What is the Festival of Life and Death (Festival de Vida y muerte)?
The Life and Death Festival of Xcaret is one of the best ways to celebrate the Day of the Dead in the Riviera Maya.
This festival brings together musical, gastronomic, folkloric and artistic expressions around this Mexican celebration. It is a mixture of tradition and interpretation very much in the style of this ecological park.
Each edition features a different state or province of Mexico as the guest of honor. The event showcases the host state’s culture, its own Day of the Dead celebration, its cuisine, and its music.
For its part, the Day of the Dead was designated as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2008.
When does the Festival of Life and Death take place?
The festival is usually from October 30th to November 3rd, and the activities take place from 3:45 pm to 10:30 pm at Xcaret Park and Playa del Carmen.
2025 Edition
The 2025 edition is the 17th iteration of this celebration of Hanal Pixán, or “food of the souls.” This year, the state of Querétaro is the guest of honor.
Programme of activities
The programme of activities is as follows: festivaldevidaymuerte.com/es/actividades-culturales-y-artisticas/
Tickets
Tickets are not free and are normally on sale at the official festival website. Just for reference, here are the prices for Mexicans in a past edition:
| Basic ticket | ||
| Regular | Online | |
| Kids | $46 USD | $42 USD |
| Adults | $93 USD | $83 USD |
| Plus Ticket | ||
| Regular | Presale | |
| Kids | $60 USD | $54 USD |
| Adults | $119 USD | $108 USD |
Residents of the guest province, Quintana Roo, Yucatan and Campeche often have the option to purchase a discounted ticket. This ticket only includes festival activities, though, not the rest of the park.
Transportation
During the 5 days of the festival there is normally special transportation to Xcaret from Playa del Carmen and Cancun with the ADO bus company.
Activities
The schedule for every day is very diverse with music, workshops, plays, concerts, dance, gastronomy, etc. Check out the full schedule of activities and workshops on the official website.
More information about the festival
Official site: Life and death festival.
There is an app available for both android and ios in your corresponding app store.
Once the festival is over, there will be an online broadcast to relive the best moments of this celebration.
