Oaxaca has not shown us its 2026 Day of the Dead program on the official pages we could read. The city and the state both posted detailed programs for 2025, with dates from 28 October to 8 November, and we use them as the pattern, clearly labelled. The bus and flight facts from Mexico City are from ADO, the state tourism site and the airport operator ASUR, and we say where a page blocked us. We read what we could on 12 October 2026.

What is official for 2026

Note: Oaxaca state tourism site, "La Fiesta Más Viva de Todas": more than 100 activities that fill the streets with colour, music and tradition. The page links to an event list (the Cartelera) and shows no dates or places for the days. The tourist information office is at Av. Juárez 703, Centro, Oaxaca de Juárez, phone 951 502 1200, extension 1203 (oaxaca.travel, read 12 Oct 2026). Its pictures and a related article are from October 2025

That is all that is official for 2026 on the pages we could read. The state government's site, oaxaca.gob.mx, returned an access error to us, so the program may already be on that site. Ask the tourist office, or look at the Cartelera on oaxaca.travel in the last two weeks of October.

The main days are 1 and 2 November. In 2026 that is Sunday and Monday. Saturday 31 October is also a night of street events in the city, based on last year's program.

Last year's dates, as the pattern

Hours: 2025 city program, Oaxaca de Juárez: 28 Oct to 8 Nov 2025. Magna Comparsa on 30 Oct. The show "Oaxaca se vive hasta la muerte" on 31 Oct. A women's comparsa from San Matías Jalatlaco on 8 Nov. The Tzompantli exhibition at Parque El Llano had no date. The city said it would reinforce security, cleaning and order at cemeteries and public spaces (municipal bulletin, 21 Oct 2025, read 12 Oct 2026)

Hours: 2025 Gran Comparsa: Friday 31 Oct 2025, 18:00, from the Fuente de las Ocho Regiones to the Alameda de León, with catrinas, fantastic figures, mamertos, mojigangas and allegorical floats. Organisers: the state's culture and tourism offices (oaxaca.travel event page, read 12 Oct 2026)

The 2025 city bulletin names no cemeteries and gives no hours for them. We cannot tell you which cemetery to visit on which night. Ask the tourist office. For manners, the same rule applies as in Mexico City: ask before taking photos, and stay quiet and respectful.

The bus from Mexico City

Getting there: ADO Mexico City terminal TAPO: Liga de Carreteros 77, 7 de Julio, Venustiano Carranza. Open 00:00 to 23:59, phone (55) 5350 8737. ADO lists Oaxaca among the destinations from there (ADO terminal page, read 12 Oct 2026)

Getting there: ADO Oaxaca terminal: 5 de Mayo 1016, Barrio de Jalatlaco, 68080. Open 00:00 to 23:59, phone (951) 501 6263. It has luggage storage, a cash machine, a waiting room and "safe taxis". A second ADO terminal is at Periférico 600 (ADO terminal page, read 12 Oct 2026)

ADO's ticket page for TAPO to Oaxaca loads its times and prices with a script that did not run for us on 12 or 15 October 2026, so we give no trip time or departure times for this route. Check them on ADO's site or app.

The ADO Oaxaca terminal page tells people in Mexico City to take a bus from the Central del Norte terminal. The TAPO terminal page lists Oaxaca too. We could not settle which departure points serve Oaxaca, so check the ticket you buy.

For Day of the Dead week, buy the bus ticket early. We have no data on how full the buses are.

The airport bus, and flying

Getting there: ADO blog (undated): a direct bus between the Mexico City airport Terminal 2, in the domestic arrivals area, and the Oaxaca terminal. Leaves the airport at 08:15 and arrives at 14:20 in Oaxaca. The other way it leaves Oaxaca at 21:00 and arrives at 04:30, 966 pesos at the counter or 773 pesos online with a card, and prices may change (ADO blog, read 12 Oct 2026)

The blog says both "less than six hours" and a 04:30 arrival from a 21:00 start, which is 7.5 hours, so its own times do not agree. Treat the times as approximate and check the ticket.

Getting there: Flying: Oaxaca's airport is OAX, named Aeropuerto Internacional Xoxocotlán by its operator ASUR. ASUR's airline page for Oaxaca lists Aeroméxico, VivaAerobus and Volaris as domestic airlines and United Airlines as an international one (ASUR, "Oaxaca - Aerolíneas, Links & Tours", read 15 Oct 2026; the page shows no date)

The ASUR list does not say which cities each airline flies from. Check the airlines for flights from Mexico City and the US.

State tourism lists the drive from Mexico City at about 5 hours 45 minutes. ADO's blog times its airport bus at about 6 to 7.5 hours. For a trip that is only a few days long, a flight saves most of a day, but we have no 2026 schedule or fare.

Where to ask

Note: Tourist information module: 951 502 1200, extension 1203, and atencionalturista@oaxaca.travel. Tourist Protection Center: extension 1204. Emergencies: 911. Ángeles Verdes road help: 078. Guides and operators can be checked in Sectur's guide list and the national tourism register, both linked from the site (oaxaca.travel, read 12 Oct 2026). We did not test the numbers

If you live in the US but are not a US citizen

Indian, Filipino and Chinese passport holders: Mexican consulates in the US say a valid US visa or green card replaces a Mexican visa, and EAD cards and I-797 forms do not. Which US visa types count is not confirmed. Dates and sources are on our Mexico entry page.

What is checked here and what is not

Checked on 12 October 2026: the Oaxaca state tourism site (oaxaca.travel) pages on Day of the Dead, the 2025 Gran Comparsa and its home page, the Oaxaca municipal bulletin of 21 October 2025, ADO's terminal pages for TAPO and Oaxaca, and ADO's blog post on the airport route. Read on 15 October 2026: ASUR's airline page for Oaxaca airport.

Not checked: the state government's site oaxaca.gob.mx, which blocked our browser, so we have not read any 2026 program, cemetery list or hotel report from it. ADO's ticket page for the route, which loaded blank. Any Oaxaca cemetery hours or date. Flight routes, schedules and fares. We did not check hotels, prices or crowds, and we did not travel on the bus.