La Bamba por Playa 2026 Kicks Off With Community Peace Mural in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Children from the PAMAR program and older adults from the DIF Playa del Carmen day center joined local artists on Monday to unveil and repaint a community mural marking the start of the ninth consecutive edition of the La Bamba por Playa festival.

The mural, on Calle 8 between Avenidas 20 and 25 in the city’s downtown, was created by the local art collective Pinta o Muere and completed through a community intervention in which children and seniors stamped their hands in different colors — a symbol, organizers said, of identity, belonging, coexistence between generations and the collective building of peace.

The event was held on the International Day of Peace and Quintana Roo’s State Day of Peace, commemorated every Sept. 21 under a decree issued by the state Congress.

One Hand, One Color, One Story

Municipal officials, business representatives, sponsors, artists and volunteers joined the participants for the ceremonial opening.

After a ribbon-cutting, those present took part in a collective rendition of “La Bamba por Playa, por México y la Paz,” led by musicians Ariadna Cinta and Marcelo González.

Among those attending were Deyanira Martínez Estrada, general director of DIF Playa del Carmen; Gabriel Álvarez, director of the Municipal Youth Institute; Estefanía Hernández, secretary of Economic Development and Investment Attraction; Sebastián Morales, regional manager for Lokura FM; and Zulay Briones, a representative of the Museo Frida Kahlo Riviera Maya.

The participation of DIF Playa del Carmen through PAMAR and its day center brought children and older adults into the same artistic project, reinforcing the intergenerational and community character of this year’s edition.

Art Built by Everyone

For festival organizers, the mural is more than an artistic intervention: it is a way of carrying into public space the principle that a culture of peace is also built through participation, dialogue, coexistence and the positive use of community spaces.

The repainting continues one of the visual expressions that has accompanied the festival and once again places urban art at the meeting point between artists and residents. Paint manufacturer Comex supported the initiative.

Festival Runs Sept. 21-26

The mural unveiling marked the official start of La Bamba por Playa 2026, which runs through Sept. 26 with musical, artistic, cultural and community activities.

This year’s lineup again features national artists, roots-inspired acts, original music projects and emerging talent from Playa del Carmen, along with programming tied to identity, culture and citizen participation.

The full lineup and the official 2026 program have been published on the festival’s social media accounts and at labambaxplaya.com.

Across nine consecutive editions, La Bamba has kept to its aim of using music and art as tools for pacification and community gathering, creating spaces where artists, residents, institutions, companies and younger generations come together around culture.