Visitanos: Plaza Herrera, C. 9a Oeste, Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama
Visitanos: Plaza Herrera, C. 9a Oeste, Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama
Before The Reaping begins, the day kicks off with four speed-eating challenges.
Each challenge lasts 9 minutes, and only 9 contestants will be selected per event.
The annual Casco Heat Ceremony at Boutique Hotel Plaza Herrera in Casco Viejo is not just an event—it is a ritual, a performance, and a test of human courage.
Inspired by tradition and fueled by extreme heat, participants engage in a series of progressive challenges featuring increasingly potent chilies, including some of the world's most intense, all presented within a ceremonial and dramatic framework.
This is where adrenaline meets culture…
Where flavor meets fire…
Where ordinary people become warriors of spice.
EL RITO DE FUEGO
AGRADECIMIENTO ESPECIAL
Participants confront legendary chilies, including Reapers, Scorpions, and other exceptionally hot varieties utilized in high-intensity ceremonial rituals.
The ceremony commences with a symbolic ignition, signifying the commencement of the trials.
Drums, audience chants, fire imagery, and the iconic “Circle of Reaping” collectively elevate the event's energy.
Each moment is announced, dramatized, and intensified.
Pose against the fiery backdrop or display your finalist card — creating unforgettable social media content.
Pick up the iconic Los Locos brochure and exclusive limited-edition merchandise from the ceremony.
✓ Initial participants: 12
✓ Format: Progressive elimination
✓ Objective: To be the last participant standing
✓ Total Duration: Approximately 30–36 minutes
Each round involves eating one whole chili, progressing to increasingly intense levels.
✓ Participant Registration
✓ Mandatory Signing of Waivers
✓ Wristband Distribution
✓ Seating Assignment at 12 Marked Stations
✓ Safety briefing by the emcee
✓ Start of the first race
✓ Tests 1 through 9
✓ Sudden death, if necessary
✓ Final count and verification
✓ Confirmation of results
Each round follows this structure:
✓ 0:00 – 0:30 → Eat and chew (no liquids)
✓ 0:30 – 1:00 → Swallow and pass the clean mouth test
✓ 1:00 – 2:00 → Afterburn and composure
Keep hands off your face
Do not touch eyes
Duration per round: ~2 minutes
Transition between rounds: ~1 minute
A participant will be immediately eliminated if:
⛌ Does not finish the chili within the allotted time
⛌ Drinks any liquid (including milk)
⛌ Vomits
⛌ Touches their face or eyes
⛌ Leaves the stage
⛌ Fails the clean mouth or composure test
Water, milk, yogurt, or ice cream are permitted only after elimination or upon completion of the competition.
If several participants remain after the Carolina Reaper:
✓ They will eat 1 additional Carolina Reaper (whole chili)
✓ Followed by 2 minutes of afterburn
✓ The last participant standing will be the winner
✓ The chili must be eaten whole, including pulp, seeds, and membrane (not the stem)
✓ No utensils are permitted (to be eaten by hand)
✓ Outside food or drinks are not permitted
✓ The spiciness and size of the chili increase in each round
✓ In case of a final tie, contestants must eat all chilies assigned to the round
Safety is an absolute priority.
✓ Medical and recovery area available within 20–30 seconds
✓ Includes:
✓ Chairs
✓ Fans
✓ Ice
✓ Eyewash
✓ Gloves
✓ Milk and yogurt
✓ Mandatory gloves for all chili handlers
✓ Napkins and lined spitting buckets at each station
✓ The MC reads the consent and safety rules before the competition begins
The ceremony features a curated selection of ultra-spicy chilies, including varieties similar to:
✔ Carolina Reaper
✔ Scorpion Chilies
✔ Ghost Chilies
✔ Hybrid ceremonial chilies, freshly sourced specifically for THE REAPING
These chilies are selected based on:
✔ Heat level (Scoville Scale)
✔ Texture
✔ Flavor intensity
✔ Visual impact (wrinkled skin, intense red color, ritualistic appearance)
✔ Photographic event summary
✔ “MadOnes Los Locos” digital brochure
✔ Newsletter access
✔ Access to The13
✔ Early access to THE REAPING 2026
“This is daytime festival fun, and safety comes first.
No liquids are allowed until elimination.
Do not touch your face.
If you need to stop, raise your hand; disqualification is dignity.
Round one: Jalapeño.
3… 2… 1… Eat!”
THE GREAT FLAME
Each 45-minute block includes: 15 minutes for setup and signing the handoff sheet, 9 minutes of competition, 6 minutes for the awards ceremony, and 15 minutes for cleanup and takedown.
The speed trials are completely closed. All trash is cleared from the square.
The milk and cream stations, the buckets, and the 9-level spice ladder are set up.
Medical check: The on-site paramedics take their positions.
Check-in, relay verification, and wristband distribution. The 13 contestants take their positions.
Enjoy the festival—safety comes first. No liquids, and don’t touch your face. If you need to stop, raise your hand.
All 9 levels of heat are tested. A sudden-death tiebreaker is used if necessary.
Award ceremony, photos, and a quick cleanup.
Registration for those who wish to enter THE13.
To enter the inner circle of THE13 each must consume one Carolina Reaper. The only rule is consume the entire thing.
Tour 1: Panama Canal, History, and Urban Modernity
Description:
Emberá Community: An Encounter with Ancestral Tradition
Description:
Chagres River Waterfall, Panamanian Jungle Adventure.
Description:
Depart from the Hotel at 8:00 a.m. for Cabima, arriving at Corotu port around 9:15 a.m. From there, we will take a boat on the Chagres River, reaching the jungle in 25 minutes for a brief walk. We will then proceed to the Waterfall for a swim around 10:45 a.m. Afterward, we will return to the Embera community to meet with the Chief, who will explain their customs and traditions. We will participate in their dances, enjoy food prepared by them, and explore the community. We will depart around 1:30 p.m., aiming to arrive back in Casco around 3:00 p.m.
