We Make Noise at Lollapalooza Chile: A Look at the Future of Music and Tech at Lolla Love

Lollapalooza Chile has long been a destination for the world's biggest music acts, but in recent years, the festival has also become a showcase for innovation that extends beyond the main stages. This year, We Make Noise’s Santiago chapter returned to Lolla Love, the festival's space dedicated to sustainability, community and progressive initiatives. 

It serves as a cultural hub, promoting environmental awareness, social inclusion, and artistic expression. We Make Noise’s presence at Lolla Love adhered to their mission to foster gender equity in the music industry, and provided festivalgoers an interactive zone that was a combination of a music lab and educational workshop.

WMN Santiago chapter leader Pía Muoz gave us insight into the experience at Lolla Love. 

“WMN’s global mission seeks to build community,” said Muñoz. “Lolla Love, under the motto “diversity unites us,” offers the industry’s largest showcase in Chile. This ensures that the message of equity doesn’t remain confined to niche audiences but reaches the general public.”

Muñoz also described how the gender gap narrows with knowledge. By using the festival as a recording set for podcasts, WMN Santiago transforms the event experience into an educational resource for attendees. These podcast interviews with musicians document the technical and strategic knowledge of the women and gender-expansive individuals working at the festival, and become references for people new to the industry who are looking for guidance. 

The podcasts also have a lot to offer the artists who are interviewing: positive publicity about their reflection into their craft and portfolio content that they can use to advance their careers on an international level. The digital coverage connects these emerging artists with an audience interested in equity and technology, moving them beyond the “niche scene” and positioning them as central figures of change in the industry.

When asked about the current state of gender equality in Chile’s music industry, Muñoz said that it was a “bittersweet reality.” Although the Lolla Love stage is a milestone in terms of visibility, featuring emerging artists such as Q ARE, Lulú Jam, 22 Ruzz, and MC Millaray, data tells us that structural change remains necessary. 

Regionally, only one in five artists on the main stages are women or bands led by women. At Lollapalooza 2026, women tend to be concentrated in specific genres or themed stages, while headlining spots remain predominantly male. When it comes to technical, or behind-the-scenes roles, Muñoz says that female representation in leadership and decision-making positions is a mere 9%.

By creating podcasts that document the technical work, WMN is bringing more visibility to the disparity and proving that sound engineering and production are legitimate spaces for women and gender-expansive people.

Promoting activism at a festival does not come without obstacles, however. When the mission and message of WMN clashes with the logic of the major production companies, it can get tricky. 

“When the industry does not financially support these commercial proposals, the task of narrowing the gender gap ends up falling on the volunteer or precarious labor of the collectives themselves, which is a form of passive resistance on the part of the system,” said Muñoz. “If we had to choose one fundamental change for festivals, based on the challenges facing WMN and the reality of the industry in 2026, that change would be ensuring the economic and technical dignity of the national ecosystem through a ‘minimum standard.’ The most urgent change is to eliminate the idea that massive festivals are ‘showcases’ that justify low or no pay for local talent.”

WMN Santiago continues their work to narrow the gender gap in Chile’s music industry, working with different women and gender-expansive artists, hosting podcasts, and putting together community events, with a continued commitment to the overall mission of promoting gender equity through technology and music.

Written by Kendall Makuta

Written by Kendall Makuta