The second day of Sueños Music Festival was greeted with sunny skies yet crisp temperatures in Grant Park.
Sunday headliners included Puerto Rican producer and reggaeton star Don Omar and Texas-based regional Mexican band Grupo Frontera. The members of Grupo Frontera have faced criticism in the months leading up to and since the 2024 presidential election for their perceived support of Donald Trump. In February, fans put together a petition asking Sueños Fest organizers to remove them from the bill. As of Sunday, more than 10,000 people had added their names to the petition.
While this weekend’s festival served up plenty of great music, there was also plenty of fantastic food onsite as well. There was plenty of options, from quesabirria tacos, empandas and jibaritos to Chicago-style pizza, ribs, hot dogs and Italian beef.
There were more than a dozen bar kiosks offering Modelos, Pacificos and mixed drinks, a Casa Barcadí, Tito’s and Hennessey tents and more. Prices ranged from $17-$23 (not including tax)es.
This year’s festival featured a new food truck alley, too, with mobile bites from Carnitas Don Alfredo, Taco Madre, La Michoacana Premium and more. There was also a handful of restaurants in the Sabores de DoorDash section, including Antique Tacos, Smoke Daddy BBQ, Tuco and Blondie and Big Star.
Munchies and Miches also returned. The dedicated food area was filled with different takes on micheladas from Big Mich, M!XHE, Pinches Miches, Moycheladas and beyond. Note: micheladas were sold separately from liquor and beer.
The “munchies” section included selections from La Frida Gummies, Xurro, Eiffel Waffle, El Snack Cart, Bella’s Helado De Coco & Italian Ice and more.
Here are some highlights from Sunday’s lineup:
Wisin
Though Wisin started 10 minutes later than his originally scheduled time, his set was full of “’bangers,” as some fans at his set described the music. DJ Fredy Fresco entertained crowds for the gap in between sets by Grupo Frontera and Wisin.
Thousands of attendees poured in to watch Wisin, who is one-half of legendary Puerto Rican duo Wisin Y Yandel. The duo performed at the first two years of the Sueños fest.
Wisin performed “Vacacciones” to start, followed by “Que Vive la Vida” and dedicated many of his songs to all the Latinos, especially the Venezuelans, Colombians and Puerto Ricans in the audience. “Sexy Movimiento” and “Algo me gusta de ti” were also part of Sunday night’s set.
“¡Empezó la rumba!,” Wisin exclaimed. “The rumba has officially begun.”
Next up, the singer-songwriter performed “DUELE EL CORAZÓN,” a song he worked on with Enrique Iglesias. He wrapped himself in a Mexican flag for this number, and repeatedly shouted out and thanked the Mexian crowd in Chicago for coming out on Sunday night. — Ambar Colón
Grupo Frontera
Grupo Frontera brought a high dose of tejano energy on the second day of Sueños. The six-member band was dressed in black leather western wear and had a dynamic visual backdrop that showcased border-themed graphics such as the Texan desert and a saloon on fire.
A few months ago, the group received public backlash for allegedly supporting Donald Trump for president after the video of a family member who was celebrating his election victory went viral.
Frontera later apologized and said via socials: “We want to clarify that Grupo Frontera has no affiliation or alliance with any political party that’s against immigrants and the Latino community. Like many of you, our families and [group] members have fought and struggled for a better future, and we will always take our people’s side, defending our roots and values.”
Prior to the festival and even during the band’s performance, a Sueños fans Facebook page had denounced the group’s participation in the festival.
The Grant Park lawn was packed with people wearing felt sombreros, boots and cowboy attire. A fan in the crowd handed the vocalist, Adelaido Payo Ortíz, a bouquet of roses.
Grupo Frontera is perhaps the tejano group with the most collaborations to date, having partnered with the likes of Peso Pluma, Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida, Carin León, and Romeo Santos.
People sang along to Frontera’s most popular hits, “No Se Va,” “El Amor de Su Vida,” “un x100to,” and “Bebé Dame.”
It was “No Se Va” that launched Frontera to international fame, especially among Mexican American listeners who don’t quite fit into the country scene and for whom their parent’s grupero taste is a bit too old-school.
Frontera’s exquisite accordion solos distinguished them from the other Mexican performers in the two-day Sueños lineup.
— Jackie Serrato
Tito Double P
Though Tito Double P was in Sueños’ Sunday lineup, festival attendees saw a preview of him the day before, when he hopped on stage with his cousin Peso Pluma to sing “Dos Días.”
Tito, whose real name is Jesús Roberto Laija, is credited with writing a number of Peso’s greatest bélico corridos, like “AMG,” “PRC,” “Siempre Pendientes,” and “El Belicón.” It’s no surprise that his debut album, “Incómodo,” from 2024 was an instant success. Both form part of the independent label Double P Records.
Dressed in white pants and sleeveless shirt, he opened his Sueños set with “La People,” a song that features Peso. The crowd swayed to his romantic songs and bopped their heads to the upbeat ones, such as “Los Cuadros,” “Maravilla,” “Rosones,” “Corazón Partido,” and “Nadie.”
Not unusual for his genre, Tito’s music is characterized by a variety of brass instruments and various guitars. His other high profile collabs include artists Grupo Frontera, Belinda, Becky G, Christian Nodal, Gabito Ballesteros, Los Dareyes de La Sierra, Junior H, Chino Pacas, and Neton Vega.
Earlier this year, Tito was reportedly fined by the government of Chihiahua, Mexico, for singing songs that had been banned for alleged references to criminal activity. Most of his Sueños set consisted of love songs. — Jackie Serrato
JHAYCO
Jhayco’s second time performing at Sueños Music Festival was was a big hit with fans on Sunday.
He performed at the first-ever Sueños back in 2022, which culminated the 2021 tour for his album “Timelezz.” While his 2022 performance might have fallen on some deaf ears at the time, this time around, the singer made sure to give the audience exactly what they were hoping for.
Jhayco started off the night with “Holanda,” a single off his 2023 album “Le Clique: Vida Rockstar (X).” A crowd favorite, the singer-songwriter used the energy to seamlessly transition into “Tarot” and “Mami Chula.” By this time, the crowd was dancing and singing along to all of his songs.
Born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, Jhayco, formerly known as Jhay Cortez, started selling tracks to his peers back when he was 16. He knew he wanted to be a rock star long before then. At 11 years old, he remembers getting a start in making his own music, he told the Sun-Times in 2022.
Now, at 32, he’s one of the most popular Latino music artists in the world. The first time he met up with the Sun-Times at Sueños, he said he was happy to celebrate the culture and represent all Latinos.
Music is his passion, and one of his greatest influences of all time, Don Omar, headlines tonight. Another one of his first concerts he ever attended was Wisin Y Yandel. One half of the duo, Wisin, performs on Sunday night’s bill, too.
“Dakiti,” another one of Jhayco’s most popular songs, was a highlight of the night, which found the singer wrapped by a Puerto Rican flag. He performed “Medusa,” accompanied heavily by his band, whose guitarist offered up an outstanding rock vibe.
Jhayco hurried off the stage before returning to play one more song. He chose “No Me Conoce,” off his 2019 album “Famouz” to close the show.
There’s something very exciting about reggaeton and Latin trap — genres that have become super mainstream in recent years — being played in downtown Chicago, and being the focus of a festival. Jhayco embodies the culture and genre with everything he has. — Ambar Colón