Mitla hosts Day of the Dead festivities through 2 November
Published on 10/31/2026 at 10:38 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂŒller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSProgramme and access in Oaxaca
- Municipal festivities run from 15 October to 2 November 2026 in Mitla.
- 29 October brings a comparsa, while 30 October adds funeral music at the municipal esplanade.
- Oaxaca City visitors can reach the town by bus or colectivo from named departure points.
Mitla hosts its Day of the Dead festivities from 15 October to 2 November 2026, bringing illuminated paths, exhibitions, music and community traditions to the town in Oaxaca. The programme gives visitors several public dates around the main remembrance days rather than a single event.
Mitla programme runs through 2 November
The municipal programme includes Guardianes del Mictlan, an exhibition of Catrinas in the town centre, and Camino al Mictlan, which illuminates the Grupo del Arroyo and El Calvario areas on selected October dates. Ofrenda Viva, a Day of the Dead market, runs in the centre from 24 October to 1 November.
The schedule also includes Entre Panes y Colores, Vive Mitla, with visits to bakeries and pan de muerto painting through 30 October. On 28 October, Cinema Intercultural is scheduled in the Grupo del Arroyo area, while Comparsa Calavera follows on 29 October from the municipal cemetery with bands, music and costumes. The municipal programme dates also list MĂșsica para el Alma on 30 October at the municipal esplanade.
Altars and flower routes connect Mitla to Oaxaca
From 31 October to 1 November, Choganuu Togool centres on visits to traditional altars. Community cemetery visits are planned for 1 November, followed on 2 November by a childrenâs comparsa and costume contest and the Ritmos de Cempasuchil public dance.
The programme links the townâs local observances with the wider state season. The Oaxaca government lists a cempasuchil route from 26 October to 3 November that includes San Pablo Villa de Mitla among its destinations, as well as two monumental sculptures in the town. This places the local schedule within a state programme of more than 100 activities, while retaining a distinctly community-based focus on altars, cemeteries, processions and music. The state programme announcement was issued on 22 October 2026.
What the late-October dates mean for visitors
For travellers, the programme spreads activity across the final days of October and the first two days of November. The most specific access points are in the town centre, the municipal cemetery, the municipal esplanade and the Grupo del Arroyo area, so the itinerary changes according to the date.
The schedule also shows why a daytime visit and an evening visit offer different experiences. Bakery activities, the market and the Catrina exhibition are daytime cultural stops, while the illuminated routes, altar visits, comparsa and funeral music are tied to particular dates and locations. The programme does not turn every part of the archaeological site into an event venue; it distributes activities through the wider town and its community spaces.
Visiting Mitla: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The main programme runs from 15 October to 2 November 2026. Specific dates include the comparsa on 29 October, MĂșsica para el Alma on 30 October and community cemetery visits on 1 November.
- Events are scheduled in the town centre, at the municipal cemetery, the municipal esplanade and the Grupo del Arroyo area. The programme includes exhibitions, illuminated routes, altar visits, music and public processions.
- From Oaxaca City, buses and colectivos for Mitla leave from the Central de Abastos or Boulevard José Vasconcelos. Vehicles display the destination name.
- The local language is Spanish and the national currency is the Mexican peso.
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Frequently asked questions about Mitla
When do the Day of the Dead festivities take place at Mitla?
The municipal programme runs from 15 October to 2 November 2026, with separate activities on selected dates.
What can visitors see at Mitla during the programme?
The schedule includes Catrina displays, illuminated routes, a Day of the Dead market, traditional altars, music, processions and community cemetery visits.
Where is Mitla and how do you get there?
Mitla is in Oaxaca, and buses or colectivos can be taken from the Central de Abastos or Boulevard José Vasconcelos in Oaxaca City.
