The Fortuna District's community marching, from Alajuela Province represented the Costa Rican culture at London’s New Year’s Day Parade (LNYDP) on Wednesday, in the streets of London’s West End.

The ensemble was the only one from Latin America participating in the London and performed folk songs, including "Soy Tico" (I Am a Tico), "Mi Linda Costa Rica" (My Beautiful Costa Rica), and "Costa Rica Tierra Bendita" (Costa Rica, a Blessed Land), among others, delighting the British audience.


The parade is London’s largest street celebration, attracting more than one million spectators. Over 250 television networks broadcast the event live, reaching millions of viewers around the world.




The band features 190 musicians and dancers, ranging in age from 8 to 35. It was founded in 2010 by its current director, Erick Quesada, with support from the La Fortuna Community Development Association.


According to Quesada, participating in the parade highlights that the path they have taken in supporting Costa Rican youth and culture has been the right one.


“This experience has been incredible, emotional, and overwhelmingly significant, because we’ve taught our members to pursue their dreams, fight for them, challenge themselves, and believe it’s possible,” he said.

“Coming from such a small country, it’s a huge achievement to bring culture, music, and talent of Costa Rican children and youth to Europe,” he added. "Through this experience and performance, we’ve proven that Costa Rica is a nation of dreamers, a country of people who believe in themselves and work hard to achieve their goals.”

For those who could not see the Ticos' performance live, it can be viewed in a segment of the four-hour video released on the LNYDP YouTube channel, specifically at the 2-hour and 40-minute mark.

On Sunday, the ensemble performed at St John’s Waterloo Church in London as part of its preparations for Wednesday’s parade.

The ensemble announced that its next international performance will be at the New Year’s Day Parade in Rome, Italy, in 2027.


The community band has represented Costa Rica in international competitions and parades, including a standout performance in Indianapolis in 2019, where it ranked among the top participants, according to the Ministry of Culture.  They have also been heard in Guatemala, Panama, and Colombia. 

The bad was designated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a Representative of Costa Rican Cultural Diplomacy. The Costa Rican Tourism Institute also recognized them with the "Essential Costa Rica" brand.

This is the second time a Costa Rican marching band has participated in the London parade. In 2021, the Orotina Community Marching Band from Alajuela Province performed in the same British New Year’s celebration event.

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