Historic Centre of Guanajuato hosted festival on 2 November

In the Historic Centre of Guanajuato (Centro Histórico de Guanajuato), the 8th Day of the Dead Festival reached its final day on 2 November 2026. The programme brought processions, monumental altars, traditional carpets and performances to Guanajuato, Mexico, across underground streets, squares and alleys.

Day of the Dead Festival ended on 2 November

The festival ran from 28 October to 2 November 2026, according to the Guanajuato state tourism authority. Its programme included the Camino al Mictlán, the Tunnel of Tradition, a Catrina parade, video mapping and the Monumental Offering on the steps of the Central Building of the University of Guanajuato.

The 2026 edition also included Bon Odori performances from Japan. Other listed activities included a screening of El Santo contra las Momias de Guanajuato at the Panteón de Santa Paula and artistic presentations in the city centre. The official festival programme placed these activities across the tunnels, squares and historic buildings of Guanajuato.

Underground streets connected the festival with Guanajuato heritage

The event used spaces that reflect the citys mining history. UNESCO says Guanajuato was founded by the Spanish in the early sixteenth century and became the worlds leading silver-extraction centre in the eighteenth century. Its surviving Baroque and neoclassical buildings grew from that mining prosperity.

The same heritage setting shaped the festival experience: the public programme placed processions and artistic installations among underground streets, alleys and religious buildings rather than in one enclosed venue. UNESCO lists the Guanajuato World Heritage property as the Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines, inscribed in 1988. It includes the Boca del Inferno mineshaft, which reaches 600 m below ground.

What remains after the November programme

For travellers arriving after 2 November 2026, the festival activities described by the organiser are no longer taking place. The underground streets, squares, alleys, churches and mining features remain part of the permanent urban setting, but the festival installations and processions were tied to the 28 October to 2 November programme.

Visiting Historic Centre of Guanajuato: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The 8th Day of the Dead Festival took place across Guanajuato from 28 October to 2 November 2026, with the final programme day on 2 November.
• Visitors arriving after 2 November 2026 should not expect the festival processions, carpets, altars or video mapping to continue as part of that programme.
• The UNESCO-listed setting includes underground streets, Baroque and neoclassical buildings, the Central Building of the University of Guanajuato and the Panteón de Santa Paula.
• Guanajuato is in central Mexico, and the citys terrain includes subterranean streets and the Boca del Inferno mineshaft, which reaches 600 m below ground.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Historic Centre of Guanajuato

When did the Day of the Dead Festival take place at Historic Centre of Guanajuato?

The 8th Day of the Dead Festival ran from 28 October to 2 November 2026 across Guanajuato.

What is Historic Centre of Guanajuato?

It is the central urban area within the UNESCO property called the Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines, inscribed in 1988.

Where is Historic Centre of Guanajuato and how do you get there?

Guanajuato is in central Mexico. The centre is characterised by underground streets, alleys, squares and buildings associated with the citys mining history.