By the Zonagirante.com team @spinning zone
The Chilean music industry looks to the future
Valdivia, a city in southern Chile surrounded by rivers and rainforest, is once again turning on the continent's radar. Fluvial 2025 takes to the streets from December 10th to 14th with a powerful mix: More than 40 showcases, 300 delegates, and a flood of conversations spanning territories, genres, and technologies. Chile opens its cultural veins and lets the music flow like a river, with names making waves today—Drefquila, Chicarica, Carmen Lienqueo, Dinastía Moon—and guests from Italy, Canada, Colombia, and Spain.
Fluvial is not a festival to be observed from afar. It's a crossroads: AI applied to live music, creative tourism, sustainability, the night economy, international cooperation, and a deep connection with First Nations. Here, music isn't seen as mere entertainment, but as an ecosystem, a source of work, and a social construct.
More than showcases: territory, technology and thought
This year, expansion is not just empty talk. Strategic alliances have been forged, a strengthened MusicTech module has been implemented, there's a greater international presence, and a key local initiative: bringing showcases to Panguipulli. Furthermore, the independent character is reaffirmed with the participation of WIN, IMICHILE, Chilemúsica, and networks that advocate for effective policies for creators and producers.
In a sea of superficial events, Fluvial feels like a serious laboratory. But make no mistake: that doesn't mean it lacks a party atmosphere. The stages are spread across traditional venues, alternative spaces, and a motorboat that navigates the river as if the water itself were part of the lineup.
Valdivia as a laboratory of the Chilean musical ecosystem
Chilean music is experiencing a brilliant moment in its diversity, and Fluvial offers the perfect lens through which to observe it. We look at what's happening in Valdivia to understand the present, imagine the future, and discuss what has made this scene grow from the depths of the earth to the global stage.
When the river carries music, ideas, and international connections
We wanted to understand what Fluvial means today, how it impacts the music of the Southern Cone, what kind of cultural and economic connections are born here, and why it's worth paying attention to even from distant latitudes. Due to unforeseen circumstances and events beyond our control, and on the eve of Fluvial, We received an audio message from Oliver Knuts, director of ChileMusic and the event organizer, explaining the details and philosophy of this meeting:
«"Why bring the entire music scene together in Valdivia? Bringing the music scene together in Valdivia isn't just about a party: it's a space where music and society meet. At Fluvial, we believe that music engages with issues like mental health, sustainability, technology, tourism, and nature, and that these debates need to be at the forefront.".
By bringing together artists, managers, communities, and audiences, we connect them with reflections that go beyond the aesthetic or the purely musical, and that promote cultural, social, and territorial development. It is an invitation to imagine an integrated, reflective music industry committed to the challenges of the present.
It's not just about figuring out how to solve issues related to live music, record licenses, or digital technical matters, but about recognizing that music is present in everything, and putting that on the table for discussion.".
At another time, when we have more time, we'll talk with Knuts about the tenth edition, at the end of 2026, which we hope and wish to attend. In the meantime, we leave you with the Fluvial 2025 playlist.