Dozens of young people recently gathered on a beach in Peru’s capital to dance, pose, and showcase creative moves in pursuit of intangible digital prestige, participating in what is known as an aura battle. These real-world events translate internet slang and video game mechanics into physical competitions where participants vie for crowd applause and validation.
From Video Games to Public Squares: The Rise of Aura Battles
The concept traces back to the internet trend of aura farming,
which describes appearing effortlessly cool without visibly trying. The phenomenon gained digital traction before exploding into wider popularity through viral clips of Rayyan Arkan Dikha, an 11-year-old Indonesian boy calmly dancing during a traditional longboat race. Competitors at these physical gatherings dress as comic book characters, animated film figures, or notable public personalities.
How the Competitions Work Across Latin America
Aura farming competitions first emerged in Brazil before spreading rapidly through social media into public squares, parks, and beaches across Latin America. Cities hosting these events include Mexico City, Quito, and Buenos Aires, where participants recently staged a contest in front of the iconic Obelisk.
During a typical gathering, participants trade dances, dramatic gestures, and video game-inspired maneuvers while spectators film the exchanges on mobile phones. Fernando Lícito, a 25-year-old Peruvian content creator, noted that these contests differ from traditional sports because participants do not touch or insult each other. Instead, they focus purely on crowd reaction and self-expression.
Aura farming is about letting your essence flow in a place where people are watching you, but where there is no shame,
said Liam González, a 20-year-old film student who attended an event dressed as the movie character Shrek.
Other attendees have embraced political and pop-culture impersonations. Gonzalo Cornelio, 19, dressed as former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, wearing a grey tracksuit resembling the one worn by the deposed leader the night he was captured by the U.S. military. María Paula Martínez, a professor in the arts faculty at Colombia’s Los Andes University, explained that the movement allows young people to socialize and demonstrate positive energy.
Official Pushback and Institutional Responses
While the trend has created new spaces for offline socialization, it has also met resistance from authorities and institutions across different regions:
- Peru: Officials in Lima’s Miraflores district cancelled an aura farming event, citing a lack of required public-space permits.
- Brazil: In Cuiabá, municipal leadership denied permits for an aura tournament over public interest concerns, prompting organizers to relocate the gathering to a university campus.
- Costa Rica: The ministry of education banned aura battles in public schools, warning that the activities could spark student conflicts or disrupt learning.
- Mexico: In contrast to restrictive measures elsewhere, the country’s education minister embraced the movement, releasing a video where he smiled and stated he was
farming good education
ahead of the school year.
The movement has also crossed the Atlantic Ocean, with similar gatherings reported in Spanish cities including Madrid, Burgos, and Zaragoza. Despite occasional friction with municipal authorities and older generations who view the hobby as unconventional, participants continue to organize events as a novel form of creative expression.
