The National Mate Festival will take place again on February 6 and 7 in the city of Paranawith a grid of artists of national scope and free general access, although some preferential and paid tickets help pay for the show. In this context, the presentation of Laliwhich quickly established itself as the most anticipated show of the 2026 edition, generated suspicions on networks but also in local politics.
The expectation was reflected in the sale of preferential tickets, a paid sector located in front of the stage, which sold out in a few minutes for the night in which the singer will perform. The high demand even caused delays and traffic spikes on the online sales platform, according to reports from the organization.
A second batch was put on sale and around 8,000 tickets would be sold at an approximate value of 65 thousand pesos. Which would generate a net collection of more than 300 thousand dollars, which would cover the singer’s cache. But all this is part of speculation, since the mayor has not made transparent the expenses or income, nor the contribution of some sponsors that would allow greater profitability of the festival.
For this reason, some councilors began to demand official information about the costs of the event, in parallel to complaints from neighbors about the drought affecting the region and the lack of responses in that regard. Maximilian Paulincouncilor of Juntos in the provincial capital governed by Rosario Romero, of Peronism, stated: “My proposal is very clear and is in line with something basic in public management: transparency. The National Mate Festival is an important event for the city and, without a doubt, it can have a tourist and cultural impact. Now, that does not mean that the residents of Paraná have the right to know how much public money was allocated, how that expense was composed and under what criteria that decision was made.”.
In that sense, the councilor stressed that the debate does not aim to question the festival, but rather to demand clear information. “When one manages State resources, it is not enough to say that something ‘spreads tourism’: you have to show the numbers, especially in a context where there are neighborhoods with serious problems with basic services, such as access to drinking water. Reporting the cost is not questioning the event itself, it is respecting taxpayers and strengthening confidence in public decisions.”he stated.
The festival includes other artists such as The Nighterswhich confirmed the strong interest of the public for both nights of the event. From the municipality they highlighted that the demand exceeded initial expectations and stressed that the exhaustion occurred exclusively in the preferential sector, since general access to the property will continue to be free, as traditionally occurs in the National Mate Festival. More than 90 thousand people are expected, also coming from nearby cities such as Santa Fe and Rosary.
In addition to Lali and Los Nocheros, the programming includes artists from different genres and trajectories, with proposals that combine popular music, folklore and pop, along with the participation of emerging musicians from the Premate contest. The festival is completed with fairs, gastronomic proposals and cultural activities linked to local identity and the infusion that gives it its name.
Given the impact of the rapid exhaustion, the organization reported that it is evaluating enabling new sales instances or expanding the capacity of the preferential sector, with the aim of responding to those who were not able to access tickets in the first stage.
With a call that already generates impact before its start, the National Mate Festival is once again emerging as one of the most massive events of the summer in the region, with the presence of Lali as one of its main attractions and a strong tourist movement planned for those days.
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