The official dates are out, and the big ones are Saturday 31 October 2026 for the Great Day of the Dead Parade and 29 October to 2 November for the ofrenda in the Zócalo. Everything below is from Mexico City's tourism guide, which we read on 12 October 2026. The page shows no date on it. It does not say if events are free, except the Zócalo concerts, so we say "not stated" where it is silent.

The dates, in order

Hours: All dates from the Mexico City tourism guide, "Day of the Dead 2026 in Mexico City", page undated, read 12 Oct 2026. Sat 17 Oct: 18th Monumental Alebrije Parade, Zócalo to Reforma, organised by the Museo de Arte Popular. 18 Oct to 1 Nov: Cempasúchil Flower Festival on Reforma, between the Angel of Independence and the Ahuehuete, an expo-sale of flowers. 23 Oct to 8 Nov: "The Path" lights on Reforma, from the Angel to the Puerta de los Leones

Hours: Sat 24 Oct, 19:00 to 23:00: Day of the Dead bike ride, 19 km from the Fuente de Petróleos to the Historic Center. Sun 25 Oct: Mega Procession of the Catrinas on Reforma, no time given. 29 Oct to 2 Nov: Monumental Ofrenda in the Zócalo, with free concerts. 29 Oct to 2 Nov: community ofrendas at 12 places, including Plaza de las Tres Culturas in Tlatelolco and parks in Coyoacán. 29 Oct to 4 Nov: Zócalo lighting on the Government and Mercaderes buildings (same guide, read 12 Oct 2026)

Hours: 29 Oct to 4 Nov: Day of the Dead Festival in Chapultepec, "The Door Between Two Worlds", at Paseo de los Compositores and Lago Mayor, with a night drone show. Sat 31 Oct, 14:00: Great Day of the Dead Parade on Reforma, from the Glorieta de la Diana Cazadora to the Zócalo. 31 Oct to 2 Nov: Mixquic. Early Nov, no day given: UNAM Megaofrenda at Ciudad Universitaria (same guide, read 12 Oct 2026)

The guide states no price for most events. Plan on the Zócalo concerts being free, because it says so, and check the others.

The three that matter most

The parade, Saturday 31 October. It starts at 14:00 on Reforma and ends at the Zócalo, so get a spot on Reforma early. The guide calls it a celebration of the journey of souls to Mictlán. We did not find a seating plan or a street closure map.

The Zócalo ofrenda, 29 October to 2 November. The guide says the main tribute this year is José Guadalupe Posada's Catrina, with a 32 metre cartonería sculpture, sawdust carpets and thousands of cempasúchil flowers. Evenings are likely the best time to see the lighting, which runs to 4 November. That is our opinion.

Mixquic, 31 October to 2 November. The guide calls San Andrés Mixquic, in Tláhuac, "the most traditional Day of the Dead festival in the city". The climax is La Alumbrada on the night of 2 November. It asks visitors to arrive hours in advance because of traffic, to ask permission before taking photographs, to keep a respectful silence during La Alumbrada and not to sit on or step on the tombs. We have no transport details, since the guide gives none. Plan to be there well before dark.

What the guide does not tell you

It gives no Metro lines, no admission prices for most events, no crowd sizes and no UNAM dates. It does not say what is open on 1 and 2 November. The Ministry of Labor's 2026 notice for its offices lists Monday 2 November as a day off, but that notice is for its own staff. We do not know which shops close, and we did not check any.

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: Mexico City's official tourism guide "Day of the Dead 2026 in Mexico City" (the page shows no publication date), the Ministry of Labor's 2026 notice of days off for its own offices, and our own Where to Stay and Mexico entry pages.

Not checked: the city government's Spanish-language event pages and the individual venues, so we cannot confirm admission, times beyond those listed, or any change since we read the guide. We did not check the Metro, hotel demand, street closures, UNAM's dates or Xochimilco tours. We did not attend any event.