At the Teletón 2025 closing in Estadio Nacional, the crowd chanted for singer María José Quintanilla to return to the Viña del Mar Festival, despite her absence from the 2026 lineup. The performer, who lit up the stage, moved the audience by recalling her 2004 debut at Viña at age 14. The charity event, aiming to exceed 40 billion pesos, featured tributes and standout performances.
Teletón 2025 returned to Estadio Nacional after three years, kicking off the closing block with a tribute to Julio Martínez using artificial intelligence. His recreated voice announced: “Today Estadio Nacional lights up again, we meet here in our home to give ourselves the most exciting night.” Myriam Hernández performed the Teletón anthem, followed by Pablo Alborán, who overcame a piano malfunction to sing 'Saturno'.
In the afternoon from the theater, an emotional 'In Memoriam' honored 2025 figures who passed away, including Tommy Rey, Miguel “Negro” Piñera, Teresita Reyes, Willy Benítez, and Héctor Noguera. A special tribute went to Teletón photographer Eduardo Cruz-Coke, killed in October alongside his 17-year-old sons; his son was a patient at the institution. Angélica Castro noted: “He was part of the whole team... a great lover of this work, but also a father who was with his son for years as part of this project”.
Don Francisco joined Zúmbale Primo to sing 'Muchachita', dressed in a ranchero hat and boots, and the crowd demanded an encore. The band Aguarrás, formed by Teletón users Natalia Soto and Giovana Daza from Iquique, along with Catalina Patiño and Monserrat Ampuero, surprised with 'De lirio' and a cover of The Cure's 'Lovesong', blending gothic, metal, and rock.
In the early morning, 'La Oficina' from Jappening con Ja was revived, featuring a cast including Martín Cárcamo, Luis Slimming, and María Luisa Godoy as 'children' of original characters, with tributes to Eduardo Ravani, Jorge Pedreros, and others who had passed. By then, $21,877,159,317 had been raised toward the $40,502,617,946 goal, with the finale still ahead.
Quintanilla, after her performance that got the stadium dancing, heard the crowd chant “To Viña,” reigniting talks of her return, ruled out for 2026 despite her 2025 success. She has said she would love to return, but it does not depend on her; her last Viña appearance was in 2004 at age 14, from Rojo Fama Contra Fama.
