Day of the Dead 2025: The Ultimate Guide for Celebrating in Mexico City
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Mexico City hosts the grandest and most elaborate Day of the Dead celebrations. In this post, I put together the ULTIMATE guide to celebrating Day of the Dead 2025 in the Mexican capital.
Disclosure: Booking your tour/accomodations via the links in this guide will earn me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Earnings will go back to the maintenance of The Thrill of Pursuit. Thanks for your support!
<3 Dominique
What is Day of the Dead?
Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos or Día de los Muertos in Spanish) is a lively Mexican celebration to honour deceased loved ones. UNESCO has added it to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is a very colourful holiday where the decor, music, food, and costumes are rich with meaning.
To get the full context on Day of the Dead traditions, check out my post about the Top 5 Things to Know About Day of the Dead in Mixquic, Mexico.
When is Day of the Dead 2025 celebrated?
Day of the Dead is traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2. However, you will find much of Mexico preparing for this holiday for the majority of October. For this reason, I would say that this is the best time of year to visit Mexico. Many parts of the country come alive with colour from cempasúchil (Aztec marigold) flowers and papel picado (colourful paper cut outs) used to decorate the occasion. Brass bands can be heard on the streets, accompanying parades big and small. Though the excitement around the holiday tends to wind down after November 2nd, Day of the Dead celebrations can last well into mid-November.
Who celebrates Day of the Dead?
While Day of the Dead is a very popular holiday in Mexico, it is not a statutory holiday. It is a bank holiday but not everyone gets the day off. Therefore, many Mexicans working in the cities (but with ties to smaller towns) cannot participate in the traditional activities more commonly observed in smaller towns and districts.
The activities that take place in celebration of the holiday are not universal and often vary from town to town.
Some examples of unique variances:
- In the state of Michoacán, the people light candles and ride winged boats to Janitzio on November 2. Janitzio is an island in the middle of Lake Pátzcuaro. There is a cemetery there and the Pátzcuaro residents go there to honor and celebrate the deceased.
- In the Purépecha Region, there is tradition where young men perform a dance called La Danza de los Viejitos (Dance of the Old Men). In this tradition, young men and boys dress like grandfathers and put on an energetic dance.
- In the town of Ocotepec, those who have lost loved ones within the previous year open their doors to visitors. The visitors are expected to gift veladoras (small wax candles) to show respect for the recently deceased. In return, the visitors receive tamales and atole. The visitors from the surrounding areas arrive early to eat for free and enjoy the elaborate altar set ups.
Why Celebrate Day of the Dead 2025 in Mexico City?
The biggest and most elaborate Day of the Dead celebrations can be found in Mexico City. Everything is relatively bigger in terms of parades, festivals, shows, ofrendas, and cemetery rituals. The proportions have grown to a scale where celebrations may not be as traditional in comparison to other Mexican cities and towns.
In the week leading up to Day of the Dead, Mexico City is bustling with activities related to the holiday. It definitely makes for a great first impression to the treasured Mexican tradition and CDMX itself.
In my opinion, Mexico City is at its best during the Day of the Dead season.
Travel tip: if you want to experience Day of the Dead in Mexico City with a local expert, check out this G Adventures tour. This was how I learned and experienced so much about the UNESCO protected holiday right in the Mexican capital!
How is Day of the Dead 2025 Being Celebrated in Mexico City?
Undoubtedly, the grandest celebration of Day of the Dead is Mexico City’s Gran Desfile de Día de Muertos or the Great Day of the Dead Parade. For 2025, the parade is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 1.
While preparations take a month and celebrations can last well into November, I would suggest that arriving at Mexico City a week before the Great Parade. During this week, some of the best Day of the Dead themed events are scheduled. There will be (smaller) parades, street parties, festivals, and outdoor markets to mark the occasion.
Below are some suggested Mexico City 2025 events to immerse yourself in the Mexican holiday. I have listed them in chronological order.
Looking for other ideas on what to do in CDMX? Check out 15 Wonderful Things To Do in Mexico City.
La Llorona at Xochimilco
When: runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday between October 4th to November 17th. Available daily between October 31st to November 3rd.
La Llorona is an open-air show set at Xochimilco (aka the Venice of Mexico that is found right in CDMX). To see the show, you will need to ride one of Xochimilco’s iconic trajineras (boats) through the canals after dark(!!!)
La Llorona is a famous character from Mexican folklore. She is the weeping ghost who is doomed to an eternity of looking for her lost children along river banks.
Travel tip: To avoid the hassle of getting in and out of Xochimilco, consider booking THIS tour for this experience.
Cempasúchil Festival
When: from October 17 to November 2 , open daily at 10 am to 8 pm.
At the Festival de Flores de Cempasúchil, you will find plenty of cempasúchil (Aztec marigold), as well as other types of flowers and items for your ofrenda. The festival takes place along the Paseo de le Reforma, between the Angel of Independence and the Glorieta del Ahuehuete.
Mega Procesión de las Catrinas
When: October 26th @ 6:00 pm
The Catrinas Parade is a separate parade from The Great Day of the Dead Parade. Absolutely everyone is welcome to join and march on Paseo de la Reforma in their best catrina (or catrín) garb to celebrate probably the most recognized icon of Día de Muertos.
For the latest updates on the parade and to sign up to be part of the parade, check out the official website for the Mega Procesión de las Catrinas.
Lucha Libre Día de Muertos Shows
When: October 31st to November 2nd
Lucha Libre is México’s version of professional wrestling. Besides futbol, it is one of the country’s biggest spectator activities. It’s campy. It’s quirky. You will learn some very COLOURFUL Spanish. It’s all in great fun.
On the weekend leading up to November 2, there are special Día de Muertos fights at Arena México. The ring gets transformed into the “Templo Mayor de Lucha Libre”.
Travel tip: for a night out to Arena México, book this Lucha Libre excursion which will take care of logistics and ticket purchase for you. Select October 31, November 1 or November 2 for the Day of the Dead themed nights.
Ópera de Día de Muertos
When: October 31st to November 2nd
Every year, there is usually a themed mega ofrenda at the Zocaló. This year the mega ofrenda will be accompanied by a film opera show. The concert will be in Mayan and Nahuatl languages
Gran Desfile de Día de Muertos
When: November 1
The main event where all other Day of the Dead events in Mexico City are centered around… The Great Day of the Dead Parade 2025 is scheduled for Saturday, November 1. The official start time is still TBD but for the last couple years, the parade has started around 2pm.
Here are some tips on how to catch the parade:
- the parade route usually starts at Chapultepec Park, proceeds along the Paseo de Reforma and ends at the Zócalo (aka the main square in the Centro Histórico).
- a local Guide suggested that I go along the Reforma near the Ángel de Independencia to get a good spot to watch the parade. I did as she suggested and found a great spot about 45 minutes before the start of the parade (it gets crowded, FYI).
- from what I hear, dates and times change all the time. For the latest updates on when the parade will actually take place, check the Festival de Día de Muertos or the Gobierno CDMX X/Twitter accounts.
Where To Stay in Mexico City for Day of the Dead 2025
Mexico City is one of my favourite cities in the world and one of the reasons is that it is super walkable. This is especially true if you stay somewhere in the downtown area.
Below are my hotel recommendations organized by budget. My recommendations are also highly based on the hotels’ walkability to many of the Day of the Dead 2025 activities/recommendations mentioned in this post.
Related read: to familiarize yourself CDMX neighbourhoods, check out Travel Guide to Mexico City: 7 Trendy Neighbourhoods to Explore
For budget travellers, I recommend the following hotels:
- Hotel Catedral in Centro Historico.
- Hotel Benedicta in Zona Rosa (I have stayed here and I have no complaints).
- Roma Conesa Hotel Boutique or Hotel Marbella in Roma Norte.
- Casa Melgar or ZAMORA By Mr. W near Chapultepec Castle.
If you are working with a mid-ranged budget, I recommend the following hotels:
- Historico Central Hotel in Centro Historico.
- Hotel Geneve in Zona Rosa (I have stayed here and, as a history nerd, absolutely loved it!)
- Stanza Hotel in Roma Norte.
- The Green Park Hotel Boutique or Grans Chapultepec Residencial near Chapultepec Castle.
For those looking for a luxury stay, I recommend the following hotels:
- Gran Hotel (Ciudad de Mexico) in Centro Historico.
- Sofitel Mexico City Reforma in Zona Rosa.
- Maison Celeste or ONTO Alvaro Obregon Mexico City in Roma Norte.
- Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City or Hotel Dama near Chapultepec Castle.
Posts about Mexico
Have you celebrated Day of the Dead in Mexico City? What were your favourite Day of the Dead events? Do you plan on celebrating Day of the Dead 2025 in Mexico City? I would love to hear from you in the comments below <3
