Despite the fact that it was only founded in March 2023, LATINEO has garnered a bit of a reputation as one of Europe’s wildest parties. After expanding from its Barcelona home with editions in London and Berlin, this summer’s celebration saw the founders host their first ever beach party, heading to the sun drenched Playa Castelldefels on the north east coast of Spain. “We love being able to document the people coming to the party,” says Colomba Molina, M8NSE, and Felipe Montalba, “what they wear, what they like, their feelings and experiences. It’s very important, so the people around us make sure this community exists and is thriving.”
A Pride event specifically catered to the city’s FLINTA community, ravers showed up to this edition of LATINEO expectedly beach ready. Itty bitty black bikinis came with denim Daisy Dukes below, while swimsuits appeared in snakeskin, leopard and bandana print variations. Speedos and thongs were cut high and poked from the top of sarongs, while an assortment of oversize shades and gas station sunnies came firmly wrapped around faces. Elsewhere, items that you might not consider beach appropriate, like denim skirts and leather biker boots, also found their way into the party, proving you can take the kids out the club, but you can’t – well, you get the picture. At LATINEO, the beach club and gay club collided, and it was the fashion that best chronicled that event.
Across the day and into the night, the event’s fashion took centre stage, referred to as “queer, hot, sizzling, and full of skin,” all the things you might expect from a beach rave on the Spanish coast. But, despite its European location, LATINEO founders are happy to clear up that this is a South American event spearheaded by those from the South American diaspora. “We are from Latin America, we grew up listening to reggaeton, salsa, merengue, cumbia,” they say. “This shared nostalgia unites us with many friends who emigrated from different countries.” This ethos was reflected in the diverse line up too, as artists like Puxo from Chile, Cot Cardillo from Argentina, and AMANTRA from Venezuela stormed through everything from high BPM, Latin-infused techno, to raw old-school reggaeton, dembow, and funk. “We are in a moment in the club scene where, finally, artists from the Southern Cone are increasingly valued,” add LATINEO. “Since Barcelona is already home to a large migrant community, it made sense to create a space for exploration of ourselves, our friends, and the artists we admire.”
