Xcaret Festival of Life and Death Returns for 20th Edition With Guanajuato as Guest State

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Xcaret’s Festival of Life and Death returns October 30 through November 2, celebrating its 20th anniversary with four evenings of altars, traditional food, music, theater, dance and Day of the Dead traditions from across Mexico. This year’s guest state is Guanajuato, bringing a substantial contingent of artists, cooks and artisans to the Riviera Maya.

The scale of the festival has grown considerably since its first edition. Organizers are planning more than 200 performances across 12 stages, involving approximately 350 artists from 30 groups. Festival activities begin at 4:00 PM and are spread throughout Xcaret, transforming much of the park with candles, marigolds, catrinas, ofrendas and performances that continue into the evening.

Guanajuato Comes to the Riviera Maya

Xcaret’s guest-state tradition is one of the more interesting aspects of the festival because Día de Muertos is not celebrated exactly the same way throughout Mexico. This year’s edition brings the customs of central Mexico together with the Maya traditions of Quintana Roo and the Yucatán Peninsula.

Guanajuato is sending 127 artists for 78 performances, including the Estudiantina and Ballet Folklórico of the University of Guanajuato, huapango arribeño from the Sierra Gorda, traditional dance, theater and regional music.

The state will also contribute five altars and installations, including Chupícuaro: Ofrenda de los Ancestros, inspired by the ancient Chupícuaro culture that developed in what is now Guanajuato. Workshops will introduce visitors to regional traditions including Pan de Muerto de Acámbaro, ceremonial tortillas and molcajete salsa.

37 Altars, and Plenty to Discover Between Them

The festival will feature 37 Day of the Dead altars, including two monumental installations, but visitors shouldn’t expect to find everything concentrated in one festival area. Part of the experience is moving through Xcaret and discovering smaller performances, catrinas, musicians, workshops and ofrendas along the way.

The altars are also an opportunity to see beyond the familiar commercial imagery of Día de Muertos. Flowers, candles, photographs, favorite foods and personal objects are placed to remember the dead, while the designs and rituals surrounding them vary considerably between communities.

Music ranges from mariachi and estudiantina to sones, huapango and traditional music of the Yucatán Peninsula. Theater, puppetry, storytelling, folkloric ballet and contemporary dance are also included throughout the four nights.

Come Hungry

Food is a major part of this year’s program. Eighteen traditional cooks from Guanajuato and Quintana Roo will prepare regional dishes during the festival, creating a good opportunity to try foods that aren’t commonly found on Riviera Maya restaurant menus.

Announced dishes include mole de xoconostle, mole verde de chile de chorro, caldo capón and tamal de muerto from central Mexico alongside Peninsula favorites such as mucbipollo, relleno negro and cochinita pibil.

An artisan market adds ceramics, leatherwork, silver, cartonería, candles, woodwork and other regional products to the mix. Families will also find children’s activities at Hacienda Niñ@s, with hands-on programming inspired by Guanajuato.

Pandora and Flans Headline October 31

One of the biggest events of the anniversary edition happens on October 31, when Pandora and Flans bring their +Inesperado Tour to Xcaret’s Gran Tlachco theater.

There is one important catch: the gala concert is not included with standard Festival of Life and Death admission. Anyone who wants to attend needs to purchase either a festival package that specifically includes the Gala Concert or a separate concert ticket.

That distinction is worth checking carefully before buying, particularly for visitors planning their festival night around the performance.

How to Get Tickets

Tickets are sold through the official Festival of Life and Death website, and the choices are easier to understand if you first decide what kind of visit you want.

Buy Festival of Life and Death tickets

Quintana Roo, Yucatán and Campeche residents can purchase special Peninsular resident admission with valid government-issued photo identification proving residency. This is a good option for locals primarily interested in arriving for the festival rather than spending a full day at Xcaret.

Visitors who want a full day at Xcaret can instead purchase one of the park admission options available for their chosen date and remain for the festival as activities begin in the afternoon. Prices vary according to the package and purchasing conditions, so the current price shown in Xcaret’s ticket system should be checked when booking.

If Pandora and Flans are part of your plans, select October 31 and look specifically for an option that includes the Concierto de Gala. Regular festival admission alone does not include it.

Xcaret also offers transportation options during the purchase process, including ADO service, which may be useful for visitors staying in Playa del Carmen or elsewhere in the Riviera Maya.

Don’t Try to See Everything

With more than 200 performances, 37 altars, workshops, food, exhibits and 12 stages, this isn’t an event where checking every item off the program is realistic. Visitors will probably get more out of the evening by choosing a few performances they particularly want to see and leaving plenty of time to wander.

That is really where Xcaret’s Festival of Life and Death works best. Rather than watching Día de Muertos from a seat, visitors move through a park filled with music, food, candles, flowers, altars and performers representing traditions from different parts of Mexico.

For its 20th anniversary, adding Guanajuato to that mix gives even repeat visitors something genuinely different to see — and eat.

Festival of Life and Death | October 30–November 2, 2026 | Xcaret Park
Festival activities begin at 4:00 PM. Tickets should be purchased through the official Festival of Life and Death website.