Cancún to Host National Climate Change Colloquium Blending Art and Science

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Cancún will host the 16th National Climate Change Colloquium, a 10-day gathering that pairs scientific discussion with theater, painting, photography, music, film and food, organizers announced.

The Seminario de Cultura Mexicana is organizing the event, with the Benito Juárez municipal government participating through its Municipal Institute of Culture and the Arts. Activities run from Oct. 17 to Oct. 27, with the main sessions scheduled for Oct. 22 and 23 at the Teatro de la Ciudad and the Centro Cultural de las Artes.

About 110 members and representatives from 45 regional chapters of the Seminario will take part, including delegations from Guatemala and New York.

Alongside the artistic programming, the colloquium will feature lectures and panel discussions on global warming, oceans, coral reefs, sargassum, water and biodiversity loss.

Art as an Entry Point

One of the highlighted events is a discussion titled “Art in the Face of Climate Change,” set for Saturday, Oct. 17, which will coincide with an exhibition by the 14th Delphinus Festival of the Oceans.

That same day, Estudio Creativo Universidad will host a free workshop, “Local Ecotextiles: Sustainable Textile Dyeing with Campeche Wood,” limited to 25 participants.

On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the Municipal Theater Company will stage a dramatized reading of Los niños de la lluvia by Saúl Enríquez at Café de Cancún. The following day, the Universidad del Caribe will present a gastronomic showcase, “Flavors of the Land for a Sustainable Future: From Research to the Table.”

The documentary distributor Ambulante will screen Los que dicen ¡No! at the Teatro 8 de Octubre. The film examines how rural communities defend their land and natural resources against extractive projects.

Awards and Exhibitions

The program continues Sunday, Oct. 25, with the Sasil Awards 2026, which recognize artists, cultural administrators and researchers from Quintana Roo, including a special distinction for artistic work with an environmental focus.

On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Ocean World Of Sound will open the exhibition Zooxantela at the Núcleo Yaxil of the Centro Cultural de las Artes.

Experts to Examine the Environmental Outlook

The main sessions begin Thursday, Oct. 22, at 10 a.m. An hour later, Dr. Julia Carabias will deliver the keynote address, “Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Social Well-Being.” Dr. Lorenzo Álvarez-Filip will then discuss the future of reefs in the Mexican Caribbean.

The day also includes dialogues on sargassum and sustainable development, along with an examination of Cancún’s relationship with its surrounding environment. At 7 p.m., the Foro Hirán Sánchez will host the play Lux: Ecos del Fuego.

The scientific program continues Friday, Oct. 23, with Dr. Gerardo Suárez Reynoso presenting “Changes in the Geological Past: Extinctions and Rebirths,” followed by Dr. Laura Margarita Hernández Terrones on water. Sessions that day will also cover deforestation, green spaces, environmental education, new technologies and marine biodiversity.

Music to Close the Gathering

Music holds a dedicated place in the program. Cellist Carlos Prieto will present “Two Careers, One Life,” including a recital of works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Eugenio Toussaint. The Municipal Chamber Orchestra will also offer a musical tribute to Manuel M. Ponce.

Organizers said the combination of scientific knowledge and artistic expression aims to offer new ways of understanding the effects of climate change in a region where oceans, reefs and biodiversity are central to daily life.