho, aborrajado and encocados, and Colombia's tourism board lists empanadas, luladas, aborrajados, chontaduros and ceviches ^{10 17}.

Hotels filled up in 2025: occupancy reached 88% ¹¹. Colombia Move advised booking by September for 2026, and it is now well past that, so book now ¹⁸.

Choosing by what you want:

• San Antonio: walkable, central, good for eating ¹⁸

• Granada and El Peñón: restaurant zones with a quieter feel ¹⁰

• San Fernando: near the stadium and parade routes ¹⁸

• Anywhere near a MIO station: a safe fallback if the route moves ¹⁵

Barrio Obrero deserves a mention for the second half of the fair. Calle de la Feria sat on Calle 25 there in 2025, and the city was renovating the barrio, with a first phase due in December 2025, as part of the plan to bring the fair back to the centre ^{1 9}. Staying near it shortens the walk after the 29 and 30 December concerts.

Because the parade route is unconfirmed, a base near the MIO network is safer than one next to a street that may not host the Salsódromo ⁷.

Tip: Leave your passport in the room safe and carry a copy and only the day's cash ¹⁸.

Your phone will work in Cali, but the Salsódromo puts about 32,000 people along one route and signal gets weaker where everyone films the same wing ¹¹. Public Wi-Fi is not a plan for that crowd.

Because the programme and venue are changing for 2026, you will use data for more than photos ⁷:

• Corfecali channels: to read route and time announcements ²

• Live location: to rejoin a group when barriers close ¹⁸

• Maps and MIO: to find the open corridors on parade days ¹⁵

• Ride apps: to avoid street-hailed taxis at night ¹⁸

• Emergency: 123 is the free single emergency number, from any phone, even without credit ¹⁹

A Colombia eSIM installed before you fly means you land at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón already online. Dispatch operators answer in Spanish, so have your city, neighbourhood and address ready ¹⁹.

Bring a power bank, because a night of maps, messages and video drains a battery quickly, and download an offline map of the centre before you leave the hotel. The Rio Times advised keeping phones out of sight at parades and agreeing a meeting point in advance ⁴.

Keep valuables out of sight. Colombia Move flags rising pickpocketing in crowds and advises never leaving a drink unattended at nightlife venues over the holidays ¹⁸. Report minor theft at the nearest CAI police station, not through 123, so the line stays free ¹⁹.

Tip: Save the official site address and the Corfecali social accounts as bookmarks before you leave home, so you can open them without searching ¹³.