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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 2nd, and the activities take place from 3:00 pm to 11:30 pm at Xcaret Park and, starting October 29th, also at the Xcaret hotels south of Playa del Carmen.
2026 Edition
The 2026 edition is the 20th iteration of this celebration of Hanal Pixán, or “food of the souls.” This year, the state of Guanajuato is the guest of honor.
Programme of activities
Activities at Xcaret Park.
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Activities at Xcaret hotels.
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Tickets
Tickets are not free and are normally on sale at the official festival website. Just for reference, here are the prices for the 2026 edition:
| General Admissions | |||
| Adults regular | Adults advance purchase (+7 days) | Kids advance purchase (+7 days) | |
| Xcaret at Night Admission (access from 4:00 pm) | $2,016.50 MXN | $1,814.85 MXN | $1,361.14 MXN |
| Admission to Xcaret (from 8:30 am) | $2,756.50 MXN | $2,480.85 MXN | $1,860.64 MXN |
| Xcaret Plus Admission (from 8:30 am) | $3,311.50 MXN | $2,980.35 MXN | $2,235.26 MXN |
Residents of Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Campeche and the guest state of Guanajuato can purchase the discounted Festival Admission ($909.00 MXN adults, $509.00 MXN children aged 5 to 11). This ticket only includes festival activities from 4:00 pm, though, not the rest of the park.
The Gala Concert with Pandora & Flans (+Inesperado Tour) on October 31st at the Gran Tlachco theater costs extra (from $2,399.00 MXN per person) and is not included in festival tickets.
Transportation
During the 4 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.
