Mérida Prepares for Festival de las Ánimas 2026

Mérida, Yucatán — The city government is moving ahead with preparations for the 2026 Festival de las Ánimas, the annual Day of the Dead celebration scheduled to run from Oct. 24 through Nov. 2.

This year’s program will again feature the traditional Paseo de las Ánimas, the Catrina parade and other events tied to the Janal Pixán, the Yucatecan observance of the dead. Organizers are also planning an editorial project exploring how funerary practices in the region have evolved into those of contemporary Mérida.

Karla Berrón Cámara, the city’s director of identity and culture, said the festival’s scale requires coordination across multiple municipal departments.

“It’s an effort we all at City Hall are making,” she said. “The content deals with cultural practices, but we’re organizing it together with the Social Development Department, and Tourism and Citizen Communication also participate. Many departments are involved and we’re making progress.”

Key events already confirmed include the Paseo de las Ánimas on Friday, Oct. 30, starting at 6 p.m. from the General Cemetery and ending at San Juan Park. The Catrina parade will follow on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 8 p.m. from the Plaza Grande.

The full lineup will be announced later, but this year’s edition is expected to include the Mucbipollo Fair, the monumental altar at Plaza Grande, the Ánimas bike ride and a videomapping show at La Ermita. Specific dates and times for those activities have not yet been released.

Book on funerary rites in the works

As part of the cultural projects tied to the season, Berrón Cámara confirmed that a publication is being developed to document funerary practices and how they have changed over time.

The book is coordinated by Dr. Mario Humberto Ruz Sosa and will trace the region’s funerary traditions before focusing on the customs that persist or have been transformed in the Yucatecan capital.

“The book is moving along,” the director said. “It’s being coordinated by Dr. Mario Humberto Ruz Sosa and takes a very interesting journey through the region’s funerary practices before landing on those of contemporary Mérida.”

Berrón Cámara said details on the publication and its distribution are still being finalized, but the goal is to present it in late November, after the festival concludes.