Tatiana Duplat: Rock al Parque: 30 Years – The Book That Looks Behind the Stage
One image from Tatiana Duplat’s research stands out more than any official record: cultural managers carrying cash to pay international artists and using long-distance phone lines that barely worked. That’s how Rock al Parque started, before anyone even called it a festival.
On May 2nd, at the FILBo 2026 Cultural Tent in Corferias, Rock al Parque: 30 Years. Bogotá and the Voices of the Backstage was launched. This book officially begins the celebration of three decades of Latin America’s largest free outdoor rock festival. The launch event brought together Chucky García, Bertha Quintero, Edgar Cardona “El Pote,” and María Claudia Parias from Idartes. Duplat, who is a historian, cultural manager, and musician, wrote the book from an insider’s perspective. She understands the festival not just as an observer, but as someone who helps keep it going.
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The book brings together many voices, including technicians, producers, officials, and musicians. One of the most striking stories comes from Rodrigo Mancera of Morfonia, who describes moving from small stages to a huge platform without ever hearing himself in the monitor before stepping out. Stories like this aren’t found in the official records.
Duplat describes the festival as “a meeting of strangers,” where people spend three days setting aside the barriers that usually keep them apart. This isn’t just a metaphor; it’s the main idea. Rock al Parque is a space where Bogotá reflects on itself, not just a place to listen to rock music.
The book is just the beginning. Next, there will be traveling exhibitions across Bogotá’s Public Library Network, a vinyl compilation featuring bands from the festival, mobile stages bringing rock to different neighborhoods, a music journalism forum with the Gabo Foundation in October, and a podcast series produced by Eduardo Arias. The main festival will take place on October 10, 11, and 12 at Parque Simón Bolívar.
