Walk Into the Season on Paseo de la Reforma
It begins in mid-October, when the alebrijes arrive. On Saturday 17 October 2026 at noon, the Monumental Alebrijes Parade sets out from the Zócalo and travels up to the Ángel de la Independencia — a procession of giant fantastical creatures, part jaguar, part skeleton, part impossible color. After the parade, the figures stay on display along Paseo de la Reforma until 8 November, a free open-air exhibition you can wander at your own pace. Walk it in the late afternoon, when the light drops and the crowds thin, and you get the whole avenue to yourself and a few hundred papier-mâché monsters.
The season runs from 17 October into early November, three weekends of parades, processions and street life. Día de Muertos itself falls on 1–2 November, and has been UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2008. All three major parades are free to attend.
Stand on Reforma for the Catrinas and the Gran Desfile
On Sunday 25 October at 18:00, the Mega Procesión de Catrinas moves from the Ángel de la Independencia to the Zócalo — hundreds of costumed catrinas in pre-Hispanic, classic, circus and illuminated styles, the skeleton figure of the season rendered at every scale. Then on Saturday 31 October comes the Gran Desfile de Día de Muertos, now in its tenth edition. It follows its traditional route from Puerta de los Leones in Chapultepec Park, along Paseo de la Reforma, to the Zócalo. The 2026 theme honors Mexican icons Juan Gabriel, Lola Beltrán, José Alfredo Jiménez and Blanca Estela Pavón, alongside sections on pre-Hispanic death mythology and folk art. Exact times are confirmed by the city closer to the date.
- Best sightlines: Reforma between Diana Cazadora and the Ángel; the Bellas Artes area for the final approach.
- Arrive at least an hour early. The route closes to traffic on parade days, and Zócalo crowds can exceed one million on parade day.
- Getting there: take the metro or Metrobús rather than a car. Rideshare surge pricing after events is extreme.
The Mexico City parade was created in 2016, inspired by the fictional sequence in the James Bond film Spectre; a special World Cup edition ran down Reforma in June 2026.
Find the Ofrendas, and Sit With the Season's Food
On 1–2 November, ofrendas appear in homes, markets and public squares across the city — altars stacked with marigolds, candles, photographs and the offerings the season calls for. This is the quiet counterweight to the parades: go into the markets, look closely, and buy what the stalls are selling. The same days bring the cemetery vigil at Mixquic, in the southeast of Mexico City, on the night of 1 November. Ofrendas and cemetery vigils are family rituals, not performances; ask before photographing people at gravesides, at Mixquic and San Andrés.
Know What Else Is On, and When to Come
The autumn calendar is crowded beyond the parades. The Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix runs 30 October – 1 November at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, and Corona Capital follows on 20–22 November. If you want the full run of Día de Muertos events, plan your trip around the three weekends from 17 October to early November — and expect the city to be at its busiest on 31 October and the first two days of November.
Start With the Dates, Then Build the Trip
Book around 17 October if you want the alebrijes while they're still on the move, and stay through 8 November if you'd rather see them parked along Reforma. Block out the evening of 25 October for the catrinas and the day of 31 October for the Gran Desfile, keep 1–2 November for the ofrendas and the vigil at Mixquic, and leave the rest of your days to the markets and the street life in between. Confirm parade times with the city as the date approaches, then go.