Dancehall: Jamaican star Mr. Vegas says Panama is his next stop after playing two shows in Costa Rica, tracing a musical route tied to the region’s shared Caribbean heritage. He has not announced venues or dates. Panamanian Traditions: La Pintada’s Painted Hat Festival is set for December 4–6. Separately, a feature on bomba’s shared roots in Puerto Rico and Panama makes the case for an annual cultural festival celebrating that heritage.
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Panamanian Sports: Pitcher Ariel Jurado earned MVP honors after winning two straight postseason starts to send the Samsung Lions to South Korea’s Korean Series. Cultural Heritage: A new initiative linking Puerto Rican bomba and Panamanian traditions is making the case for an annual cultural festival. Festival Calendar: La Pintada’s Painted Hat Festival has a new date: Dec. 4–6, 2026. Coffee Culture: World of Coffee is set to return to Panama in 2029, spotlighting the country’s specialty-coffee scene.
Cultural Heritage: A project linking Puerto Rico and Panama through bomba and shared heritage is working toward an annual cultural festival. Traditional Arts: La Pintada’s Painted Hat Festival is set for Dec. 4–6, 2026, showcasing the country’s iconic craft. Coffee Culture: A Geisha coffee from Chiriquí’s Finca Sophia, bought at auction for $44,275, is being served in Brooklyn for about $200 a cup. World of Coffee is also set to return to Panama in 2029.
Youth Football: Panama’s U-15 team beat Malawi 4-0 at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, adding a bright result for the young squad on the international stage. Coffee Culture: A rare Panamanian geisha from Finca Sophia, bought at auction for $44,275, is being served at a New York café for about $200 a cup. Festival News: La Pintada’s Painted Hat Festival has a new date: December 4–6, 2026. Living Heritage: Young people from Colón are turning Fort San Lorenzo into a living-history stage, while a separate initiative is looking to build an annual cultural festival around shared Bomba heritage between Puerto Rico and Panama. Coffee Industry: World of Coffee is set to return to Panama in 2029, spotlighting the country’s place on the global coffee scene.
Panamanian Coffee: A rare Geisha from Finca Sophia in Chiriquí, bought at auction for $44,275, is being served at a Brooklyn café for about $200 a cup. Cultural Traditions: La Pintada’s National Painted Hat Festival has been rescheduled for December 4–6 as a solidarity event celebrating the UNESCO-recognized craft and its artisans. Shared Heritage: A bomba workshop at Ciudad de las Artes brought Puerto Rican and Panamanian traditions together, with organizers proposing an annual festival built around their shared African roots. Living History: Young people from Colón are turning Fort San Lorenzo into a stage for Panama’s past.
Folk Arts: La Pintada’s National Painted Hat Festival has been rescheduled for Dec. 4–6. The solidarity edition will celebrate the UNESCO-recognized craft and support communities affected by the October earthquake. Music & Heritage: A workshop at Ciudad de las Artes brought Puerto Rican bomba rhythms to Panama and explored plans for an annual festival celebrating the two countries’ shared African heritage. Panamanian Talent: Fighter Joselyne Edwards has been named backup for the UFC 334 women’s bantamweight title fight on Nov. 14. Culture: Panamanian singer Rubén Blades received an Icon Award, while young people from Colón turned Fort San Lorenzo into a living history stage.
Festival Update: La Pintada’s National Painted Hat Festival has been rescheduled for Dec. 4–6. The solidarity-themed event will celebrate Panama’s UNESCO-recognized hat-weaving tradition and support communities recovering from the Oct. 9 earthquake. Pan-Caribbean Culture: A bomba workshop at Ciudad de las Artes brought Puerto Rican and Panamanian traditions together, with organizers proposing an annual festival celebrating their shared African heritage through music, dance and food. Panamanian MMA: Joselyne Edwards will be the backup fighter for the UFC 334 women’s bantamweight title bout on Nov. 14. She enters on a five-fight winning streak. Music: Panamanian icon Rubén Blades received an Icon Award. Living Heritage: Young people from Colón are turning Fort San Lorenzo into a stage for local history.
Music: Prince’s expanded “3121” edition arrives Dec. 11 with unreleased tracks, including “The Streets of Panama,” plus footage from his 2007 Las Vegas concert. A concert film opens in U.S. and Canadian theaters Dec. 3. Panamanian Sports: UFC contender Joselyne Edwards will serve as backup for the Nov. 14 title fight between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes, with a chance to step in if needed. Arts & Heritage: Young people from Colón are turning Fort San Lorenzo into a living history stage. Latin Music: Panamanian icon Rubén Blades received the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards’ Icon Award. Viewing Guide: Panama viewers can watch the World Series free on RPC TV.
Panamanian Music: Rubén Blades received the Icon Award at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards, recognizing the Panamanian singer-songwriter’s lasting influence and the people who helped shape his career. Living History: Young people from Colón turned Fort San Lorenzo into a stage, bringing the historic site to life through performance. Screen Watch: The Hunger Games has climbed streaming charts in Panama ahead of the franchise’s upcoming prequel.
Panamanian Music: Rubén Blades received the Icon Award at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards, recognizing the singer-songwriter’s lasting influence. Local Heritage: Young people from Colón are turning Fort San Lorenzo into a living-history stage, bringing the historic site to life through performance. Film & Streaming: Animated adventure Cloud Girl, an Annecy selection, has secured a Latin American distributor. Meanwhile, The Hunger Games is trending on Apple TV Store charts in Panama ahead of its upcoming prequel.
Coffee and Culture: World of Coffee will return to Panama in 2029, after its 2026 edition brought more than 300 exhibitors to the Panama Convention Center and spotlighted the country’s specialty coffees, including Geisha. Music: Panamanian icon Rubén Blades received the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Icon Award and reflected on a legacy shaped by honest songwriting and the help of others. Living Heritage: Young people from Colón turned Fort San Lorenzo into a stage for local history, bringing the historic site to life through performance.
Boxing: Panamanian legend Roberto Durán named Marvin Hagler the toughest opponent he ever faced, recalling how Hagler kept coming despite taking his punches. Coffee Culture: World of Coffee will return to Panama in 2029 after its 2026 event drew more than 300 exhibitors to the Panama Convention Center, spotlighting the country’s specialty-coffee producers and varieties. Living Heritage: Young people from Colón turned Fort San Lorenzo into a living-history stage, bringing the historic site to life. Latin Music: Rubén Blades received the Icon Award at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards and reflected on the people who help make an icon.
Coffee Culture: World of Coffee will return to Panama in 2029 after drawing more than 300 exhibitors to its 2026 event at the Panama Convention Center, putting the country’s specialty coffee and Geisha variety in the global spotlight. Living History: Young people from Colón are turning Fort San Lorenzo into a stage for local history, bringing the heritage site to life through performance. Panamanian Music: Rubén Blades received the Icon Award at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards and reflected on a songwriting legacy he says has always been honest.
Panama at the U-17 World Cup: Tickets are on sale for Qatar 2026, where Panama opens against the hosts on Nov. 19. Reality TV: Panamanian 90 Day Fiancé personality Jasmine Pineda prompted fan concern with a recent photo; she said she has been dealing with stress, work and health issues. Colón’s Living Heritage: Young performers bring Fort San Lorenzo’s history to life in Tambores del Castillo, an interactive theater, music and percussion tour developed with local youth. Music: Rubén Blades received the Icon Award at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards, reflecting on the honest writing behind his legacy. Panamanian pianist Danilo Pérez was also among the artists featured in a look back at the Athenaeum Jazz concert series.
Panamanian Music: A look back at San Diego’s Athenaeum Jazz series highlights Panamanian-born pianist Danilo Pérez among its past performers. Living Heritage: Young people from Colón are bringing Fort San Lorenzo’s history to life in Tambores del Castillo, an interactive performance with music, percussion and theater. Rubén Blades: The Panamanian salsa icon received the Billboard Latin Music Awards’ Icon Award and dedicated it to artists from Panama.
Living Heritage: Young people from Colón are bringing Fort San Lorenzo’s history to life in Tambores del Castillo, an immersive two-and-a-half-hour production featuring music, percussion and theater. The project also trains local youth for careers in the cultural industry. Panamanian Music: Rubén Blades received Billboard’s 2026 Icon Award, dedicating it to Panamanian artists and crediting the musicians, family and teachers who helped shape his career. Baseball History: New research has traced the Jewish roots of Oscar Levis, a Jamaican-born Negro Leagues star who grew up in Panama and threw the first no-hitter in Cuban baseball history.
Living Heritage: Young people from Colón are turning Fort San Lorenzo into an open-air stage with Tambores del Castillo, an immersive theater, music and percussion experience created by Maritza Vernaza. The two-and-a-half-hour tour brings the region’s history to life while training youth for work in the cultural industry. Music: Rubén Blades received the Icon Award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, dedicating it to Panamanian artists and crediting the musicians, teachers and family who helped shape his career.
Panamanian Music: Rubén Blades received the Billboard Latin Music Awards’ Icon Award, dedicating it to artists from Panama and crediting the musicians, family and teachers who helped shape his career. Cultural Calendar: Panama’s traditional November 3 festivities at the Presidential Palace have been canceled, according to a recent report. Coffee on the World Stage: Australia’s newly crowned barista champion is set to represent the country at the World Barista Championship in Panama.
Panamanian Music: Rubén Blades received the Icon Award at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards, dedicating the honor to Panamanian artists and thanking the musicians, family and teachers who helped shape his career. He also reflected on his legacy during Latin Music Week, while a Maracay opera house announced a salsa tribute to his music. Cultural Heritage: A recent feature argues that Panama’s handicrafts carry stories worth preserving beyond the souvenir shelf. Festivities: Traditional November 3 celebrations at the Presidential Palace have been canceled.
Panamanian Music: Rubén Blades received the 2026 Billboard Icon Award, crediting fellow musicians and collaborators for helping build his career. At Billboard Latin Music Week, he also reflected on writing honest songs that still speak to him. Media Freedom: Panamanian journalism organizations condemned reported threats against journalist Flor Mizrachi, saying intimidation has no place in public debate. Coffee Competition: Australian barista champion Gab Tan is preparing to represent his country at the World Barista Championship in Panama.
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