At Mexico’s Hera music festival, women were both at the forefront and behind the scenes

Mexico City's Hera HSBC music festival Saturday brought together an all-female lineup of both Latina and international talent, including Kesha, Demi Lovato and Camila Cabello.

Named after the Greek goddess of women, family and the sky and stars, the festival came at a historic moment in the country, as Mexico prepares to inaugurate its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum.

Fronted and organized by women, the festival drew more than 48,000 people to the capital's race track, home to other music festivals like Corona Capital and EDC Mexico.

At Hera, women were not only performing on stage but working behind the scenes as producers, engineers and more. It’s something Itzel González, festival promoter, and Ximena Sariñana, Mexican singer-songwriter, co-creator and director of the Hera committee wanted to highlight with the event.

“Thank you truly to all of you for coming and being part of this unique and historic moment here in Mexico City,” Sariñana told an audience during her performance.

Regarding the all-female lineup, 28-year-old Ivan Huerta who attended the festival with his friends said, “I love it, in fact I feel more comfortable that it’s all women as part of the LGBT community.”

“For me, it’s amazing that there is a festival for them and for everyone,” he added.

Despite progress, gender inequality persists in the music industry. According to a study by the University of Southern California, 164 artists appeared on the Hot 100 Billboard Year-End Chart in 2023. Of these, 64.6% were men, 34.8% were women, and 0.6% were gender non-binary.

In the U.S., less than 25% of musicians on stage at major U.S. music festivals are women, according to data collected by the nonprofit organization “Book More Women.”

At a club-ready stage, festival-goers waited with anticipation for Puerto Rican and trans rapper Villano Antillano.

Dressed out in leather, Antillano kicked off her performance with the iconic lyrics of “Super Hoe” from her new album “Miss Misogyny,” a body of work that celebrates female rappers. Other songs like “CamGirl . !!!” and “¡Hello Kitty!” had her dancing in sync with her DJ and MC.

For the rapper, performing in Mexico was a special moment.

“Villano, sister, you’re already Mexican!” fans shouted. Villano Antillano smiled and said to the crowd, “When one (woman) rises, we all rise.” The rapper said she especially loved the country “because of my Mexican transgender sisters, that’s my deep bond with Mexico.”

Although rain started to drench the festival in the late afternoon, it didn’t stop fans from rushing the stage to see the highly anticipated pop star Kesha.

Following her legal battle with producer Dr. Luke for over a decade, the 37-year-old singer has returned with a newfound confidence this year. That same decade coincides with Kesha’s first visit to Mexico.

“I was so scared that people were going to judge me,” she said. “Since then, everyone has judged me for every (expletive) thing I’ve ever done."

“Thank you for being by my side during the hardest years of my life,” she said to the audience, before performing her new track “JOYRIDE,” her first independent single after breaking away from Dr. Luke’s label.

The pop song resonated with fans as she uncorked a bottle of champagne and sprayed booze all over the audience.

The festival also included Mexican singer Danna Paola and Colombian group Bomba Estéreo.