At the Medellín Flower Fair, over 10 days, 2,100,000 people enjoyed more than 100 events with free admission, in which some 3,200 artists performed. Nearly 40,000 people attended the opening concert in the Obelisco sector. The fair culminated with the Silleteros Parade, with more than 1,300,000 participants, including residents and tourists.
More than 83,000 people attended the bullfighting arenas of San Antonio de Prado, Altavista, San Sebastián de Palmitas, Santa Elena, Aranjuez, the Livestock Fair, Belén, La Floresta and La Milagrosa.
During the five nights of the Cultural Night Park, in Plaza Gardel at the Olaya Herrera airport, 34,700 people enjoyed 29 artists and their groups. Meanwhile, the Plaza de Flores in Parque Norte, Parques del Río, Juan Pablo II airport, Miraflores and Ciudad del Río hosted 103,250 people.
The National Trova Festival of Medellín City celebrated its 20th anniversary and in its two days (semi-final and final) brought together 26,000 lovers of improvisation and Antioquian culture.
50,000 people and 15,000 pets attended the Dog Walk, 30,000 people attended Chivas and Flores, and another 80,000 attended the Classic and Antique Car Parade.
Among the new features was the parade of floats and comparsas ‘Avenida Primavera: streets, rhythms and flowers’, a tribute to the musical genres that have left a legacy to Medellín such as tropical, salsa, vallenato, popular and urban, with an audience of more than 200,000 people along the route.
Artists’ Street, Bike Rhythm Fair, Sound Zone, Culture Park, Sanalejo Market and Street Museum, among others, brought together more than 20,000 people.
“I want to thank all citizens for their good behavior. This was a Flower Fair that was once again for the people, in which we put the flower sellers back on the highest pedestal, which is what we wanted. This was a fair that returned to the streets, to the neighborhoods, that recovered the essence; our thing returned. In terms of economic benefits and people’s participation, the balance is very positive, as well as in terms of security.”, said Mayor Federico Gutierrez Zuluaga.
The city received 291,110 visitors, as follows: through the immigration point at José María Córdova Airport, the report was 51,558 passengers, of which 21,605 were domestic and 29,953 international. That is, an increase of 6.2% compared to the previous year. Another 239,552 arrived through the two land transport terminals.
According to the preliminary report from Cotelco Antioquia, 10,359 national tourists stayed there and, according to surveys conducted by the Medellín Tourism Intelligence System (SIT), 37.6% reported having stayed in tourist accommodation.
Based on the average spending data from surveys, the average length of stay and the number of visitors who attended the event, tourist spending is estimated at around 42.1 million dollars and a preliminary hotel occupancy of 77.6%.
During the fair days, the Department of Mobility provided 440 traffic agents to cover 86 events with road closures or accompaniment. 268 scheduled interventions were carried out, 33 of them with the participation of other District departments, and five drunkenness operations. 2,775 fines were imposed and 833 vehicles were immobilized.
One of the most positive figures was the 70% reduction in the number of homicides, with 11 fewer cases compared to the 2023 fair, when there were 14.
As for thefts, during these 10 days there were 575 fewer cases than in the same period last year, which translates into a reduction of 74%.
With more than 1,600 men and women in service, including operational, administrative, supervisory and volunteer staff, Emvarias Grupo EPM was present before, during and after more than 40 events. 75 tons of ordinary waste were collected and, to promote a sustainable fair, 15 tons of recyclable material were collected, including cans, plastic bottles, cardboard, paper and glass, which generated 20% recycling of the total solid waste recorded.