Italian singer Laura Pausini will return to the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in February 2027, marking her first appearance at the Chilean music event in 13 years.
The announcement came while the Italian pop star was in Miami for the Latin Grammy Awards, where her latest studio album, Yo canto 2, is nominated in the Best Traditional Pop Album category.
Pausini is currently the only headline performer confirmed for the 2027 festival lineup. Organizers have also confirmed the participation of Spanish singer Lorena Gómez, who has been nominated to compete for the Silver Seagull trophy in the festival's international contest.
Return to the Quinta Vergara
Pausini shared the news directly with fans through a video posted on her social media platforms, expressing immense pride at her scheduled appearance in Viña del Mar. She stated that she plans to assemble a setlist featuring the most important songs that her audience has embraced across her career.
The singer explained that she could not wait to return, noting that all her memories of the Chilean festival were wonderful and that she was preparing to offer something special to the crowd. She added that she looked forward to reuniting with her audience in Viña del Mar in 2027.
Festival organizers welcomed her return by highlighting her extensive commercial success, noting that she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. They cited her major international honours, including Grammy, Latin Grammy and Golden Globe awards, as well as an Academy Award nomination, promising an evening filled with classics and deep emotion when she takes the stage.
Past triumphs in Chile
Pausini last performed at the Viña del Mar festival in 2014, when she delivered a hit-filled concert that featured some of her best-known Spanish-language recordings, including Entre tú y mil mares, En cambio no and Primavera anticipada.
Her 2014 performance earned her both the Silver Seagull and the Gold Seagull, known locally as the Gaviotas de Plata y de Oro, which were presented to her in recognition of her artistic achievements. The 2027 concert will mark her third appearance at the festival, following her debut on the Quinta Vergara stage in 1997 near the start of her international career.
Held annually in the coastal resort city of Viña del Mar, northwest of Santiago, the event is widely regarded as the most prominent Latin music festival in the world. The festival takes place inside the open-air Quinta Vergara amphitheatre, where the audience is famously nicknamed the Monster due to its demanding nature and its power to either passionately embrace performers or jeer them off stage.
Latin Grammy nomination and tributes
The timing of the festival announcement coincided with Pausini's presence in Miami to celebrate the Latin Grammy Awards gala. Her nominated album, Yo canto 2, holds deep personal significance for the singer because it consists of cover versions of songs by Latin artists she admires and with whom she shares longstanding friendships.
Writing on social media days before the festival announcement, Pausini reflected on her lifelong affection for Latin music, explaining that much of her connection traces back to her deep admiration for Cuban-American pop icon Gloria Estefan. She said that when she first conceived Yo canto 2, she knew that a tribute to Estefan had to be part of the record.
Pausini contacted veteran music producer Emilio Estefan and travelled to Miami to record her rendition of Oye Mi Canto, which Emilio produced with the participation of collaborator @richaelio_. Pausini described the recording session as closing a circle while continuing a passionate relationship with Latin music that has endured for more than 30 years.
Three decades in Latin music
Pausini first captured global attention in 1993 after winning the newcomer category at the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy with her signature ballad La solitudine. She subsequently established a massive following across Latin America and Spain by translating and re-recording her catalogue into Spanish, becoming one of the most successful crossover artists in European and Latin pop history.
Alongside Pausini's headline slot, Spanish singer Lorena Gómez represents the only other artist attached to the 2027 festival so far. Gómez, who rose to prominence in Spain after winning the television music competition Operación Triunfo in 2006, will compete in the international contest division for the Silver Seagull.
With her appearance scheduled for February 2027, Pausini will begin assembling her production after completing her commitments at the Latin Grammy ceremony in Miami. The performance will reconnect her with one of the most significant stages in Latin America, capping more than three decades of performances before Spanish-speaking audiences.
