The founder and owner of Polymarchs, Apolinar Silva, became embroiled in a controversy after being questioned by journalist Leticia Robles de la Rosale about the amount he would charge for his participation in the IV Atmósfera 2025 Festival in Tecamac, State of Mexico. The journalist's direct question provoked an angry response from Silva, who avoided giving a concrete answer and emphasized the costs associated with his recent concert at the Ángel de la Independencia in Mexico City.
According to Silva, the capital government paid 10 million 200 thousand pesos for the concert at the Ángel de la Independencia, arguing that this money was used to cover expenses related to the setup, security, and salaries of 300 workers. Despite the journalist's insistence on knowing his fee, Silva only mentioned that he considered the amount he would receive for his participation in the festival to be fair.
The Atmósfera 2025 Festival is scheduled to take place at the Parque Lineal de Los Héroes Tecámac and will feature other artists such as El Tri and Natalia Jiménez. However, the lack of transparency regarding hiring costs has sparked criticism and questions about the use of public resources in large-scale events.
Silva, visibly upset, expressed feeling misunderstood by questions about the budget, even claiming that his event in Reforma was "the cheapest done in festivals." When pressed about the transparency of resources, he stated that the responsibility lies with the corresponding institution and not with him as a contractor, suggesting that questions should be directed to the Secretariat of Culture of Mexico City.
Despite the criticism and questioning, Silva showed enthusiasm for his upcoming performance in Tecámac, estimating that it will attract more than 100,000 people, although he avoided disclosing the amount of his payment. The controversy surrounding hiring costs and transparency in the use of public resources in artistic events continues to generate debate in the cultural sphere.
