What to Expect During the 2025 Cartagena Festival Náutico

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The Festival Náutico is a concert on the bay of Cartagena that is part of the Cartagena November Fiestas.

Historically, there was a boat parade on the bay as part of the fiestas, but it had been discontinued for over a decade until it was revived as the Festival Náutico in 2024.

For 2025, the Cartagena Festival Náutico will be a 2 day concert, and it appears poised to become the culmination of the fiestas and the biggest event of the week going forward.

Learn what to expect during the Festival Náutico, how to see it, and what artists will be performing in this guide to the 2025 Cartagena Festival Náutico.

What is the Festival Náutico?

Cartagena’s Festival Náutico is a concert held on the bay.

A stage is set up overlooking the bay and boats can pull up to get a view and enjoy the concert and the party.

This event replaced an event known as Las Balleneras, which was a boat parade that was part of the national and local beauty pageants that was traditionally held as part of the Cartagena Independence Festival, held every November.

That event hadn’t been held in over a decade until it was reborn as the Festival Náutico in 2024, largely due to the impulse from the current mayor who seems to want to grow the fiestas as a bigger event, especially in attracting travelers to the city.

It looks like establishing this event as the fiestas’ signature event is a big goal of his, as 2025 has some pretty big acts on the docket.

In addition to the concert, you can expect the participation of the national and local beauty queens in some form and an overall festive and probably somewhat rowdy atmosphere.

You can get a bit of an idea of what to expect in this short video from 2024.

When is the 2025 Festival Náutico and Who Will Peform?

For 2025, the Festival Náutico will be a 2 day event held Friday November 14th and Saturday November 15th with a great list of performers that includes:

• Marc Anthony
• Maluma
• Carlos Vives
• Elder Dayán
• Rikarena
• Rafa Pérez
• DJ Tremendo
• DJ Dever
• DJ Natalia Paris
• Criss & Ronny
• Kapo

It’s expected that more local artists will also be added to the lineup and play throughout the two days, but those are the announced artists so far (see date at the top for the most recent update to this article).

The concert itself is free, and there will be giant screens and most likely chairs set up on land nearby along the Calle del Arsenal. I’d expect a similar atmosphere to the parade here, with people spraying foam and throwing maizena.

However, the best way to see the concert will be from a boat.

If you’re looking for a boat, unfortunately, my partner for boat rentals has already sold out all her connections with shared boats and privates, but there are a handful of other travel agencies and people selling tickets on boats.

I’d strongly suggest a Google search and a bit of vetting of the agencies or businesses and if possible paying only a deposit and the full remaining amount the day of the festival if possible.

Cartagena’s November Fiestas

The Festival Náutico is part of the larger Cartagena Independence Festival, sometimes referred to as the Cartagena Independence Carnival, or the Cartagena November Festival.

This week plus long celebration commemorates Cartagena’s Declaration of Independence on November 11, 1811 and centers around November 11 every year.

It includes free concerts, several parades, and both the national beauty pageant that names Miss Colombia and a local beauty pageant that names a Miss Independence, both of which are pretty big deals in Colombia and Cartagena.

It’s the biggest party of the year in Cartagena and a really fun, albeit rowdy time!

I always really enjoyed the fiestas, but they are not for everyone.

If you’re going to participate, I highly suggest wearing clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, being ready to be spayed with foam and corn starch, and bringing along something like a money belt, neck pouch, or bra pouch for valuables!

Oh and be ready for lots of partying, dancing, and general revelry in the streets!

You can get a better idea of what to expect in this general guide to the Cartagena Independence Festival and you can see the full 2025 Cartagena Independence Festival schedule here.

Need to get a hotel for the fiestas?: Check out the best offers on Booking.com here.

Festival Náutico Cartagena 2025 Schedule

As noted above, the 2025 Cartagena Festival Náutico boat concert will be on November 14th and 15th.

Here are the scheduled artists for each day:

Friday November 14th

On Friday November 14th, the following artists are scheduled to appear at the 2025 Cartagena Festival Náutico:

• Maluma
• Carlos Vives
• DJ Dever
• Elder Dayán

Saturday November 15th

On Saturday November 15th, the following artists are scheduled to appear at the 2025 Cartagena Festival Náutico:

• Marc Anthony
• Rafa Pérez
• Rikarena
• DJ Tremendo
• DJ Natalia Paris
• Criss & Ronny
• Kapo

There aren’t official start times for each artists yet, but this Instagram post does list a start time for the festival itself at 2:30 and an end time of 10:30, while also pointing out that boats will only be allowed to stay on the bay until midnight.

It is probably worth pointing out as well that that post lists specific times for boats to leave the docks (between 12:00 and 3:00, depending on size). That would seem to suggest that if you are on a boat for the concert, you won’t be able to wait until later to go and see a specific act.

I doubt we’ll get announced stage times for the individual artists, but I’d expect them to go in reverse order as listed above, with the top acts closing each night.

This Instagram post confirmed the list above. There were several artists added that had not been listed before. It’s possible there may be some other smaller, opening acts added last minute, especially on Friday.

For what it’s worth, if you want to secure the best possible spot, whether on a boat or on land, you’ll likely have to arrive well before the start time of the concert.

I expect both days to draw large crowds, as Marc Anthony is the most well known artist internationally, but Maluma and Carlos Vives are both huge Colombian acts.

To be honest, I actually suspect that Maluma will attract the largest local crowd.

Where to See the Festival Náutico?

Last year, the stage was set up near the end of the Calle del Arsenal and was facing out towards the bay.

There were also large screens and chairs set up inside the park between the Convention Center and the stage, and I’d expect much the same this year with a lively atmosphere all along the Calle del Arsenal.

Last year, boats were set up in long rows in front of the stage with a gap between each row. Being in or near the center in the first 3 rows will give the best view.

There were large screens set up on the sides of the stage to give people on boats farther over or farther back a good view too.

Do You Have to Buy a Ticket to the Concert?

No.

The concert itself is free.

However, to see it, you’ll have to spend some money.

Again, you can do your own boat rental.

I’ve also seen some agencies offering packages for the entire fiestas that include shared boat parties for one or both days.

I’d imagine the larger tour boats will also sell tickets for each day, and there will be many boat owners and rental agencies offering shared boats as well.

Finally, last year, there were seats rented in the park by the stage.

I’d suspect the same this year, or perhaps there will be bleachers or palcos set up like for the parade on land on Thursday.

Is It Possible to See the Concert from Elsewhere?

They’ve confirmed there will be giant screens set up on the Calle del Arsenal.

I’d expect a big party on the whole street though, and there may be screens in other places. There may be people renting chairs too.

It might also be possible to see the screens or the stage from elsewhere, and it’s possible they’ll set up screens by the Clocktower or something too.

Because this is only the second year of this event and it’s set to be much larger than last year, it’s hard to say 100% sure what to expect.

Things around the fiestas tend to be pretty informal (you’re not getting tickets on Ticketmaster, for example).

I’d suggest only buying tickets for shared boats from reputable agencies that you can find info on online or buying the day of the event and paying only as you’re getting on a boat.

For chairs or bleachers, unless you are friends with a trusted local who knows what’s what, I’d also recommend buying the day of the event and either paying directly at the gate or insisting any vendor on the street come to the gate and receive payment once you’ve successfully entered.

Will you attend the 2025 Cartagena Festival Náutico?

Hopefully this post helped you learn just what to expect for the 2025 Cartagena Festival Náutico.

It sounds like it’s going to be a great event and hopefully is a sign that the fiestas will continue to grow and become a bigger international draw for the city.

I know I’m sorry I won’t be there for them this year!

If you’re going to be in Cartagena around this time, I again highly suggest reading over my guide to what to expect during Cartagena’s Independence Festival and also taking a look at the full 2025 Cartagena Independence Carnival schedule.

Be sure to check out all the other content on the site to help you plan your trip, and if you do go to the Festival Náutico, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!

Cheers and Felices Fiestas!