Day of the Dead on F1 weekend

When is Day of the Dead 2026 in Mexico City?

Día de Muertos is on 1 and 2 November 2026: 1 November remembers children who have died, 2 November adults. Mexico City celebrates for weeks before that, with the monumental alebrijes parade on 17 October, the Catrinas procession on 25 October and the big Day of the Dead parade on Saturday 31 October.

Families build ofrendas (altars) with photos, marigolds (cempasúchil), candles, pan de muerto and the favourite food and drink of the people they remember, and spend the night of 1–2 November with them in the cemeteries.

When and where is the Day of the Dead parade?

The Gran Desfile de Día de Muertos 2026 is on Saturday 31 October, starting at 12:00 from the Puerta de los Leones in Chapultepec Park and running along Paseo de la Reforma to the Zócalo. It is free and about 1.5 million people watched in 2025, so find a spot on Reforma well before noon.

The giant alebrijes (fantastical painted creatures) from the 17 October parade stay on show along Reforma, between the Ángel de la Independencia and the Estela de Luz, until 8 November: an easy evening walk on any day of the race weekend.

Can I see the parade and F1 qualifying on the same day?

Yes, if you leave early. Qualifying is at 15:00 on Saturday at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, across the city from the parade. Watch the first floats near Chapultepec at noon, then take the Metro (Line 1 to Tacubaya, then Line 9 to Velódromo or Ciudad Deportiva). Allow about an hour and a half: roads around Reforma are closed.

Short on time on Saturday? The alebrijes on Reforma are on show every evening of the race weekend, and if you arrive a week early the Catrinas procession runs on Sunday 25 October (18:00, from the Ángel de la Independencia to the Zócalo). Taxis and rideshares get stuck near the parade route, so use the Metro on parade day.

What happens on 1 and 2 November?

The Grand Prix at 14:00 is on Sunday 1 November, the first Day of the Dead, and Monday 2 November is the main day for remembering adults. If you can stay on Monday, that is the best day to see ofrendas in Coyoacán and the city centre; the candle-lit cemetery vigils in Mixquic run through the night of 1–2 November.

Where can I see Day of the Dead in Mexico City?

The Zócalo and Centro Histórico for the parade finish and big ofrendas; Coyoacán for altars, flowers and street stalls around its plazas; San Andrés Mixquic for the most traditional cemetery vigil; and Xochimilco for boat rides on the canals with night-time Day of the Dead shows. Mixquic and Xochimilco are easiest on a guided tour.

Zócalo & Centro Histórico

Where the parade ends. Ofrendas in the main square, museums and churches; on Metro Line 2 for the circuit.

Coyoacán

Colourful altars, marigolds and pan de muerto around Jardín Centenario and Plaza Hidalgo; liveliest in the evenings of 31 October to 2 November.

San Andrés Mixquic (Tláhuac)

The best-known cemetery vigil, lit by thousands of candles on the night of 1–2 November. About 1.5 hours from the centre; go with a tour.

Xochimilco

Trajinera boat rides on the canals, with Day of the Dead night shows around this time of year.

Tips for Day of the Dead during the Grand Prix

Book Day of the Dead tours and restaurants early: F1 weekend and Día de Muertos fill the city at the same time. Use the Metro on parade day, carry small peso notes for street food and pan de muerto, and in cemeteries ask before photographing families at their graves.