REVIEW: Tecate Pa’l Norte 2025 Were Three Days of Moshpits, Chaos and Pop Perfection
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY DANY MIRELES ☆
Photos By Pía Castellón
Monterrey transformed into a dance floor, musical therapy session, and a capsule on April fourth, fifth, and sixth. Tecate Pa’l Norte was more than just a celebration. It was a vibrant, alive world of perspiration, color, and group exaltation. With nine stages dispersed around Fundidora Park and the most enormous screens ever utilized at a festival worldwide, Pa'l Norte delivered on its promise of an event horizon rather than simply an experience. A location where every artist felt like they were bigger than life and every rhythm could be heard from a mile away.
With over 190 performers, nine immersive stages, sponsored experiences, and an unstoppable audience, this year's Tecate Pa'l Norte maintained its status as one of the world's largest festivals in a city that’s already renowned for its cultural vibrancy.
The Marias, whose surreal concert captivated the audience, kicked off my weekend. The band's rich, multilingual songs and María Zardoya's amazing voice temporarily suspended the world in pastel and blue hues. The crowd was surrounded by cinematic images of vivid reds, blues, and lavenders on the Tecate Fusion stage's screens. The audience was left in amazement and wanting more following the band's premiere performance of their brand-new song, "Back To Me." Mon Laferte then made the Tecate Original stage her own. Her combination of rock star, poet, and heavenly power persona makes her unique. She danced and sang loudly, fusing punk, blues, cumbia, and folk with a passion that might shake the city's mountains as she danced and shouted at the top of her lungs. Every square inch of the park was filled with her voice, which echoed through the screens and was at once raw and furious and delicate and silky.
The atmosphere of the event was completely turned upside down as The Chainsmokers took the stage at Tecate Light. With fireworks, soaring visuals, and drop after drop of EDM pleasure, they know how to rock a festival. However, despite the madness of their EDM, there were emotional moments—vocal loops that brought back memories of the songs' original status as worldwide hits. Green Day was the last day of the first day. From the first notes of "American Idiot," Billie Joe Armstrong's screams enthralled the audience and took them to a misinterpreted version of themselves. Their show was as contemporary, powerful, and emotional as you could want from a legacy act, supported by thunderous graphics, live close-ups, and an ocean of lights.
Then, with the type of wild appeal that only Ross and Rocky Lynch could manage, Saturday began with The Driver Era. The day was brightened by "A Kiss," and Ross's extravagant stage antics left audiences in awe. As they talked about how Mexico is their favorite destination to perform in, their relationship with the audience was genuine, emotional, and spontaneous. Foster The People followed, having been added to the lineup a few weeks before the concert because The Black Keys had canceled their set. Fans eager to dance and dream in equal measure were greeted by the band's classic sound. The audience was turned into a surging sea of people by "Pumped Up Kicks," yet deeper cuts like "Lost In Space" and “Houdini”.
Benson Boone then gave a spirited performance a few hours later. Everyone could feel his heart breaking as he sang in real time. He made his debut performance in Monterrey one to remember. He once energized the audience to a whole new level by performing many backflips in quick succession. His personality took center stage, even if his vocals were flawless. Fall Out Boy's shouts, fireworks, and memories set the Tecate Light stage on fire. Pete Wentz's basslines could be felt in your bones, and the fireworks were flawlessly timed to the visuals on the biggest screens in the world. "Centuries" was a cathartic moment that made you shout along.
Like the expert that he is, Justin Timberlake finished up the evening. His set was smooth, nostalgic, and fulfilling. From "Sexyback" to "Mirrors," JT moved as if he was aware of his legendary status. The crowd engaged with the vocalist and roared along to every word of "Mirrors," making it the night's high point.
The final day was the day everyone was waiting for. Two of the biggest pop stars of the moment, Charli XCX and Olivia Rodrigo, made sure to close the festival with perfection. Charli XCX didn’t just take the stage, she devoured it. A hurricane of neon lights, hyperpop club bangers, and glitch core visuals took over the Tecate Original stage. Charli’s set felt like being at a party. “Club Classics,” “Apple,” and “Von Dutch” kept the crowd jumping from excitement to see one of the music industry’s biggest stars right now. She worked the stage like a runway, flipping her hair and striking poses that were equally brat and iconic. Everyone was singing along, proving that Charli’s cult following in Mexico isn’t just loyal, it’s feral.
And as Charli’s set ended, people were moving to the Tecate Light stage at full speed to see Olivia Rodrigo. The singer took the stage with a confidence that made you stop everything you were doing and pay full attention. Dressed in a black one-piece, she opened with “Obsessed,” and the crowd exploded. From the first scream to the last guitar riff, the entire park belonged to her. The giant festival screens elevated her set into something cinematic. Every close-up, the fire in her eyes during “Bad Idea, Right?” The softness in her face during “driver’s license” when she realized 100,000 people were screaming the lyrics back at her was projected with such clarity that even those in the farthest corners of the park felt like they were right there with her.
Between songs, she shared how surreal Mexico has been to her and how grateful she is for the love the country has shown her. Olivia didn’t just perform, she felt everything alongside us. Her set was a masterclass in vulnerability, rage, joy, and rebellion, and it proved why she is the icon she is today.
With nine immersive stages, the largest screens in the world, and a lineup that spanned generations, languages, and genres, Tecate Pa’l Norte wasn’t just one of the biggest festivals, it was one of the boldest. It has the power to understand that music is more than just entertainment; it’s memory, identity, and movement. It gave fans punk legends, pop icons, healing choruses, and a place to scream, cry, and dance. As the lights went down for one last time for this year, one thing was certain: Pa’l Norte didn’t just live up to the hype; it raised the bar for what festivals can and should be.
