Festivals and cultural events Mexico

The Festival Internacional de Jazz y Blues de San Miguel de Allende is one of the most important jazz and blues events in Latin America. Attracting artists from all over the world (Latin music, world music, jazz, blues, gipsy, gypsy jazz, funk and swing), it offers a series of monthly concerts throughout the year, although the highlight of the event takes place in mid-November at the Angela Peralta Theatre. Tickets available from the theater box office

Cumbre Tajin is a cultural festival that was established in 2000. Also known as the Festival of Identity, its objective was to make known the Totonac culture and to help its preservation. The events are spread over 3 sites: the city of Papantla, the archaeological area El Tajín and the Takilhsukut exhibition park. The program includes traditional and contemporary music concerts, sound and light shows, gastronomic tastings, conferences, handicraft sales, and the performance of indigenous therapies and ceremonies.

The Miguel Bernal Jímenez Music Festival (named after the famous Mexican composer and organist), which was founded in 1989, is a major classical music event in Morelia. Also focused on exchange and education, the festival received the Mozart Prize from the Austrian government in 2009. Major orchestras perform at the festival, including the Mexico City Philharmonic.

The pastorelas are a kind of medieval mystery about the journey of the Magi to see the Child Jesus. They take place in the Vasco Quiroga square during the Christmas holidays. Eight villages take part in this event with masked dances simulating the struggle between angels and demons, including San Lorenzo, Santa María Huiramangaro and Sevina. It is interesting to visit these communities, as each has its own dances, rituals and costumes. The masks are made by craftsmen and are impressive in their color and diversity.

The Festival Internacional de Guitarra de Morelia was born in 1991 on the initiative of guitarist Raúl Olmos. During one week, the program includes a guitar contest, numerous concerts, courses, but also exhibitions of instruments and photos on this theme. The vast majority of the festivities take place at the Teatro Ocampo in Morelia, just a few minutes from the Zócalo, but other venues throughout the city also host certain events.

This festival was created in 2003 to showcase new talent in Mexican cinema. Four categories are in competition at this event, which is known throughout the world for the quality of its screenings: Mexican short film, Mexican documentary, Mexican feature film, and the Michoacán section. It's a bit like our Cannes Film Festival! International artists such as Werner Herzog or Gus Van Sant always participate in the event.

The International Street Theatre Festival was born in 2001 on the initiative of the Institute of Culture of Zacatecas to bring theatre back to where it was born - the street - and to allow the general public to discover this discipline through the spectacular works and productions of renowned national and international companies. The only hitch for fans of the performing arts is that it is sometimes scheduled on the same dates as the Cervantino de Guanajuato...

The major event of the city of Guadalajara takes place in October with Fiestas de Octubre. A large number of festivities are organised for the occasion: colourful parades, sale of handicrafts or trinkets, exhibitions, stalls selling local specialities, beauty contests... All this is done to music, with concerts of traditional music and mariachis. It is a very popular festival with families, which is meant to be joyful and which usually extends a little into the beginning of November.

Created in 1987, this artistic festival offers concerts, theatrical performances, dance shows, plastic arts creations... It welcomes national and international stars but also more discreet events of jazz, classical guitar, opera and chamber music. The activities take place in the open air or in the city's performance halls. Religious celebrations are also numerous: Stations of the Cross, liturgical acts and processions.

For a week, a book fair is organised on the Place Square and in various museums in the historic centre. On this occasion, editorial houses come to present the titles they publish, and different artistic and cultural activities are planned to promote reading between the population. 

Every year, on the occasion of Gay Gay Day, gay, lesbian and especially community in Mexico City organizes a huge demonstration that leaves the Monument to Independence and ends on the Place du Zócalo.

This travelling documentary film festival, created in 2005 on the initiative of Mexican actors Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal, has the particularity of travelling to several regions of Mexico: Mexico City, Chihuahua, Baja California, Coahuila, Jalisco, Michoacán, Puebla. More than 100 documentaries are presented each year, in as many locations. The screenings take place in traditional cinemas as well as in cultural spaces or in the open air. See the website for the program.

Founded in 1997 at the initiative of the French Embassy and the French Alliance of Mexico, this festival allows you to discover French films and Mexican short films of recent production. Several cinés from the capital participate in the event. Consult the programming on the Web site. 

The International Book Festival held in Guadalajara is the largest literary event in Latin America. Each year it attracts an audience of more than 700,000 people. The event provides an opportunity to discover the publications of nearly 200 publishing houses from dozens of different countries, to attend literary debates and conferences, and to participate in various cultural and artistic activities.

One of the most important festivals in Mexico is held in the capital's baseball stadium, Foro Sol. It's the Mecca for rock fans, who gather there every year to celebrate international and national stars. It's a chance to listen to rock music in Spanish (but not only) for the first time in your life. Other musical styles are represented, including ska and reggae bands. Warm up for two days and face five stages. Vive Latino is one of the biggest rock festivals in Latin America.

Mexico's major cultural festival, comparable to our Avignon Festival. Thousands of artists from all over the world come together to perform dance, theater and concerts. Venues range from cultural centers to theaters and busy streets. For the most coveted performances, it's advisable to book months in advance. An unmissable experience for travelers in search of culture and entertainment.