Reforma Avenue hosts El Camino from 23 October to 8 November
Published on 10/24/2026 at 14:41 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSLight installation and avenue history
- Mexico City’s tourism portal lists El Camino from 23 October to 8 November 2026 along Reforma Avenue.
- Catrinas, xoloitzcuintles, altars, papel picado and cempasúchil flowers shape the installation’s Day of the Dead route.
- Maximilian of Habsburg commissioned the avenue’s design in the 1860s to connect Chapultepec Castle with the historic centre.
Reforma Avenue (Paseo de la Reforma) in Mexico City is hosting El Camino, a Day of the Dead light installation running from 23 October to 8 November 2026. The route links the Angel of Independence with the Puerta de los Leones at the entrance to Chapultepec Park.
El Camino brings Day of the Dead imagery to Reforma
Mexico City’s official tourism portal lists El Camino as a monumental installation of light and colour. Its route recreates a journey between the world of the living and the dead through figures and objects associated with the celebration.
The installation includes xoloitzcuintles, catrinas, altars, papel picado and cempasĂşchil flowers. These elements turn the central avenue into a linear public display rather than a single enclosed venue, so the event is experienced along the section between the two named landmarks. The official 2026 programme gives both the dates and the location.
Reforma Avenue connects imperial planning with the installation
The avenue was commissioned in the 1860s by Maximilian of Habsburg, who planned it as a connection between Chapultepec Castle and the entrance to the historic centre. It was first known as Paseo de la Emperatriz before later political change gave it its current name.
That original connection helps explain the setting chosen for El Camino in 2026. The installation occupies part of the same broad urban axis that was designed to join the castle and the city centre, placing a contemporary seasonal work along a route with nineteenth-century origins. Mexico City’s visitor authority describes the avenue’s history and its present role as a corridor of roundabouts, towers and tree-lined areas in its avenue history guide.
Day of the Dead events continue along the avenue
El Camino is part of a wider 2026 programme in which Reforma Avenue also hosts a cempasúchil flower festival from 18 October to 1 November. The official calendar lists 140 floriculturists and agroecological producers from the Mexico City boroughs of Tláhuac, Milpa Alta and Xochimilco for that event.
Other listed activities include a cycle ride on 24 October, the Mega Procession of the Catrinas on 25 October and the Great Day of the Dead Parade on 31 October. The parade is scheduled to leave the Diana Cazadora roundabout and continue to the ZĂłcalo, extending the seasonal programme beyond the illuminated route.
Visiting Reforma Avenue: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- El Camino runs from 23 October to 8 November 2026 between the Angel of Independence and the Puerta de los Leones.
- The installation is an outdoor route along the avenue, with access points distributed between the two named landmarks rather than one museum entrance.
- Reforma Avenue is in Mexico City and forms a route between Chapultepec Park and the historic centre, with the Angel of Independence and Puerta de los Leones marking the listed section.
- The setting includes a broad urban avenue, roundabouts and tree-lined areas; the event’s stated content includes illuminated figures, altars, flowers and papel picado.
- Mexico’s official language is Spanish and its national currency is the Mexican peso.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Reforma Avenue on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Reforma Avenue
When does El Camino take place at Reforma Avenue?
El Camino runs from 23 October to 8 November 2026 between the Angel of Independence and the Puerta de los Leones.
What is Reforma Avenue?
It is a major Mexico City avenue commissioned in the 1860s by Maximilian of Habsburg as a connection between Chapultepec Castle and the historic centre.
Where is Reforma Avenue and how do you get there?
The listed installation section lies between the Angel of Independence and the Puerta de los Leones at Chapultepec Park in Mexico City.
