Playa del Carmen to Host International Mariachi Festival on September 26

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Playa del Carmen will host the International Mariachi Festival for the first time on September 26, when the City Theater welcomes Mariachi Sol de México, led by José Hernández, starting at 7 p.m.

Juan Carlos Masa, president of the organizing committee for the festival’s Quintana Roo edition, said the goal is to place the destination on the national circuit of an event that began 33 years ago in Jalisco and now takes place in several Mexican states, as well as in Colombia, the United States and other countries.

“When I realized the festival had already been replicated in other states and countries, I decided to bring it to Playa del Carmen,” said Masa, who has lived in the municipality for three decades and has 40 years of experience as a mariachi. He also belongs to the fourth generation of Mariachi Santa Ana, a Jalisco group with 125 years of history.

A Cultural Showcase in a Difficult Season

The promoter said the festival seeks to strengthen Mexican identity and broaden the municipality’s artistic offering with an international-caliber show.

However, he acknowledged that the mariachi sector is going through a difficult stretch because of low hotel occupancy in the destination. As a result, most of its income now comes from bookings for serenades and social events by local residents.

Hopes Pinned on Independence Day

Masa explained that the Fiestas Patrias, Mexico’s Independence Day celebrations, are the busiest period for musicians, since demand for performances rises sharply around September 15.

“For September 15 the economy does pick up and we are fully booked for that date; after those days, we have to figure out how to survive,” he said.

Despite the outlook, he expressed confidence that the International Mariachi Festival will help boost cultural and economic activity and become an annual fixture for Playa del Carmen.