Boombox Cartel to headline 1st Fiesta Friday since '19

DJ Boombox Cartel — a Los Angeles entertainer known for his singles “B2U” and “Supernatural,” and 2017 EP “Cartel” — will headline the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach's first Fiesta Friday since the coronavirus pandemic, the event organizers announced Monday.

The last Fiesta Friday was in 2019. The Grand Prix was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic. The three-day event returned to downtown Long Beach in 2021 and 2022, but the Fiesta Friday concert did not because the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach struggled with the logistics during those years, said association spokesperson Chris Esslinger.

Though the Grand Prix typically takes place in April — this year's is set for April 14-16 — the 2021 race was moved to September amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19. The 2022 race returned to its usual spring slot — but that gave organizers just six months to plan the entire event. The Grand Prix Association also had difficulty finding a Fiesta Friday sponsor for the event both years, Esslinger said in a Monday interview.

“(Because) of all of those things combined,” Esslinger said, “we just weren't able to have one the last two years.”

But now, with the Grand Prix's schedule back on track, Fiesta Friday is making its return.

The evening event, scheduled to take place at 6:30 p.m. April 14, will close out the first day of the race. The show will be held in the plaza of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, part of the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.

Boombox Cartel, aka Americo Garcia, rose to fame in 2015 and put out his first EP, “Cartel,” two years later, the association's announcement said. The artist embarked on a U.S. tour in 2019 and has since been featured in Billboard magazine, Noisey, Complex and DJ Mag.

“Blurring the lines between electronic and hip-hop with Latin influences,” the announcement said, “internationally recognized Mexican American producer act Boombox Cartel has

risen the ranks as an unparalleled force in the world of dance music.”

Fiesta Friday has historically featured Latin artists.

Jim Michaelian, the president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, has said previously that it's among the organization's

efforts to attract a younger, more diverse audience of racing fans. Other musical acts that have headlined the Friday show include El Tri, Fobia, Belanova, Maltina Vecindad and Ozomatli.

“I've always been super passionate about cars and race cars — it's been a part of my life since I was a kid, going to rally races in Mexico and being a mechanic growing up,” Boombox Cartel said

in the announcement. “It's so special that two of my favorite things will be coming together for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach — music and racing.”

Tickets for the event are

available on the Grand Prix website.

Friday general admission tickets start at $38 and include access to Friday Fiesta, the Grand Prix's Lifestyle Expo and all racing events that day.