OYE Fest Shapes Atlanta’s Latino Cultural Identity

By Daniela Cintron

Last Updated July 23, 2026

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Celebrating music, art, gastronomy and Latino identity

OYE Fest 2026, Atlanta’s Latin music and arts festival, occurs Aug. 22 at Believe Music Hall. In addition to music, there will be food vendors, business vendors (jewelry, clothing and more) and interactive experiences. Here’s how it began.

For years, Atlanta has been recognized as the capital of hip-hop. And while the city was shaping global music trends, a vibrant and growing Latino community was searching for spaces where it could see itself reflected.

In 2017, before Bad Bunny became a global phenomenon and when Latin music was still fighting for a place at the top of the charts, two people decided to bet on what seemed like an ambitious idea: a festival to celebrate Atlanta’s Latino culture.

Oye Fest was born.

OYE Fest founders Margarita Ríos and Randall Ruiz never imagined that what began as a passion project would grow into one of Atlanta’s most popular cultural events — a gathering place where thousands of people come together each year to celebrate their identity.

“It all started with a dream of seeing our Latino community even more represented in Atlanta,” Ríos recalls.

At the time, both worked in the entertainment industry — she at Terminal West and he as a DJ performing across the city. From their respective corners of Atlanta’s music scene, they noticed the same thing: There were few spaces that reflected the musical and cultural diversity of Latin America.

Ruiz remembers an emerging generation of artists who were just beginning to build audiences online.

“It was a completely different scene,” he says. “Before Bad Bunny exploded worldwide, there were all these new artists that hardly anyone knew. We took a chance on many of them from the beginning, and now they’re selling out arenas.”

But Oye Fest was never meant to be just a music festival.

From its very first edition, the event has brought together multiple forms of creative expression. Alongside live performances, the festival features art exhibitions, conversations and panel discussions, local artisan markets and culinary experiences that showcase the richness and diversity of Latin American culture.

The founders’ own stories help explain why the festival carries such a strong sense of belonging.

Both grew up in Atlanta’s suburbs, where the Latino community has left a lasting mark for decades. It was there that they were surrounded by young musicians, dancers, artists and creators who would later inspire the vision behind Oye Fest.

But when they moved closer to the heart of Atlanta, they encountered a different reality.

“We were looking for places where we felt represented,” Ríos says. “Oye Fest is our way of helping build exactly that.”

That absence they found in the city of Atlanta inspired them to create an event capable of connecting two worlds: the wealth of Latino talent already thriving in the suburbs and the broader cultural stage that the city provides.

Over the years, the festival’s growth has mirrored the rise of Latin music around the world.

What was once considered a niche genre is now at the center of global pop culture. And Ruiz and Ríos insist that Oye Fest was never about chasing a trend.

For them, it has always been a celebration built by the community.

“It will always be ours because the people organizing it are creatives from our own community,” Ríos says. “It’s built by us and for us.”

That doesn’t mean it’s exclusive.

Quite the opposite.

One of the founders’ greatest joys has been watching people from every background come to Oye Fest eager to experience Latino culture.

Ruiz believes that reflects the essence of Atlanta as a multicultural city.

“I was born and raised here,” he says. “It’s important to me that everyone in Atlanta can come and experience that we’re part of this city, too.”

That sense of belonging is reflected in the community’s response. According to its founders, Oye Fest’s growth would not have been possible without the unwavering support of Atlanta’s Latino community, whose members return year after year as volunteers, artists, vendors and attendees.

More than a festival, Oye Fest has become a testament to Atlanta’s cultural evolution — a city where the Latino community no longer has to ask for a seat at the table. It’s ready to take center stage.

Plan your visit

Oye Fest’s main celebration this year occurs Aug. 22 at Believe Musc Hall with a block party-style festival featuring three stages of music, art activations, local food vendors and a marketplace highlighting small businesses. This year’s lineup includes De la Ghetto, 3BallMTY, Corina Smith and dozens of Atlanta-based performers across the festival’s main, local artist and DJ stages. Additional community events will continue throughout Hispanic Heritage Month.

Tickets are available through the festival’s website, with general admission and VIP options, and vendor applications remain open for local small businesses.

Daniela Cintrón is an award-winning journalist, editor and producer passionate about storytelling at the intersection of food, art, and culture. She is the senior content manager and editor for Discover Atlanta and has contributed to publications like the Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Magazine and Eater.

Originally Published July 22, 2026