What's Happening in Barranquilla, Week of May 25, 2026

A short week with big stakes. Petro inaugurates the new national arrivals hall at Ernesto Cortissoz on Friday May 29, Junior is heading into the Liga BetPlay final against Atlético Nacional, and the whole metropolitan area goes dry from Saturday evening through Monday noon for the May 31 presidential vote.

Petro inaugurates the new national arrivals hall at Ernesto Cortissoz on May 29. President Gustavo Petro travels to Atlántico on Friday May 29 to open the new national baggage area at Ernesto Cortissoz, the most visible piece of the airport's overhaul so far. The new hall has three baggage belts, an elevator and escalators, new air conditioning, and remodeled circulation. Aerocivil says overall works are at 30 percent, with a second milestone scheduled for July 22 before the current national government's term ends. Direct investment is about COP 34.000 millones, plus another COP 18.000 millones in supporting airport infrastructure. El Tiempo has the schedule and the spec, and El Universal confirms the May 29 handover.

Junior is in the Liga BetPlay final against Atlético Nacional. Junior beat Independiente Santa Fe on penalties in the semifinal return leg at the Romelio (Hugo Rodallega missed the fifth Cardenales spot kick) to set up a fourth-ever Junior vs Nacional Liga final. El Tiempo has the matchup. Dimayor confirmed the first leg for Tuesday June 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Romelio Martínez and the second leg for the Monday holiday June 8 at 5:00 p.m. at the Atanasio Girardot in Medellín. Ticket prices for the first leg were released this week through WArena: Occidental COP 270.000, Oriental COP 163.000, Norte COP 87.000 (service fees included). El Heraldo has the breakdown. Abonados had priority through May 27, general sale opened after.

First-round presidential vote Sunday May 31, with a long dry law. Polls open Sunday at 8:00 a.m. and close at 4:00 p.m. for the first round of the 2026 to 2030 presidential election. About 41 million voters are on the national roll. Ley seca runs in Barranquilla, Soledad, Malambo and Puerto Colombia from 6:00 p.m. Saturday May 30 through 12:00 noon Monday June 1, with fines for selling or consuming alcohol in public during those hours. El Tiempo has the full schedule and the sanctions, and El Heraldo confirms the metropolitan-area rule. About 3,000 police will cover Distrito polling stations, with another 1,200 across Atlántico. El Heraldo on the city deployment and the departmental one.

Both Cepeda and De la Espriella closed their national campaigns in Barranquilla. Iván Cepeda wrapped his presidential campaign in the city on Saturday May 23, with the campaign claiming around 80,000 attendees. The next day Abelardo De la Espriella closed his at the Gran Malecón's Pabellón de Cristal esplanade, with police estimating roughly 50,000. Infobae explains why the Caribbean coast keeps drawing closing rallies: analysts argue Barranquilla and the Costa have outsized mobilization and turnout muscle in a tight race. El Colombiano covered the De la Espriella rally.

The Barranquilla economy grew 2.8 percent in February, with cracks underneath. The new Índice Mensual Económico Distrital (IMED) from Fundesarrollo and the Cámara de Comercio puts Barranquilla's February growth at 2.8 percent year over year, led by financial activities (real credit up more than 20 percent) and public investment. Manufacturing, real estate, retail supply and construction stayed in contraction, with grey cement shipments down about 6 percent. El Heraldo has the IMED summary, and El Tiempo flagged the slowdown in key sectors. Fundesarrollo's projection for March and April: about 2.7 percent, in line with the IMF's 2.3 percent national 2026 forecast.

Invima alert: counterfeit Aseptic antiseptic alcohol being sold in Barranquilla. Invima issued a sanitary alert this week after fraudulent bottles labeled as Aseptic-brand antiseptic alcohol were detected on sale in the city. The product does not have a valid sanitary registry and the agency is asking pharmacies, retailers and consumers to check labels, lot numbers and batch codes before buying or using. If you stocked up during the pandemic and still keep a bottle around, this is worth a look. El Heraldo has the alert.

The city greenlit a permanent Carnaval venue and new cultural infrastructure. The Comité Distrital de Espectáculos Públicos and the Parafiscal approved a package of cultural investments led by the "KZ del Carnaval", a permanent year-round Carnaval venue, plus new acoustic shells (conchas acústicas) in Riomar and the Suroccidente, and a tech and instruments upgrade for the Fábrica de Cultura that feeds the Casas Distritales de Cultura and the Escuela Distrital de Arte. Emisora Atlántico has the announcement. The Carnaval-365 idea has been floated before; this is the first time the funding has been formally locked in.

That's the week. If you're flying in or out via Cortissoz on Friday, expect ceremony and access changes around the national arrivals area. If you've got plans Saturday night or Sunday, build them around the dry law. And if Junior wins on Tuesday June 2, the city will be loud.

Barranquilla. Understood.

Previously: What's happening in Barranquilla, Week of May 18, 2026.