Comuna 13 music and the people behind it
Hip-hop in Comuna 13 belongs to a wider culture of community work, education and artistic expression. Music accompanies a visit through a residential area where people also live and work. Listen to the explanations as well as the performance: a dance stop and a conversation with an artist offer different ways to understand the neighbourhood. A photograph captures only a small part of that encounter.
Rap, freestyle and breakdance appear in the local cultural landscape, alongside painted walls and accounts of neighbourhood history. The city describes art, music and remembrance together in Veinte de Julio and Las Independencias. These areas form part of San Javier, rather than the whole of Comuna 13. For the background to what you hear, read our Comuna 13 history guide.
Dance and street culture
Choose the dance-class visit to participate. The guided historical overview sets aside time for freestyle and dance shows, with a refund stated if a show is cancelled.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Street art and dance class
- Dance class
- Outdoor escalators
- Traditional Colombian snack
The guide shares stories behind the murals and introduces local artists.
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Walk with graffiti making
- Local guide
- Snack, homemade ice cream and coffee
- Making graffiti
The dance show depends on availability; paid indoor spaces are not included.
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Walk with historical and cultural context
- Ride on the Medellin Metro
- Metrocable ride
- Typical Colombian food tasting
Time is set aside for freestyle and dance shows; the provider states a refund applies if a show is cancelled.
Check availability →Music, dance and cultural walks
A dance class with artist introductions, a transport-inclusive freestyle visit and a graffiti walk with dance subject to availability offer different ways to take part.
Dance class, freestyle or an open-air performance
The walking visit with a dance class lasts three hours and starts in Veinte de Julio. Its included activities combine a local guide, stories behind murals, introductions to local artists and the outdoor escalators. A traditional Colombian snack and mango ice cream are also included. This format suits visitors who want to participate in dancing as part of the walk. Transport to and from the meeting point is extra, so plan that connection separately.
The four-hour visit from Poblado metro station includes metro, Metrocable and bus transport, a historical and cultural overview, and time for live freestyle and dance shows. Its performance promise carries a specific condition: the offer provides a refund if a show is cancelled. The programme also includes a food tasting, a jewellery and emeralds experience, a viewpoint stop and an accompanied return to the original metro station. Choose it when the combination of transport, context and watching performances fits your day.
The three-hour walk with a graffiti contribution starts in Veinte de Julio and includes a local guide, a snack, homemade ice cream, coffee and water at the beginning. Its outdoor dance performance depends on availability. The creative participation here is making graffiti; visitors seeking dance instruction should choose the format with the included dance class. Our graffiti tour guide explains the art-focused visit separately.
Hip-hop as community and educational work
Local cultural work gives music a place beyond a visitor performance. A neighbourhood hip-hop movement describes its activities as connecting education, community work and an artistic school. That helps explain why paying attention to the people presenting the music matters as much as taking in the sound. A tour can open a conversation, while the work of a cultural organisation extends beyond the time visitors spend there.
Keep the scope of each encounter clear. Introductions to local artists are part of the dance-class walk; that does not turn a particular photographed performer into the artist assigned to every departure. Let the guide introduce the people present and listen to their own descriptions of their work. There is more room for an exchange when visitors avoid treating each person as part of a continuous stage show.
Listening, photographs and voluntary contributions
Ask before photographing residents and give performers room to finish before moving in for a picture. The official cultural visiting advice emphasises listening, asking permission and supporting local businesses. These are useful habits throughout the walk, including stops between performances. Keep residential entrances and the everyday movement of the street in mind when choosing where to stand.
Contributions to artists can be voluntary; the freestyle visit specifically describes artists’ tips that way. Decide what you want to give without inventing a local standard percentage. For the journey, carry little cash and keep valuables discreet. FCDO advice for Medellín calls for greater caution after dark or when alone and recommends prebooked licensed taxis. Use the transport guide to connect your accommodation with the actual meeting point, then choose the cultural format you want.
Questions about your visit
Which visit includes a dance class?
The three-hour walk starting in Veinte de Julio includes a dance class, artist introductions, a local guide, a snack and mango ice cream. Your journey to the meeting point is separate.
How does cancellation affect the freestyle show?
The four-hour cultural visit includes time for freestyle and dance performances, with a refund condition if a show is cancelled. Keep that condition with the offer when comparing formats.
Can I arrive for a public daily show?
Plan around a chosen tour departure if a performance matters to your visit. The graffiti-participation walk makes its open-air dance stop subject to availability; the dance-class walk offers a different activity.