Celebrating 484 Years of Mérida
Every January, Mérida doesn’t just celebrate its birthday — it turns the entire city into a living cultural stage. In 2026, Mérida Fest marks 484 years since the city’s founding, and from January 5 to 18, plazas, parks, theaters, museums, and streets fill with music, dance, theater, visual art, and shared joy.
More than 900 artists, 200+ free activities, and 83 venues across the city make this one of the most ambitious cultural festivals in Mexico, bringing together local talent alongside national and international artists from Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Cuba, Spain, the United States, and Uruguay.
Opening & Inauguration Events
FILUX: Solo la Luz — Light Art Exhibition (Inauguration)
- Date: Monday, January 7, 2026
- Time: 7:00 PM
- Starting Point: Pasaje de la Revolución
- Circuit: Pasaje de la Revolución, Parque Hidalgo, Parque de la Madre, exterior of Teatro Peón Contreras, Parque Santa Lucía, Parque Santa Ana & Remate de Paseo de Montejo
A citywide nighttime walk featuring lumínic art installations that transform Mérida’s historic center into an open-air gallery.
Music Highlights
Concert for a Live Earth
- Date: Monday, January 7, 2026
- Time: 9:00 PM
- Place: Plaza Grande
A powerful collaboration between the Sinfonieta Académica de Mérida, Orquesta de Cámara, Orquesta Típica de la UADY, and jaraneros celebrating Yucatán’s musical roots.
Callejoneada y Alborada — Traditional Serenade to Mérida
- Date: Monday, January 5, 2026
- Time: 10:00 PM (procession departs at 11:15 PM)
- Starting Point: Parque de Santa Lucía (Calle 60 x 55)
- Route & Final Destination: From Parque de Santa Lucía to Bajos del Palacio Municipal (Calle 62 x 61 y 63)
- Place Reference: Plaza Grande / Centro Histórico
- Cost: Free admission
As tradition dictates, the Callejoneada y Alborada brings together dozens of trovadores to serenade Mérida with Las Mañanitas on the night of January 5. This beloved, family-friendly event begins with music at Parque de Santa Lucía and continues with a candlelit walk through the historic center, led by the four associations of trovadores and the Ballet Titular del Ayuntamiento de Mérida. The celebration culminates at midnight at the Palacio Municipal.
Featuring: Trío Trovemia and Adalberto Pinzón.
Manzanero Comes Home(Special Concert)
- Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026
- Time: 8:00 PM
- Place: Plaza Grande
A once-in-a-lifetime tribute bringing Armando Manzanero back to the Plaza Grande through technology, with Francisco Céspedes, Susana Zabaleta, Alex Lora, Gina Osorno, Juan Pablo Manzanero, and special guests.
Orquesta Cubateca: Jazz del Mayab y del Caribe
- Date: Friday, January 9, 2026
- Time: 9:30 PM
- Place: Remate de Paseo de Montejo
An electrifying fusion of Cuban jazz and Yucatecan sounds featuring Grammy-winning drummer Horacio “El Negro” Hernández.
Baterimba (Colombia) — Multiperussion Live Performance
- Date: Friday, January 9, 2026
- Time: 8:00 PM
- Place: Remate de Paseo de Montejo
- Address: Calle 56-A s/n entre 47 y 49, Centro
- Cost: Free admission
A powerful one-man performance by Colombian musician Carlos Fernando Balante, creator of Baterimba. This unique show blends marimba, bass, electronic drums, congas, cowbells, voice, and other instruments — all performed live by a single artist.
Gianni Schicchi — Opera (Mérida Opera Program)
- Date: Friday, January 9, 2026
- Time: 6:00 PM
- Place: Centro Cultural Olimpo (Patio Central)
- Address: Calle 62 x 61, Centro Histórico
- Cost: Free admission
A lively one-act opera by Giacomo Puccini, presented by the Mérida Opera Program and directed musically by Priscila Torres Conrado and Andrea Priscila Gutiérrez. Based on an episode from Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, the story unfolds in Florence in 1299 and centers on the scheming relatives of Buoso Donati, who turn to the clever (and hilarious) Gianni Schicchi to rewrite a will that leaves them empty-handed.
REIK — Free Outdoor Concert
- Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026
- Time: 8:00 PM
- Place: Plaza Grande
One of the most anticipated nights of Mérida Fest with one of Latin pop’s most beloved bands.
SacBeats: María Moctezuma & Djonni Laser
- Date: Friday, January 16, 2026
- Time: 8:00 PM
- Place: Parque de la Paz
- Audience: 20+
A contemporary live-electronic performance connecting Mesoamerican roots with global beats in a Mexico–Germany collaboration.
Dance & Traditional Spectacles
Magna Vaquería — 50th Anniversary Celebration
- Date: Monday, January 12, 2026
- Time: 9:00 PM
- Place: Bajos del Palacio Municipal
Hundreds of dancers in ternos and guayaberas fill downtown Mérida in one of the city’s most iconic traditions.
FLAMENCO 2026: Una Mirada
- Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026
- Time: 8:00 PM
- Place: Teatro Armando Manzanero
An intense and emotional flamenco performance by internationally acclaimed dancer María Juncal.
Cortar Anclas (Dance for Purification)
- Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026
- Time: 6:00 PM
- Place: Centro Cultural Olimpo (Patio Central)
A moving contemporary dance work performed by artists over 50, exploring resilience, memory, and renewal.
Micelio — Contemporary Dance
- Date: Sunday, January 18, 2026
- Times: 4:00 PM & 7:00 PM
- Place: Teatro Armando Manzanero
A poetic choreography inspired by fungal networks and the idea of invisible connections.
Visual Arts & Exhibitions
Arte Sinestésico — Collective Exhibition
- Opening: Monday, January 5, 2026
- Time: 9:00 AM
- Place: Museo de la Ciudad de Mérida
- Exhibition Dates: January 5–18, 2026
A multidisciplinary exhibition combining painting, music, and video to explore sensory perception.
Colección MACAY — Contemporary Art Selection
- Opening: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
- Time: 8:00 PM
- Place: Museo de la Ciudad de Mérida
A curated selection reflecting the diversity and legacy of modern and contemporary art in Yucatán.
Crónicas del Mayab — Manuel Lizama
- Opening: Thursday, January 15, 2026
- Time: 7:00 PM
- Place: Centro Cultural Olimpo (Patio Central)
A tribute exhibition honoring one of Yucatán’s most influential painters.
Family & Community Events
Festival CRECE — Music for Children
- Dates: Saturday, January 10 & Sunday, January 11, 2026
- Times: 4:00–7:00 PM (Sat) | 12:00–3:00 PM (Sun)
- Places: Teatro Daniel Ayala Pérez & Centro Cultural Olimpo
A joyful, high-quality music festival designed especially for children and teens.
Encuentros en Tránsito — Street Theater Experience
- Date: Sunday, January 18, 2026
- Time: 10:00 AM
- Route: From Mercado Lucas de Gálvez to Parque Eulogio Rosado
A theatrical street procession blending masks, movement, and collective memory.
Closing Celebration
Maratón de Baile — Mérida Fest 2026
- Date: Sunday, January 18, 2026
- Time: 6:00 PM
- Place: Plaza Grande
A festive closing with Lluvia con Sol and the legendary Sonora Santanera (Nueva Generación), bringing the city together one last time on the dance floor.
All events are free and open to the public. Programming is subject to change.
This curated calendar highlights key moments of Mérida Fest 2026. The full program includes more than 200 events across the city from January 5–18. Check here: https://www.merida.gob.mx/meridafest/
