One of Colombia’s most celebrated music collectives are heading to the Wirral this month.
Systema Solar, known for turning stages into explosive carnival-like celebrations, will land in Birkenhead for a rare UK performance at Future Yard, armed with their highly anticipated new album Futuro Primitivo.
Systema Solar is not your average band, they’re an artistic force. Formed in 2006 during an art biennial in Medellín, the collective was born from a collision of music, visual art, and social commentary. Since then, they’ve carved out an unmistakable identity rooted in Colombian street party culture (pikós, verbenas) merged with hip-hop, house, techno, champeta, bullerengue and cumbia. It’s dance music with deep roots and even deeper intent.
Their live shows are the stuff of legend. Expect a kaleidoscope of colour, handmade visuals, choreographed chaos, and a sonic journey that defies genre and gravity. Their audiovisual style, dubbed Berbenautika, is a high-energy fusion of culture, satire, joy, and resistance, a sound system built for celebration and provocation.
Over nearly two decades, Systema Solar have become an international festival favourite, with show-stealing sets at Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, Roskilde, and Colombia’s Estéreo Picnic. Their discography, from their eponymous 2009 debut to the critically acclaimed Rumbo a Tierra, is a roadmap of Colombia’s modern musical identity. Rolling Stone ranked their 2016 reissue among the top three Latin albums of the year, praising their ability to “command bystanders to get rowdy on the dance floor” while championing the stories of immigrants and people of colour.
But this is a party with purpose. Songs like Rumbera, featured on the FIFA 17 soundtrack, subvert traditional gender roles and celebrate diversity, with music videos that elevate cis, trans, young, old, Afro-Colombian, and Indigenous women. Their work is often tied to social campaigns, like #DaleLaVueltaMama, encouraging a reimagining of how women are seen and breaking down heteronormative gender stereotypes.
Their Birkenhead show is one of just three UK dates on this tour, making it an unmissable opportunity to witness a band at the peak of their creative powers. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the band or Latin alternative music, a lover of live energy, or simply curious to experience something radically fresh, Systema Solar will shake your soul and move your body.
SYSTEMA SOLAR
Thursday, 19th June 2025
Future Yard | Birkenhead
