Tim Hollins and Pete Godfrey preview the 2026 El Sueño Existe festival.
During an inspiring weekend, 14th,15th and 16th August, West Wales will reverberate to the unlikely sounds of Latin American music with a distinctly political twist as the El Sueño Existe festival – ‘The Dream Lives on’ – is celebrated among the green hillsides of Machynlleth.
The festival, inspired by the music and political vision of legendary Chilean singer-songwriter Victor Jara, has become something of a fixture in the calendar of folk music and progressive ideas. There will be the customary colourful array of Latin American dancers, poets, musicians, bands and theatre performers, and a wide-ranging series of political and cultural workshops.
Jeremy Corbyn at El Sueño Existe 2022
Each edition of the festival focuses on specific issues, and this year’s themes are Venezuela and young people expressing their hopes and fears. Expect sessions on the latest developments in a fast-moving and complex situation, together with insights into how the legacy of Chavez and indeed Maduro have brought about significant changes to people’s lives while always being the target for sanctions and more recently direct intervention.
El Salvadorean asylum seekers getting a great festival experience 2022
El Sueño Existe attracts a vibrant mix of Chileans who found a haven in Britain in the 1970s, veterans of solidarity campaigns here, and the younger generations who have inherited the wealth of both Latin American and British and Welsh cultural traditions. The touchstone is Victor Jara himself, a Communist and passionate supporter of Allende’s 1970 – ’73 government, who was among the thousands of Pinochet’s victims, tortured and savagely murdered at the age of 39 – for being a voice of the people. Unlike his tormentors, his legacy has become recognised as being artistically unique – an eloquent testimony of the flagrant injustices in Chilean society, and a call to arms to remedy them.
As with every festival, there will be a strong Chilean input, as Chile returns to a right wing, pro-Pinochet presidency, but with news from the EcoMemoria project, planting trees to create a new woodland as a memorial to those who were disappeared during the dictatorship and have no grave. There will also be a focus on Cuba in the 100th anniversary of Fidel Castro’s birth, examining the legacy of José Martí and Fidel and the current crisis of the ever-tightening blockade.
Visitors to the festival can expect the unexpected, whether it is a lyrical poetry performance from Latin American women’s writers’ group ‘Las Juanas’, a Liberation Theology participatory mass, a full-on dance concert to show off those salsa moves, or some fine examples of Venezuelan film-making, together with food stalls, camping, etc. – we aim to nourish the soul as well as the body! A number of town venues will be used for workshops and smaller concerts, all within a ten minute stroll of the main site, Y Plas Arts centre at SY20 8ER. All venues are wheelchair accessible.
Perhaps the last word should go to one of the Chileans, Idulia, exiled here since 1975, who has attended several El Sueño Existe festivals: “The festival is the one place in Britain where I really feel I belong.” It’s Jeremy Corbyn’s favourite festival, so if you only have spare cash for one festival this summer, make sure it is this one! Train access is direct via Birmingham and Shrewsbury. Machynlleth station is only a ten minute walk from the festival site.
Weekend tickets – on sale from April 2026 are £80/£100/£130 (solidarity price) + camping, campervans + programme updates, information on volunteering (8 hrs volunteering for a free weekend ticket) local accommodation info, etc., all via the festival website:
www.elsuenoexiste.com Contact: elsuenoexiste19@gmail.com.
Tim Hollins and Pete Godfrey are part of the festival organising team. All photos c/o the organisers.
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