For one afternoon, cars will give way to music, theatre, games and creativity on Juan de Salazar Street. Calle Cultura 2026 (Culture Street) returns to Asunción on Saturday, 5 September 2026, from 16:00 to 20:00, transforming part of the San José neighbourhood into an open-air cultural space. Around 5,000 visitors are expected throughout the afternoon, with activities designed for children, young people and adults.
Rather than functioning simply as a festival, Calle Cultura 2026 encourages residents to experience the street differently. Workshops, performances, food and recreational activities turn an everyday urban space into a meeting point for the community.
Culture in the street
Calle Cultura began in 2015 through cooperation between cultural and educational institutions based around Juan de Salazar Street. From the beginning, its purpose extended beyond organising another cultural event in the capital. The initiative sought to reclaim the street as a safe public space where people could meet, play and experience culture together. It also aimed to strengthen Juan de Salazar’s identity as one of Asunción’s cultural areas.
More than a decade later, that original idea remains at the centre of the event. The 2026 celebration marks its 12th edition, continuing a tradition that has gradually established itself within Asunción’s cultural calendar. Five institutions currently organise Calle Cultura: the Instituto Cultural Paraguayo-Alemán – Goethe-Zentrum (ICPA-GZ), Anglo English, Colegio del Sol, El Granel and Stael Ruffinelli de Ortiz English.
Although visitors will find food available during the afternoon, Calle Cultura is primarily intended as a place for exchanging ideas, creating and meeting other people.
Music, theatre and activities for all ages
Two stages will form part of this year’s programme, with performances aimed at different audiences throughout the afternoon.
The musical line-up includes The Littles, Paty Latorre, and Orbitaless. Another stage will offer entertainment particularly suited to children and younger visitors. Away from the stages, approximately 25 stands are expected to participate. Visitors will encounter workshops, games, theatre, food and other activities during the four-hour celebration. Previous editions have followed a similarly varied approach. Over the years, Calle Cultura has incorporated storytelling, children’s games, murals, dance, ceramics, book-related activities, technology, cinema and live performances.
The combination reflects one of the festival’s defining characteristics: there is no single way to participate. Visitors can watch a concert, join an activity, discover an organisation or simply spend time walking through a street without its usual traffic.
Reclaiming the street as a meeting place
The temporary transformation of Juan de Salazar is central to Calle Cultura‘s identity. Instead of placing cultural activities exclusively inside theatres, galleries or classrooms, organisers bring them into a space normally occupied by cars. Neighbours have gradually become part of the celebration as well. Residents bring chairs outside, attend with their families and participate alongside visitors arriving from elsewhere in Asunción.
This interaction reflects the broader purpose behind the event: creating opportunities for people to reconnect with their surroundings and with each other. For a few hours, the street becomes somewhere to stay rather than simply somewhere to pass through. More than a decade after the first Calle Cultura, the concept remains remarkably simple. A familiar Asunción street becomes a place to discover music, create something, meet a neighbour or see the city from a different perspective.
Calle Cultura 2026 takes place on Saturday, 5 September 2026, from 16:00 to 20:00, on Juan de Salazar between Avenida Artigas and San José. Admission is free. In case of rain, the event is expected to move to the following Saturday.
For more information, check out Calle Cultura on Instagram.
