PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Quintana Roo — The fifth edition of Festival PAAX GNP has opened in the Riviera Maya with a program that places opera, zarzuela, symphonic music, ballet and contemporary performance at the center of one of the region’s most ambitious cultural events.
Directed by Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra, the 2026 festival runs from July 23 to August 2 at Hotel Xcaret Arte, bringing together internationally recognized vocalists, musicians, dancers and choreographers for nearly two weeks of performances. The festival, first launched in 2022, has grown into a high-profile cultural gathering that combines classical music, staged works, dance, gastronomy and the natural setting of the Riviera Maya.
This year’s edition opened with a strong emphasis on zarzuela, the Spanish lyrical tradition that blends singing, spoken dialogue and theatrical performance. The opening gala, “¡Viva la Zarzuela!”, featured tenor Rolando Villazón and soprano Serena Sáenz, accompanied by The Impossible Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Community of Madrid and the Choir of the Community of Madrid, under De la Parra’s direction.
The presence of the Madrid orchestra and choir adds a significant international element to the festival. De la Parra, who has conducted major orchestras around the world, became artistic and musical director of the Orchestra and Choir of the Community of Madrid in 2024 under a three-year appointment, giving the 2026 PAAX program a direct artistic bridge between Spain and Mexico.
The 2026 lineup also includes several major names from the world of opera and lyric music. In addition to Villazón and Sáenz, the program features French mezzo-soprano Gaëlle Arquez as Carmen and Mexican tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz as Don José, bringing Bizet’s iconic opera into the festival’s mix of staged and symphonic work.
Dance is also a major part of this year’s festival. The official program includes the participation of dancers from the Joffrey Ballet, along with British choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, who appears as choreographer in residence. The festival’s own description says the 2026 edition once again brings together De la Parra, The Impossible Orchestra, leading international musicians, dancers and creators from several disciplines.
One of the most anticipated components is “La Reina Roja,” a world premiere commissioned by Festival PAAX GNP. The work is listed in the official 2026 program as a new commission, adding an original contemporary creation to a schedule that also includes opera, zarzuela and ballet.
Festival PAAX GNP has positioned itself as more than a concert series. Its format is designed as an immersive cultural experience, with performances staged inside the Hotel Xcaret Arte environment and presented as part of a broader encounter between music, movement, visual identity and place. The state tourism portal describes the fifth edition as a cultural event that fuses symphonic music, contemporary art, gastronomy and nature in a tropical setting.
That approach has helped the festival stand apart from the more familiar beach-and-nightlife image of the Riviera Maya. While Playa del Carmen and the surrounding coast are best known internationally for tourism, festivals such as PAAX GNP broaden the region’s cultural calendar and give the destination a different kind of high-season attraction, one aimed at audiences interested in performance, music and the arts.
The event also continues De la Parra’s broader effort to build a festival around artistic collaboration. The festival’s official history says PAAX GNP was created through her vision and launched in 2022 with support from GNP Seguros. The project has since continued annually, with De la Parra serving as artistic director and conductor.
For the Riviera Maya, the timing is also notable. The 2026 edition arrives during a summer when the region has been working to diversify its visitor experience, with local governments and tourism operators increasingly highlighting culture, gastronomy, music and community events alongside traditional beach tourism.
Festival PAAX GNP will continue through August 2, with performances at Hotel Xcaret Arte. Program and ticket information is available through the festival’s official website, festivalpaaxgnp.com, and through Hotel Xcaret’s event pages.
