Before the end of the 1960s, in 1967, the First Varadero Popular Song Festival was organized. The festival opened in December 1967, with a crowd of 100,000. The press of the time described it as “the best of the best, within everyone’s reach.”

On that occasion, a total of 101 artists visited Cuba, and the Festival featured participation from four countries. The Varadero Festival held its first edition in 1967 and has been held three more times since.

At the Varadero Popular Song Festival, at a time of musical inconstancy, a wave of artists from around the world arrive in Cuba: Spanish pop groups: Los Mustang, Los Ángeles, Los Bravos (who had an accident), and Julio Iglesias, who couldn’t make it but expressed his admiration for our people; Eva Pilarova, Karel Goth from Czechoslovakia, Eva Mazicova from the USSR, Massiel from Spain, Silvana di Lorenzo, Rita Pavone, Sergio Endrigo from Italy. Rosalía, Massiel/ Raymon/ Luis Llach/ Luis Gardey (Spain)/ Karel Goth/ Eva Pilarova (Czechoslovakia)/ Jerry Williams (Holland)/Erika Leichter (Austria)/ Lily Castells (Belgium)/ Orquesta Balkantón (Bulgaria)/ Yordanka Jrístova/ Biser Kirof/ (Bulgaria)/ Angel Parra (Chile)/ Catherine Ribeiro (France)/ Francois Degueit (France)/ Jennie Marden (England) Los Dick (Italy)/ Takahiro Kawada (Japan)/Oscar Chávez (Mexico)/ Edita Pieja (USSR).

This Popular Song Festival was revived in 1981 with great splendor under the leadership of Pablo Milanés. In 2008, the Cuban Ministries of Tourism and Culture undertook to open a third chapter, presided over by Juan Formell (2003 National Music Prize winner), under very different economic and social circumstances from previous experiences.

The 2008 Varadero World Music Festival, held from June 11 to 15, proved to be the musical phenomenon of the year. It was dedicated to Africa-Cuba, on the fifth centenary of the arrival of Africans to Cuba.

The great Cuban salsa bands or timberas participated: Van Van, La Aragón, Adalberto Álvarez y su Son. The gathering became a parade of great creators, among them Los Papines, X Alfonso, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, the Septeto Nacional, Polito Ibáñez, Buena Fe, and William Vivanco. Among the foreign musicians present were Puerto Ricans Danny Rivera and Andy Montañez. The Festival this time featured concerts from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., performed in a dozen venues, which welcomed around 3,000 artists spread across 300 groups from five continents.

During these festivals, Varadero has been the main venue for concerts, exhibitions, and dances that showcase the island’s broad musical spectrum and showcase important international figures. Prestigious awards have also been presented, and it provides an ideal meeting place for musical values, regardless of race or national affiliation.