¡Wepa! A Latin and Caribbean Celebration of Cultures

Friday, July 17, 2026

7–10 pm

Two visitors dance together in the atrium of the Museum's Richard Gilder Center.
Alvaro Keding/© AMNH
Viva! Parabéns! Bravo! Órale! Let’s Go!

Dance to beats from DJ Bembona, grab a drink, browse a pop-up marketplace featuring local Latin and Caribbean makers, and enjoy the Museum after hours!  

Global tournaments are just one of the ways culture travels. Games, music, dance, and food have always carried tradition across borders—and nowhere is that more apparent than in New York. As the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Final approaches, the Museum becomes a living kaleidoscope of culture and celebration, highlighting the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Puerto Rico. 

At this event, you’ll:

  • Experience an art installation by Mexican visual artist Betsabeé Romero exploring soccer as a universal language of culture, migration, and community
  • Support local Latin and Caribbean vendors at a pop-up marketplace showcasing their crafts

This program is in collaboration with Latin culture collectives Apt.78 and Que Lo Que NYC.

Anthropologists have long studied play as one of humanity's most powerful forms of cultural exchange. Tonight, we’re living proof.

A portion of this program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.