O'Higgins Park (Santiago, Chile)
O'Higgins Park
O'Higgins Park is Santiago, Chile's second largest public park (Santiago's Metropolitan Park is the largest). It is located in the center of the capital, in the Santiago Commune. Measuring some 185 acres (750,000 m²), it is over a fifth the size of Manhattan's Central Park. The park, named after Bernardo O'Higgins (one of Chile's founding fathers), is a popular place for families to visit during weekends and holidays, especially during the national holiday on September 18, when a number of fondas and ramadas —traditional places for dancing, eating and drinking— are open to the public for a few days.
Since 2011, O’Higgins Park has hosted the annual music festival Lollapalooza Chile.
In November 2010, musician and Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell announced that the first overseas version of the rock festival would take place in O’Higgins Park, Santiago. The inaugural Lollapalooza Chile took place on 2–3 April 2011 and drew a crowd of about 100,000, with venues including the park’s Movistar Arena, La Elipse, and La Cupula Theater. Lollapalooza Chile has returned annually since then, most recently on 16–18 March 2018.