Xcaret hosted Life and Death Festival from 30 October to 2 November

Xcaret hosted the 20th Festival of Life and Death from 30 October to 2 November 2026 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The park presented Guanajuato as guest state, while the programme combined Day of the Dead traditions with theatre, music, workshops, exhibitions, altars and gastronomy.

Xcaret festival brought Guanajuato to Playa del Carmen

The four-day programme took place at Xcaret and centred on cultural expressions from Guanajuato and other parts of Mexico. It included stage performances, regional theatre, puppetry, scenic tours, dance, traditional music, exhibitions and workshops.

Guanajuato contributed its gastronomy, artistic expressions, music, dance and folk art. The festival's official programme also listed monumental altars, murals, interactive workshops and activities for families. The festival programme for 30 October to 2 November placed these elements within the 20th edition at the park.

The musical programme included a gala concert by Pandora and Flans on 31 October at the Gran Tlachco. The official festival page listed the performance at 10pm and stated that it was not included with festival or park admission. That concert formed a separate part of the wider programme, rather than changing the festival's four-day dates.

How the 2026 programme fits Xcaret's history

Xcaret is an eco-archaeological and cultural theme park on the Caribbean coast near Playa del Carmen. Its attractions combine natural settings with presentations about Mexican culture, and the site includes underground rivers, cultural venues and areas for exhibitions and performances.

The park received its first visitors in December 1990. The Festival of Life and Death began at Xcaret in 2006, making the 2026 programme its 20th edition. This link between the festival's anniversary and the park's history gives the event a specific place in Xcaret's cultural programme: it returned to the venue that introduced it two decades earlier. The operator's official history of the park records both the 1990 opening and the festival's 2006 beginning.

The event also connected the park's established performance spaces with temporary cultural displays. The official festival page described theatre, music, food, workshops and folk art, while the park's event information identified Xcaret as the main setting for the celebration.

What the festival added to the park visit

For visitors in late October and early November, the programme offered a different use of the site from a standard day at the park. Altars, exhibitions and workshops occupied cultural spaces, while performances and concerts used venues including the Gran Tlachco.

The 2026 edition focused on the Day of the Dead and welcomed Guanajuato as its guest state. Its content therefore extended beyond a single concert: visitors encountered food traditions, music, dance, theatre and craft practices presented together at the same venue. The operator described the celebration as a meeting of ancestral and contemporary expressions.

Because the programme ended on 2 November 2026, these specific festival performances and displays are no longer available within the current visit period. Xcaret itself remains the relevant place for travellers researching the event's setting and the park's wider cultural attractions.

Visiting Xcaret: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Festival of Life and Death ran at Xcaret from 30 October to 2 November 2026, with Guanajuato as the guest state.
• The festival programme included theatre, concerts, workshops, exhibitions, altars, dance and gastronomy; the 31 October Pandora and Flans concert was a separate addition.
• Xcaret is at Carretera Chetumal - Puerto Juárez km 282, Rancho Xcaret, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
• The park combines natural areas, underground rivers and cultural performance spaces, so the visit covers outdoor paths as well as theatrical venues.
• Spanish is Mexico's official language and the national currency is the Mexican peso.

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Frequently asked questions about Xcaret

When did the Festival of Life and Death take place at Xcaret?

The 20th edition ran from 30 October to 2 November 2026 at Xcaret in Playa del Carmen.

What is Xcaret?

Xcaret is an eco-archaeological and cultural theme park near Playa del Carmen that received its first visitors in December 1990.

Where is Xcaret and how do you get there?

Xcaret is on the Chetumal - Puerto Juárez highway at kilometre 282 in Rancho Xcaret, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico.