Day of the Dead 2026 falls on Sunday, November 1 and Monday, November 2. The dates are fixed; only the weekday changes from year to year. Here is what each day is for, where October 31 fits, and the dates that matter if you are travelling for it.
The 2026 dates#
| Date | What it is |
|---|---|
| Wed, October 28 | In some regions, the day for those who died suddenly or violently. Flower markets fill. |
| Sat, October 31 | Altars are finished. Oaxaca's comparsas start and Xoxocotlán holds its all-night vigil. Mexico City's parade, 2pm. |
| Sun, November 1 | Día de Todos los Santos. Children who have died (the angelitos) are remembered. Pátzcuaro's candlelit vigil on Janitzio Island is that night. |
| Mon, November 2 | Día de los Fieles Difuntos. Adults are remembered. Families spend the day and night at the graves; Mixquic's cemetery glows with candles. |
Because 2026 puts the two days on a Sunday and Monday, towns are fuller than usual: a long weekend for Mexican families as well as visitors.
What each day means#
The belief is simple. Once a year the dead come home to visit, and the living make the visit welcoming: an altar with the person's photo, their favourite food and drink, marigolds to light the way. November 1 is for children, so those altars carry toys, sweets and white flowers. November 2 is for adults, so the altars carry mole, tequila, pan de muerto, cigarettes, whatever the person loved. What goes on the altar and why: the Day of the Dead altar (ofrenda).
It is not Mexican Halloween. Nobody is trying to scare you, and the mood in a cemetery at midnight is closer to a family dinner than a haunted house. The longer version, with where to go: Day of the Dead in Mexico 2026, the complete guide.
Is October 31 Day of the Dead?#
No, and the confusion is understandable. October 31 is Halloween, and in Mexico it is also the eve of the holiday: the day families finish their altars, the day Oaxaca's parades and cemetery vigils begin, and in 2026 the day Mexico City holds its Gran Desfile. So the street party is on the 31st; the holiday itself is the 1st and 2nd.
Mexico City parade date 2026#
Saturday, October 31, 2026, 2pm, along Paseo de la Reforma from the Diana Cazadora roundabout to the Zócalo, per Mexico City's official programme. Free, no tickets. The Mega Procession of Catrinas is the Sunday before, October 25, and the Zócalo's giant ofrenda is open October 29 to November 2. Route, where to stand and the full city programme: Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City 2026. Going for it? Mexico City in November and Mexico City in October cover weather and what else is on.
Day of the Dead 2026 in the United States#
The biggest celebrations outside Mexico are in the US, and most happen the weekend before November 1. Dates below are from the organisers' announcements; check before you go.
- San Antonio: Muertos Fest at Hemisfair, Saturday October 24 and Sunday October 25, free, with 80+ altars and two processions; the River Walk's Day of the Dead river parade is Friday October 23.
- Seattle: the Catrinas Festival at Town Hall Seattle, October 31 and November 1.
- Washington, DC: Día de los Muertos at The Wharf, Sunday November 1, 4 to 7pm, with a lantern procession.
- Los Angeles: celebrations across the city around the last weekend of October; the long-running Hollywood Forever festival is the best known, so check its page for the 2026 date.
When is Day of the Dead 2027?#
Monday, November 1 and Tuesday, November 2, 2027. Mexico City's parade date is announced each summer and usually lands on the Saturday closest to the holiday, so expect late October 2027.
If you are going to Mexico for it#
Oaxaca sells out months ahead and is the most traditional place to be: Day of the Dead in Oaxaca 2026, night by night. Mexico City is the easiest to do on short notice and has the parade. Either way, the parts worth seeing happen in cemeteries and neighbourhoods, not on a tour bus, and they are far easier with someone from there beside you.
Spending Day of the Dead in Mexico City?
Browse Local Friends in Mexico CityOr ask someone who lives there#
Not sure which night to be where? Post on the Mexico City board: Ask Mexico City community: Coming for Day of the Dead 2026. Which night and which cemetery or neighbourhood would you pick? →
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is Day of the Dead in 2026?
Sunday, November 1 and Monday, November 2, 2026. November 1 (Día de Todos los Santos) remembers children who have died; November 2 (Día de los Fieles Difuntos) remembers adults. The dates are the same every year.Is Day of the Dead on Halloween?
No. Halloween is October 31; Day of the Dead is November 1 and 2. October 31 is when many Mexican families finish their altars and when Oaxaca's cemetery vigils begin, and in 2026 it is also the date of Mexico City's parade, which is why the two get confused.When is the Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City in 2026?
Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 2pm, along Paseo de la Reforma from the Diana Cazadora roundabout to the Zócalo, according to Mexico City's official programme. It is free.When is Day of the Dead in 2027?
Monday, November 1 and Tuesday, November 2, 2027. The dates never move; only the weekday changes.How many days does Day of the Dead last?
The core holiday is two days, November 1 and 2, but the season runs from late October: altars go up, flower markets fill, and Mexico City's parades and the Zócalo ofrenda start the week before. In some regions October 28 is set aside for those who died suddenly.
