FIA 2015

Casa Presidencial announced yesterday that President Luis Guillermo Solís has requested a special investigation into this year’s FIA (which has been playfully nicknamed “FIAsco” by observers).

As the troubled 2015 edition of the International Arts Festival limps to a close, the show of popular national band Sonámbulo Psicotropical promised to be a bright spot in a fortnight filled with disorganization and controversy. However, it turned out to be just another casualty on a long list of cancellations.

Culture Minister Elizabeth Fonseca told La Nación that 3,400 tickets to the rescheduled show would be distributed free among the residents of Aserrí, Desamparados and Acosta — the three communities where the 2015 International Arts Festival's main events were supposed to take place. Another 1,800 will be put up for sale, the daily reported.

This year's International Arts Festival has been plenty entertaining so far — just not in the way the Costa Rican government intended. Instead of people mapping out a schedule to squeeze in as much music and culture as possible, they're gossiping indignantly about how the festival's organizers could have possibly messed it up quite this badly.

If you hadn’t heard the drama, you would think everything had gone exactly as planned.

Before you head to the International Arts Festival (FIA), be advised: Most of the events scheduled for Alajuelita and San Ignacio de Acosta have been cancelled.