Mexico City's Day of the Dead Parade Is Set for Oct. 31
The free parade leaves the Diana the Huntress roundabout at 14:00 (2 p.m.) for the Zócalo; the monumental alebrijes parade comes first, on Oct. 17.
Mexico City's Day of the Dead parade, the Gran Desfile de Día de Muertos, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, and is set to start at 14:00 (2 p.m.). El Universal, a Mexico City daily, reports that it will leave from the Diana the Huntress roundabout on Paseo de la Reforma, the capital's main avenue, and end at the Zócalo, the city's central square. Admission is free, and the route runs through public streets.
The city's Secretariat of Culture organizes the event. The same newspaper reports that it hired the parade's full production through bid CULTURA/LPN/13/2026; the amount and the winning company have not been published. The route is to feature music, floats, dance troupes and artistic ensembles. Organizers announce tributes to the singer Juan Gabriel, the filmmaker Emilio "El Indio" Fernández and La Reina Roja de Palenque, along with lucha libre-themed vehicles and a UNICEF contingent.
The parade is one part of the season's program:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Oct. 17 | Monumental Alebrijes Parade |
| Oct. 25 | Catrina Procession |
| Oct. 31 | Great Day of the Dead Parade |
The 2025 edition drew more than 1.4 million people, according to the outlet Emprendedor, which presents it as an official figure but does not link the source document. This parade is separate from the one the city held in June, with catrinas and alebrijes themed around the World Cup.
The date and route come from outlets citing the Mexico City tourism office's official guide; no press release from the Secretariat of Culture with the 2026 program was found. Still pending are the final stretch into the Historic Center, street closures and alternate Metro and Metrobús routes, which authorities usually publish close to the date.
