Alternative metal band Deftones returned to San Diego on Nov. 1 for the sixth annual Dia De Los Deftones, transforming Petco Park into a celebration of life, death and genre-bending performances.
Aside from the titular band, this year’s lineup highlighted other artists such as Rico Nasty, Clipse, UNIVERSITY, Régulo Caro, Deafheaven, Glare, Ecca Vandal and 2hollis. The artists made use of both stages provided by Petco Park, with some performing at Gallagher Square’s Calaveras stage and others performing in the ballpark’s All Souls stage.
Día De Los Deftones usually occurs around the same time as “Día de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead). Day of the Dead, a two-day holiday typically held on the first two days of November, honors and celebrates the lives of loved ones that have been lost.
“Besides the bands playing, this festival shows that Latino, especially Mexican culture, is being recognized and still visible by many,” said Deftones fan Alexei Licea. “It’s an opportunity for people to connect and share their roots and show how death is not the end.”
Deftones, formed in 1988 in Sacramento, Calif., currently consists of frontman Camillo “Chino” Wong Moreno, lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter, drummer Abraham “Abe” Benjamin Cunningham and keyboardist and turntablist Frank Delgado.
Inspired by their continued participation in diverse music festivals and connection to Mexican heritage, the band launched the first Día De Los Deftones on Nov. 3, 2018.
Doors to this year’s event opened at 3 p.m., allowing festivalgoers to explore the Day of the Dead-themed venue. Colorful “papel picado” (perforated paper banners), flower walls and life-sized “Catrina” (female skeletal figures) adorned the empty spaces of the ballpark.
A grand “ofrenda” (altar), an important symbol that honors the dead, was featured in the venue. It was embellished with pink and red roses, as well as “cempasúchiles” (marigolds), white doves and lit candles. Framed photos of lost souls that were added by festivalgoers lined the multi-tier altar, along with food and beverage offerings.
Individuals surrounded the altar, leaning their heads against one another in silence. The imagery served as a reminder to fans of the festival’s significance in correlation to the holiday.
As the performances began, rapper Rico Nasty opened her set with “WHO WANT IT.” Black, yellow and white strobe lights lit up the rapper’s name in bold letters as she made her entrance, releasing the pent-up energy amongst the eager crowd.
Following Rico Nasty, festivalgoers jumped amongst one another as rapper and producer 2hollis played hit songs, such as “jeans” and “gold.” During “crush,” the crowd opened a large mosh pit, collapsing it as soon as the beat dropped.
Hip-hop duo Clipse performed songs from their most recent album, “Let God Sort Em Out,” their first album since 2009. Their set was both visually and lyrically compelling, making references to culturally significant individuals, such as controversial personality O.J. Simpson and boxer Muhammad Ali.
Rafael Luis Duran, an accounting major at SDSU, said the festival felt diverse with the abundance of artists performing.
“I think it’s fun how many other genres they’re fitting in this show,” Duran said. “It’s appreciating different forms of music so there’s something for everyone.”
The All Souls stage illuminated the ballpark in a lime green hue as Deftones finally opened their set at 9:30 p.m., fans roaring in excitement. The band started with “my mind is a mountain,” the first track of their 2025 album “private music.”
The band played multiple songs from the 2025 album, including “souvenir,” “cut hands” and “i think about you all the time,” all of which were live debuts.
The crowd’s euphoria was on full display when the band played “My Own Summer (Shove It),” currently their most popular song on Spotify. Holographic imagery of the band blinded the pit as Moreno screamed, “Shove it, shove it, shove it!” The amped-up crowd echoed along with the frontman, phones and bodies moving chaotically.
Fans took a break from moshing during “Sextape,” one of the band’s more intimate songs. They sang alongside Moreno as visuals of the ocean and a floating woman appeared behind the band.
“Change (In the House of Flies)” drenched the crowd in a dense, orange light as they continued to mosh. T-shirts came off, and both shoes and bodies went flying as Deftones shredded on their instruments through the blaring speakers.
Deftones closed the festival with “7 Words.” Although it was the final song of the night, the crowd showed no signs of fatigue as they unleashed their most violent moshing yet. Moreno, visibly drenched in sweat, released his most passionate screams and kept the energy in the pit alive.
As the festival came to a close, individuals remained in the pit, bonding over and conversing about their shared love of live music. Día De Los Deftones 2025 proved itself as a celebration that transcended music, leaving fans anticipating the festival’s return to San Diego.
