Nicky Jam's Carnival Concert Will Fund Conservation of 300,000 Square Meters of Cajas Paramo

Cuenca's Carnival 2026 headliner isn't just a concert -- it's a conservation project with a reggaeton soundtrack.

The Concert

Nicky Jam takes the stage on Saturday, February 14 at the Estadio Alejandro Serrano Aguilar, with Trebol Clan opening. It's the marquee event of the entire Carnival season, and the municipality is expecting a packed stadium.

Tickets are available at FARMASOL locations across the city.

The Conservation Angle

Here's what makes this different from a typical stadium show: 100% of ticket proceeds will go directly toward purchasing and conserving 250,000 to 300,000 square meters of paramo in Cajas National Park.

That's not a marketing gimmick. The municipality has committed the full revenue from ticket sales to land acquisition in the high-altitude wetlands that surround the park -- the same ecosystem that supplies Cuenca's drinking water.

Why Paramo Matters

If you've hiked in Cajas, you've walked through paramo -- the spongy, treeless highland grasslands above 3,500 meters that look like another planet. What you might not realize is that this ecosystem is one of the most efficient natural water storage systems on Earth.

Paramo works like a giant sponge:

• It absorbs rainfall during wet periods and releases it slowly during dry months
• It filters water naturally, which is why Cuenca's tap water is among the cleanest in Latin America
• It feeds the four rivers (Tomebamba, Yanuncay, Tarqui, Machangara) that supply the city

When paramo is destroyed -- by burning, farming, or development -- that water storage capacity disappears. It cannot be artificially replaced.

The 2024 Drought Connection

Anyone who was in Cuenca during the 2024 drought remembers the rolling blackouts that lasted months. The root cause was insufficient water flow to the Paute hydroelectric complex, which depends on the same paramo watersheds.

Protecting more paramo isn't just an environmental feel-good story. It's infrastructure investment -- the kind that keeps your lights on and your tap running.

How to Get Tickets

Tickets are sold exclusively at FARMASOL pharmacy locations throughout Cuenca. Pricing tiers were not announced at press time, but the municipality has indicated a range of options to make the event accessible.

If you're not a Nicky Jam fan, consider buying a ticket anyway. You'll be funding the protection of Cuenca's most critical natural resource -- and you might discover you like reggaeton more than you thought.

Sources: El Universo, Teleamazonas, Radio Pichincha