Mala Luna Rises Again
Bigger Mala Luna Festival scores with San Antonio music fans
The second edition of Mala Luna Festival was bigger than — and just as successful as — the first.
Hip-hop and EDM fans from around San Antonio and Texas gathered to enjoy the latest in urban beats at Wolff Stadium on October 28 and 29.
While the first Mala Luna had only one stage, this year's expanded two-stage setup enabled festivalgoers to shift back and forth between acts, keeping them busy with nearly nonstop music from early afternoon into the evening.
Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, and Carnage headlined a wild Saturday night, while Future, Migos, and DJ Afrojack topped off the festival on Sunday. Once again, Mala Luna had its share of local and Texas acts, such as Intre, Bamsworth Belli, Lil Yodaa, Rayne, and Isabella Rodriguez.
The only issue music-wise was Smokepurpp, whose delayed flight prevented him from making his early Saturday set. But not all was lost, as Houston’s Slim Thug filled in nicely. Smokepurpp, who apologized via Twitter, plans to make it up with a free show in San Antonio soon.
Music was not the only thing keeping fans entertained at Mala Luna. There was a wider variety of food booths — most manned by local food truck operators — as well as an arcade; hookah lounge; basketball court; and area where fans could enjoy massages, shaves, haircuts, or a free hairstyle. Visual/street artists, including Soup and Paul Garson, were also part of the vibrant scene.
According to organizers, about 50,000 people attended Mala Luna this year — a huge increase from the 30,000 that attended the debut event. Mala Luna organizers said they look forward to an even bigger festival in 2018.
The festival appears to be a bona fide hit for promoter ScoreMore Shows, proving San Antonio is indeed well-situated for such large-scale music events.