Ranking the Best Performances at Vibra Urbana 2024 in Miami

The year 2024 could have been Vibra Urbana’s biggest year yet. But with late arrivals from artists and torrential downpours delaying its second-day opening by more than three hours, the largest reggaeton festival in the U.S. had a rocky journey until the very end.

Nevertheless, some performers stood out, and others were tested by the last-minute updates and set time changes. Check out who lived up to the hype and who could have used a little more oxygen in their performances.

1. Young Miko

Interestingly, Young Miko rose above every expectation for each performer on Vibra Urbana’s lineup this year. Coming off of chart-topping collaborations with Bad Bunny and Vibra Urbana’s special guest Bizarrap, it’s safe to say there was a looming anticipation for festivalgoers to see Baby Miko pull it off — and she did just that.

Dawning a mesh camo top, baggy jeans, and her signature platinum blonde hair, Miko effortlessly weaved between her hits like “Wiggy” and her popular features on songs including “Chulo pt.2.” She had the lucky twist of fate of performing on the Saturday lineup, which means she didn’t have to play through buckets of water falling from overhead or have to adjust her set time. Her gender-fluid swagger had girls crying and screaming out for the Puerto Rican rapper, whose climb to fame has been nothing short of extraordinary. Her professional yet dedicated and perreo-charged performance puts Young Miko at the very top of the best performances taking place at this year’s Vibra.

2. Bizarrap

In what was his first U.S. show, Bizarrap made it clear that he’s no rookie in the DJ booth. One could have sworn they had signed up for a set at Ultra by the way Bizarrap was remixing songs, both his own and others, into Skrillex and Diplo-level beats and rhythms. Though hundreds of audience members stood in their drenched ponchos and hoodies in the cold, pouring rain on Sunday, it seemed nothing mattered through the most hyped-up guest’s entire set.

The dynamics of the light show and graphics behind Bizarrap were also a feat, at times making the whole stage go dark and only spotlighting the Argentine producer or amplifying a rave doll made of stone mouthing along to the words of the tracks being played. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Bizarrap set without him playing his notable music sessions with artists from Shakira to Eladio Carrión, and even Nicki Nicole stepped out to jump along with Biza as he played their collab.

He gave Miami all the love in the world toward the end of his set, asking everyone to proudly show their native country’s flags from Colombia to Cuba and taking a big photo like one large, happy extended family. While he may certainly be the hottest name in Latin music, his effortless attention to detail and high-energy presence make him only seconds away from being the hottest name in EDM, so it wouldn’t be a surprise before he gets a coveted spot at festivals like EDC and Ultra in the years to come.

3. Rauw Alejandro

Call him Latin music’s Chris Brown or Michael Jackson. Alejandro has been a staple of the reggaeton festival since its inception in 2020, and he certainly lived up to his hype this year. However, it seemed as though Alejandro might be outgrowing the Vibra stage.

He delved into the hits that have defined his career, such as “Desesperados” and “Lokera.” He was also sure to address that this past Wednesday was Valentine’s Day, to which he said, “I don’t really care about no Valentine’s Day,” in Spanish to the crowd before later diving into his features on tracks like “Airplane Tickets” with Swae Lee and Pharrell Williams and “No Hay Ley Parte 2” with Kali Uchis. The comment comes months after the Puerto Rican artist’s end of the engagement to Spanish singer and Latin Grammy-winning artist Rosalía.

Regardless of the speculations surrounding his romantic life, the Latin heartthrob very much held his own as a force to be reckoned with on Sunday night’s stage. However, because the 31-year-old has gotten to be such a powerhouse in the industry, the performance this past weekend certainly felt more like Alejandro was able to quickly pass by and sing a few of his best hits rather than give an all-out breathtaking experience of what he typically offers during his sold-out arena tours. Whether that’s the general compromise that comes with being a massive headliner at a festival or a testament to Alejandro outgrowing the Vibra appearances, it’s clear that Alejandro is more than happy to show his loyalty to the Vibra familia and is keen on never letting his fans down. He was also sure to address the downpouring of rain that festivalgoers waited in to see him as Sunday’s final act, appropriately choosing to sing “Diluvio” as the rain and cold tropic winds continued to define the rest of the evening.

4. Anuel AA

Saturday’s headliner, Anuel AA, has long been loyal to the reggaeton party since its inception. However, his arrival almost two hours after his original set time due to a travel delay left the crowd frustrated with the singer before he stepped out on stage around 11:15 p.m.

Regardless of his tardiness, he delighted the crowd with some of his biggest hits Saturday night in a white-to-blue ombre ensemble, with tracks from “Amanece” and “Mas Rica Que Ayer.” He was also sure to bring his fair share of guests on stage, including perhaps the biggest surprise guest of the festival weekend, Ozuna. This addition alone allowed Anuel to seriously open up his set to a variety of songs the two artists have collaborated on, including “Pa’ Ti Estoy,” “Adicto,” and “Bebe.” It became clear during Saturday evening that Anuel’s presence was much appreciated as brought on some notable guests to guide the audience through his reggaeton classics. However, Instagram comments from some of Vibra Urbana’s recent posts suggest that some people aren’t convinced that the performance was enough to keep Anuel as a headliner for future years.

5. Arcángel

Arcángel was one of the most anticipated guests this past Sunday, especially being known as one of the pillars of reggaeton’s founding. He sang those exact 2000s songs that first catapulted him to fame, including “Pa’ Que La Pases Bien” and “Hace Mucho Tiempo.” Arcángel’s set was the first full set of Sunday evening after the festival’s delayed opening, though it was not a performance near what Miami audiences saw during his Just in Time tour last October. The Champagne flute he sipped throughout his previous performance in the Kaseya Center was substituted for a red Solo cup this weekend, and the comedic audience engagement and high energy the Dominican-American rapper previously displayed was missing from his Sunday performance.

For those unfamiliar with Arcángel as a performer beyond the festival stage, they missed an opportunity to get to know another facet of the artist’s talents, but he nevertheless left viewers more than satisfied when diving into hits like his recent music session with Bizarrap and “Tu No Vive Asi” before finally closing on “La Jumpa.”

6. Nicki Nicole

Nicki Nicole made the most of difficult circumstances this Sunday, having to be the first to go after several delays. The rainstorm pushed Vibra Urbana to release an announcement about three hours after the festival was slated to start, giving attendees only a few minutes to return to the Miami-Dade County fairgrounds, find parking, go through security, and make it to the stage. However, in terms of the quality of the performance, the Argentine singer gave her all when performing her newest hits, including her chart-topping “8 AM” with Young Miko. Her blue motorcycle-esque number gave the feeling that she treats her art like a skilled sport, putting as much passion and energy as possible in her performance. It will be interesting to see how Nicole performs in future years, especially with a full audience, though she surely charmed those who were quick enough to be in attendance.

7. Ivy Queen

The mother of reggaeton was no doubt robbed of an opportunity to give a complete set to eager festivalgoers because of Sunday’s never-ending rain. Ivy Queen was the second act to start Sunday, starting at 7:30 p.m. instead of her originally scheduled time of 5:30. She sang for a couple of songs in a flirty black leather blazer and skirt set with a Playboy bunny hat to coordinate until the show paused. She finally finished with her great reggaeton classic “Quiero Bailar” before holding up a heart to the audience and quickly walking away to end the set. In total, she sang about three songs during the whole set, looking frustrated as she tossed her microphone to the team behind her when leaving the stage.

Her latest Instagram post highlighting her appearance at Vibra Urbana received a comment from one of the concert attendees asking why exactly she left. Ivy replied in Spanish, saying, “I didn’t leave. They cut my sound.”

While it was a challenging year for everyone from staff to talent to audience members, it’s clear that the artists tried with as much love and effort as possible to give a good show to those who paid good money to see them rain or shine. However, it makes an interesting case for how real talent can perform under pressure in the Latin music industry. Though some may have differing opinions about whether this year’s Vibra was worth the price tag and the constant delays, there were some gems of performances to make up for all of the setbacks.