Billboard Latin Music Week Opens At Faena With Grupo Frontera, Kany García & A Focus On Global Growth

Former Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola at Billboard Latin Week in Miami Beach. (Photo by Manny Hernandez)

MIAMI BEACH — Latin music’s next chapter took center stage at Faena on Monday as Billboard Latin Music Week opened its 2026 edition with an agenda connecting star power, creative independence and the business of building a lasting global audience. The gathering runs October 19–22 in Miami Beach.

Grupo Frontera brought one of opening day’s headline conversations to Faena Theater, reflecting on its rapid rise and the connection with listeners driving its success. The discussion offered an artist’s perspective on the larger question running through the conference: how to turn momentum into a sustainable career.

Kany Garcia talks about how hard touring is and her healthy habits on the road. (Photo by Manny Hernandez)

Monday’s program also featured Kany García in a songwriting conversation with Billboard’s Leila Cobo, while Tito Nieves and Luis Figueroa examined salsa’s legacy and future in a session bridging generations. Together, the conversations placed storytelling and musical identity alongside the industry’s appetite for expansion.

The business agenda addressed the machinery behind that growth. Sony Music U.S. Latin president Alex Gallardo and Mottola Media Group founder Tommy Mottola were listed for a global-growth keynote, while Virgin Music Group executives Nat Pastor and Víctor González anchored a discussion on independent music. Other sessions explored digital discovery, fan development and Brazil’s international potential.

Grupo Frontera on early challenges to becoming successful from performing at weddings to filming music video with Bad Bunny. (Photo by Manny Hernandez)

Kidd Voodoo and Quevedo rounded out the afternoon artist program with a conversation on the new urban movement. The evening schedule extended the opening-day activities with a SANTOS BRAVOS conversation and showcase at Faena Theater, alongside an opening-night event at Furia Rooftop Miami.

Taken together, the opening-day agenda framed Latin music’s growth as a challenge extending well beyond chart placement: preserving an artist’s voice while building the partnerships, audiences and infrastructure to reach the world.