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SALT LAKE CITY — 'Luz de las Naciones' is returning to the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City after two years of virtual events during the pandemic.
And interest in the event seems to be high.
The 15,000 free tickets for the event sold out 15 minutes after they became available at 10 a.m. Wednesday, according to a church spokesman Juan Becerra. The annual celebration of Latin American culture is hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"First time coming back in person after two years — I think it was expected that there was going to be a lot of interest," church spokeswoman Irene Caso said. "As Hispanics, we love to be together, we love to celebrate culture together, so it's been hard having to have virtual events for the last two years."
The event, which takes place Nov. 5 at 8 p.m., will feature over 500 musical artists and 11 dance performances from several Latin American countries, including the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico and Cuba. Performers represent several countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Peru. The event will conclude with a religious message from Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
"We bring that Latino feeling to feeling (God's love) and it's just a really enjoyable event," said 17-year-old cast member Tonali Bruno in a press release. "Being able to dance the dances that bring me back to my Mexican roots is something that is really special because you don't get it every day."
The church is currently limiting the event to 15,000 — 6,000 less than the Conference Center's full capacity — to help alleviate downtown congestion as construction projects have decreased the amount of parking available in the area. The church is encouraging carpooling and using public transportation, and each ticket includes a free public transportation pass to downtown Salt Lake City through the Utah Transit Authority.
The church is not live streaming the event despite doing so for the past two years. However, the event will be available for on-demand viewing on Nov. 19.
