Day of the Dead in Cabo 2026: what's on, what the tradition means and how to join in respectfully
What's on for Day of the Dead in Los Cabos on November 1 and 2, 2026, what the altars mean and how visitors can take part.
In this guide
Day of the Dead in Cabo falls on Sunday, November 1 and Monday, November 2, 2026. The main public event is the municipal festival in San José del Cabo, with its big day on Monday, November 2, at Plaza Antonio Mijares: altar, catrina and pan de muerto contests, a talent show, a film screening and a parade. The same evening, Flora Farms holds its altar competition from 6 to 9 PM, and Todos Santos runs its own festival on both days.
If you're visiting from the US or Canada, this is one of the best weeks to see Mexican culture up close in Los Cabos. Below is what's on in 2026, what's still unannounced, what the tradition means and how to take part without stepping on anyone's toes.
Day of the Dead 2026 in Los Cabos at a glance
| Date | Event | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Nov 1 and Mon Nov 2 | Festival de Día de Muertos San José del Cabo 2026 | San José del Cabo | Municipal festival, open plaza |
| Mon Nov 2 | Main day of the festival | Plaza Antonio Mijares | Contests, catwalk, parade, film |
| Mon Nov 2, 6 to 9 PM | Altar competition, 10th edition | Flora Farms, San José del Cabo | Charity event, price not published |
| Sun Nov 1 and Mon Nov 2 | Day of the Dead in Todos Santos, 10th edition | Todos Santos, 48 miles north | Catrinas, pets, big altar, Coco |
The official calendar of the Baja California Sur tourism secretariat lists the San José festival for November 1 to 2. The full program, with hours, venues for each activity and the parade route, has not been published yet. Check the organizer's site before you go.
What is Day of the Dead?
Día de Muertos is the Mexican holiday when families welcome back the souls of their dead for a visit. It is not a Mexican Halloween, even though it comes right after it on the calendar. The mood is warm and often festive, and the point is remembering specific people: a grandmother, a father, a friend.
In 2008 UNESCO added it to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. November 1 is for children who have died, and November 2 is for adults.
The altar, or ofrenda
The center of the holiday is the ofrenda, an altar set up at home with a photo of the person being remembered. Families add candles, water, salt, the person's favorite food and drink, sugar skulls and pan de muerto, a soft sweet bread topped with dough shaped like bones. Everything on it is meant for the visiting soul.
Cempasúchil, the orange marigold
The bright orange flower everywhere in late October is cempasúchil, the Mexican marigold. Families cover altars and graves with it, and its color and scent are said to guide the souls home.
Catrinas
La Catrina is the elegant skeleton lady in a big hat, first etched by the Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada around 1910 as a jab at Mexicans who aped European fashion. Diego Rivera gave her a full body and the name Catrina in his 1947 mural at the Alameda in Mexico City. Today people dress as catrinas and catrines with skull face paint and flowers in their hair, and catrina contests are part of most festivals, including the one in San José.
Cemetery visits
On November 2 the cemeteries in Baja California Sur fill up. Families clean and paint the graves, cover them in flowers, and stay for hours to eat, talk and remember.
The San José del Cabo festival at Plaza Mijares
The festival is organized by the Instituto de la Cultura y las Artes de Los Cabos (ICA), the municipal culture institute. According to Península Digital, it includes artistic performances and a talent contest on both days, a film screening and a Day of the Dead parade. The main contests are on Monday, November 2, at Plaza Antonio Mijares, the main square in front of the mission church.
No entry fee has been announced. It is a public festival run by the city in the open plaza, and entering the contests costs nothing.
These are the 2026 contests, as published by the ICA on October 8 (Península Digital):
| Contest | Who enters | Prizes |
|---|---|---|
| Altars | High schools, universities and the public | MXN 15,000, 12,000 and 9,000 |
| Catrinas and catrines, kids | Ages 5 to 13 | MXN 7,000, 5,000 and 3,500 |
| Catrinas and catrines, teens and adults | Ages 14 and up | MXN 9,000, 7,000 and 4,500 |
| Pan de muerto | Ages 18 and up | MXN 5,000, 3,000 and 2,000 |
Catrina contestants walk in the parade and on a catwalk in the plaza, so that is the best time to see the costumes. Registration closes Thursday, October 29, at 2 PM at the Casa de la Cultura on Calle Álvaro Obregón in San José.
What isn't published yet
The parade route and time, the film title and the hours for each activity are not out yet. Check the social accounts of the ICA and the Los Cabos city government in the last week of October. We'll update this page when the program comes out.
San José is about 20 miles from Cabo San Lucas, roughly a 30 minute drive along the corridor. Downtown gets crowded that night, so a taxi is easier than hunting for parking.
Flora Farms altar competition, November 2
Flora Farms, the farm in San José del Cabo, holds its 10th annual altar competition on Monday, November 2, from 6 to 9 PM. According to Visit Los Cabos, it benefits local charities and has live music, folkloric dance and food from the farm. The price isn't published, so check with Flora Farms directly.
The hours overlap with the plaza festival. If you want both, see the plaza altars in the last of the daylight and go to Flora afterward, or the other way around.
Todos Santos, November 1 and 2
Todos Santos holds its own festival, organized by the local group Amamos Nuestro Pueblo, now in its 10th year. According to Gringo Gazette, the program includes:
- catrina and catrín contests for kids and adults;
- a saints costume contest;
- a pet costume contest, plus an ofrenda dedicated to pets;
- a big community altar, artisan vendors, Mexican food, music and dance;
- a screening of the Pixar film Coco.
The venue and hours haven't been published, so check with the organizers. Todos Santos is about 48 miles (77 km) north of Cabo San Lucas on Highway 19, around an hour each way. Our Todos Santos day trip guide covers the drive and the town.
How to take part respectfully
Visitors are welcome at the public events. A few habits make a difference:
- Look at public altars, but don't touch them. Leave the photos, candles and food where they are.
- Ask before you photograph someone in catrina makeup or a family at an altar. Most people say yes, but ask.
- Catrina face paint is fine at the plaza festival. Skip the costume if you visit a cemetery.
- In a cemetery, keep your voice down, stay off the graves and don't take close-up photos of families with their dead. If you're unsure, stay outside the gates.
- If a family invites you to see their altar at home, take it as a kind gesture. Bring some pan de muerto or flowers and don't overstay.
- Buy your pan de muerto and marigolds from local bakeries and street stands.
A plan for November 2: sunset on the water, festival at night
Sunset in Cabo is around 5:40 PM on November 2, one of the earliest of the year. That makes an easy day:
- Leave Marina Cabo San Lucas at 3:30 PM on a 2-hour sunset cruise.
- Pass the Arch and watch the sun drop on the Pacific side.
- Back at the dock around 5:30 PM, take a 30 minute ride to San José for the altars and catrinas at Plaza Mijares, or to Flora Farms before 9 PM.
For a couple or a small family, the Chaparral 28 takes up to 10 guests, and 2 hours cost USD 519 (MXN 9,799). For a bigger group, the Pontoon 38 takes up to 18 for USD 869 (MXN 16,599) for 2 hours. Prices are per boat, tax included, tip not included. We don't sell alcohol on board; guests 18 and over can bring their own. Bring a long-sleeve layer, because November evenings on the water cool off once the sun is down.
On November 1 the same plan works, with sunset at about 5:42 PM. For more on the month, see Cabo in November and our sunset cruise guide.
To hold a boat, open the planner with your date, time and group size. We reply in writing within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.
Yachts in this guide
Questions people ask
When is Day of the Dead in Cabo in 2026?
November 1 and 2, 2026. The main public event is the municipal festival in San José del Cabo, and its big day is Monday, November 2, at Plaza Antonio Mijares.
Is the Day of the Dead festival in San José del Cabo free?
No entry fee has been announced. It is a public festival run by the Los Cabos culture institute in the open plaza, and entering the contests costs nothing. Hours for each activity have not been published yet.
What is the difference between November 1 and November 2?
In Mexico, November 1 is for remembering children who have died and November 2 is for adults. Families build home altars before the 1st and visit the cemeteries on the 2nd.
Can tourists go to Day of the Dead events in Cabo?
Yes. The plaza festival, the Flora Farms altar competition and the Todos Santos festival are open to visitors. Cemeteries are family spaces, so if you go, keep quiet, stay off the graves and ask before taking photos.
What time is the Flora Farms altar competition?
Monday, November 2, 2026, from 6 to 9 PM, according to Visit Los Cabos. It is the 10th edition and benefits local charities; the ticket price has not been published.
Plan your day on the water
Pick a yacht, the hours and the food in the planner. A written reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.
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