Tropic of Cancer Festival 2027 in Todos Santos: dates, tickets and getting there from Cabo

The Tropic of Cancer Music & Arts Festival 2027 runs Wednesday, January 13 to Sunday, January 17 in Todos Santos, from 2 PM to 11 PM each day, at several venues around downtown. The band The Cordovas runs it, with international and local acts, and the proceeds go to local causes. You need a ticket, and the 2027 pass price isn't confirmed yet, so check the official Eventbrite page.

Todos Santos is 48 miles (77 km) north of Cabo San Lucas, about an hour on Highway 19. Here's what you need to plan the trip from Cabo.

Tropic of Cancer festival 2027 at a glance

What the Tropic of Cancer festival is

It's a five-day live music festival spread across downtown Todos Santos. Instead of one big stage in a field outside town, bands play at different venues in the center and you walk from one to the next. The bill mixes touring acts from outside Mexico with local bands.

The name is geography. The Tropic of Cancer runs just under a mile south of downtown Todos Santos.

The Cordovas, a band that formed in East Nashville and has long been tied to the town, started the festival and still run it. The money it raises stays with local causes in Todos Santos.

2027 dates and hours

The festival runs Wednesday, January 13 to Sunday, January 17, 2027. Music starts at 2 PM and ends at 11 PM every day.

As of October 8, 2026, we couldn't find a published 2027 lineup or a day-by-day venue schedule. When they come out, they'll be on the ticket page and the festival's social accounts. If you're going for one band in particular, wait for that announcement before booking single nights.

Tickets: where to buy and what they cost

Passes are sold on the festival's official Eventbrite page. The 2027 price isn't confirmed, so don't trust a number you see on another site. Check that page before you set a budget.

The Eventbrite listing says refunds are available up to 7 days before the event. Confirm that when you buy, since the organizer sets the terms.

Where it happens: downtown Todos Santos

Shows are at several venues downtown. The address on Eventbrite is Calle Benito Juárez s/n, Centro, one of the main streets in town.

You can walk the historic center in an hour or two, so once you arrive, park the car and stay on foot. The plaza, the mission and the 1944 theater, the Teatro-Cine General Manuel Márquez de León, are all within those few blocks.

Getting to Todos Santos from Cabo

From Cabo San Lucas, take Highway 19 north up the Pacific side. It's 48 miles (77 km) of four-lane road, about an hour, with no turn to miss.

In daylight it's an easy drive. At night it isn't. The highway has no lights, cows and horses walk onto the pavement after dark, and speed bumps (topes) near towns aren't always well marked. Shows end at 11 PM, which makes the drive back to Cabo that night exactly the one locals avoid.

What works: - Stay in Todos Santos on the nights you go to shows. - If anyone in your group is drinking, they don't drive. Settle who has the car keys before you leave. - Leave Cabo early enough to arrive in daylight and park before the music starts.

We couldn't confirm any festival shuttle from Cabo, so plan on driving yourself or booking a private driver who will stay over or come back for you in daylight.

Our Todos Santos day trip guide covers the drive and the town in more detail.

Where to stay

Todos Santos is a small town and the festival runs five days, so don't leave lodging until the last minute. Look for a place in or near the center so you can walk to and from the venues.

If you'd rather sleep in Cabo, the option is to go up for one afternoon and drive back before dark. In January the sun sets between 5:46 PM and 6:07 PM, so you'd catch the first few hours of music.

What else to do in Todos Santos that week

Music starts at 2 PM, so your mornings are free: - Walk the center: the plaza, the mission, the galleries and the old theater. - Drive to Punta Lobos, the fishermen's beach about 2 miles (3 km) south of town, and watch the pangas come up onto the sand. - Stop at Playa Cerritos to the south, the area's surf beach.

Most Todos Santos beaches are for looking, not swimming, because of the Pacific surf. Our Todos Santos guide says which ones.

A sample festival week from Cabo

If you're based in Cabo and want both the festival and a day on the water, this is one way to lay out the week:

Five nights is the full run. Two or three nights, Thursday to Saturday for example, is enough for most people to get a feel for it. Whatever you pick, the rule is the same: on show nights, you sleep in Todos Santos.

If you only have one free day, you can still go up for an afternoon. Leave Cabo around 11 AM, catch the first shows from 2 PM, and start the drive back before sunset. You'll miss the late sets, but you'll be on Highway 19 while it's light.

What to pack for January

January at the tip of Baja is dry and mild. In Cabo, highs average about 77°F (25°C) and lows about 66°F (19°C), and nights feel cool. For shows that run until 11 PM, bring long sleeves or a light jacket.

Carry some cash in pesos for food between venues, and keep your ticket on your phone. Wear comfortable shoes, since you'll be walking from venue to venue all afternoon and evening.

A whale day on the water the same week

The festival lands right in peak humpback season in Cabo. The first whales arrive in November, and January is the best month to see them. The official 2026 to 2027 season hasn't been published in the DOF (Mexico's federal register) yet; last season ran December 15, 2025 to April 30, 2026.

Don't try to fit the boat and the festival into one day. The easy plan is a morning on the water on Tuesday the 12th, before you head up to Todos Santos, or Monday the 18th, once you're back. Mornings are the best time to look for whales, when the bay is calmest.

We recommend 3 hours for whales, and a flybridge yacht gives you height to spot the blows. The Sea Ray 40, for up to 12, is USD 1,199 / MXN 22,799 for 3 hours. The Azimut 45, also a flybridge for 12, is USD 1,649 / MXN 31,399. Prices are per boat, tax included, tip not included. No sighting is guaranteed, and captains keep their distance from the whales.

See how the trip works on our whale watching page, read whale watching in Cabo for the season, and check the January events calendar for everything else that month. When you've picked your day on the water, hold it in the planner.

Yachts in this guide

Sea Ray 40Flybridge yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $879 / 2 hAzimut 45 FlybridgeFlybridge yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $1,249 / 2 h

Questions people ask

When is the Tropic of Cancer festival 2027?

Wednesday, January 13 to Sunday, January 17, 2027, from 2 PM to 11 PM each day, at several venues in downtown Todos Santos, Baja California Sur.

How much are Tropic of Cancer festival tickets?

The 2027 pass price isn't confirmed yet. Check the festival's official ticket page on Eventbrite, which is where passes are sold.

Who runs the Tropic of Cancer festival?

The Cordovas, a band formed in East Nashville with deep ties to Todos Santos. The festival's proceeds go to local causes in town.

How far is Todos Santos from Cabo San Lucas?

About 48 miles (77 km) north on Highway 19, roughly an hour each way. The road isn't lit and livestock wander onto it after dark, so if you're staying for the late shows, sleep in Todos Santos.

Can I do the Tropic of Cancer festival as a day trip from Cabo?

Yes, for an afternoon. Music starts at 2 PM, so you can catch the first few hours and drive back before sunset, which is between 5:46 PM and 6:07 PM in January.

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.

Check availabilitySee the fleet