Puerto Vallarta is getting ready to embrace the rich traditions and iconic colors of one of Mexico’s most cherished holidays as it hosts the 2026 Día de Muertos Festival. As part of Jalisco’s Festival de las Ánimas (Festival of Souls), this year’s program turns the city into a continuous celebration featuring giant catrina figures, community altars, live music, traditional dance, nighttime cemetery tours, and a grand procession winding its way toward the sea.
While the primary festivities run from October 31 through November 2, a broad lineup of complementary events stretches across twelve days, from October 28 to November 8. Public spaces throughout the city – including the Malecón, the Historic Center, Cuale Island, and the Romantic Zone – will host activities designed for locals and visitors alike.
Early events begin on Wednesday, October 28, with the setup of an open-air exhibition featuring 50 giant Catrinas along the Malecón. Crafted by local artists, neighborhood businesses, and institutions, these elaborate figures will remain on display through November 3. That same evening, an ancestral ceremony and offering takes place at the La Isla Shopping Mall amphitheater at 7:30 pm.
By Friday, October 30, the festival expands significantly across multiple venues. Hidalgo Park opens its own Catrinas gallery starting at 6:00 pm, while the Plaza de Armas in front of City Hall inaugurates its official altars at 6:30 pm, accompanied by a traditional pan de muerto tasting. As evening falls at 7:00 pm, visitors can catch a Catrina fashion showcase at Los Arcos del Malecón, live music at the Plaza de Armas kiosk, or a outdoor Mexican horror film screening inside the 5 de Diciembre Municipal Cemetery.
Nighttime highlights on October 30 also feature a special video mapping show projected opposite the Plaza de Armas from 7:30 to 10:30 pm, created by multimedia students from the University Center of the Coast (CUCosta). To wrap up the evening, the Ballet Folclórico Gente Buena of Aguascalientes takes the stage at Los Arcos from 8:00 to 9:00 pm.
Weekend programming builds momentum on Saturday, October 31. Live mariachi music fills the Plaza de Armas at 6:00 pm, followed by a 7:00 pm concert at Lázaro Cárdenas Park and a neighborhood Day of the Dead fair along Pípila Street.
Over at the 5 de Diciembre Cemetery, storytellers gather at 7:00 p.m. to share local legends, leading into an interactive theatrical walk among the headstones at 8:00 pm. Pípila Street simultaneously hosts an ancestral dance performance, while the Gente Buena Folkloric Ballet delivers an encore performance on the Malecón.
Sunday, November 1, marks one of the centerpiece moments of the entire festival. At 7:00 pm, the official unveiling of La Guardiana del Océano (the World’s Largest Catrina) takes place in front of the Malecón Lighthouse. During the day, artists will unveil new public murals at the 5 de Diciembre Cemetery, which continues its evening legend walks, tomb stories, and video mapping projections through the Historic Center.
The climax of the holiday arrives on Monday, November 2, with La Marea de las Ánimas (the Grand Day of the Dead Parade). Groups begin assembling at 5:30 pm outside the 5 de Diciembre Municipal Cemetery before setting off at 6:00 pm. The procession features colorful catrinas, dynamic dance troupes, live musical groups, and traditional cultural displays as it flows through the city streets, concluding around 8:00 pm near the Los Muertos Beach Pier. Concurrent musical performances will entertain crowds at Lázaro Cárdenas Park and the Plaza de Armas.
Special extended programming carries the festive spirit into the following week. Tuesday, November 3, focuses on remembered pets through the Huellas que vuelven a casa (“Footprints That Return Home”) theme. A community dog walk named Huellitas del más allá (“Little Pawprints from Beyond”) steps off from 31st of October Street at 6:00 pm, heading toward Los Arcos del Malecón. Shortly after, at 7:15 pm, a dedicated pet altar will be inaugurated on the esplanade of the Vallarta Institute of Culture on Cuale Island.
Cultural performances round out the festival’s final days. On Friday, November 6, the acclaimed Ballet Xiutla performs a special holiday showcase at Lázaro Cárdenas Park. On Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8, the Yolotl Atlapech Folkloric Ballet brings Xantolo: la fiesta grande de la Huasteca hidalguense (“Xantolo: The Great Festival of the Huasteca Region of Hidalgo”) to Los Arcos del Malecón at 7:00 pm each evening.
Throughout the twelve-day run, local shop owners, hotel operators, and residents in the Historic Center and Romantic Zone are joining in through Fachadas y balcones que guardan memoria (“Facades and Balconies That Hold Memory”), decorating doorways and balconies with marigold flowers and hand-cut papel picado banner displays.
With twelve days of lively traditions, community displays, and rich artistic performances, Puerto Vallarta’s 2026 Día de Muertos Festival offers a deeply meaningful honor to past generations while uniting residents and visitors in celebration.
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