Highlights for 2026!

Name: Dia De Los Muertos In Old Town Albuquerque 2026 | Old Town Albuquerque
Start: 2024-10-25T14:00:00-06:00
End: 2024-11-03T21:00:00-07:00
Location: Old Town Albuquerque

“Family Day” will be on BOTH Saturdays! Free showings of “Coco” projected within the adobe walls of the church courtyard.
GLOBITOS Candlelight Glow – Model Hot Air Balloon Glow: Watch towering 20ft tall model hot air balloons fill the street and church courtyard.
Catrina Procession: An opportunity to dress in traditional Día de los Muertos Catrina skull attire and parade through the streets of Old Town, showcasing exquisite costumes and designs.
The Dance of the Matachines is back again with a much better location for the dance to be seen from.
A candlelight procession [Nov 2nd] to remember our loved ones will take place 30 minutes after sundown on November 2nd (all are invited).
Paper-mâché sculptures [All week long] Last year two 10ft sculptures were added to the plaza. We will have a new sculpture addition to the plaza this year! Come during the event to see!
Plaza de los Recuerdos: For TWO NIGHTS ONLY (Nov 1st – 2nd), Old Town Plaza will turn into Plaza de los Recuerdos, where the Albuquerque community brings altars and ofrendas and adorns Old Town Plaza. Sign-up to bring an ofrenda. Limited spots are available.
So much more!!!

The Feel: Imagine strolling through Old Town in the week leading up to Día de los Muertos (October 30th to November 8th, 2026). Music drifts from patios while shops and plazas glow with orange and yellow marigolds, thousands strung together as the Marigold Mile. Hidden patios and courtyards open to reveal ofrendas alive with color, calaveras, photos, and offerings that celebrate memories of loved ones.

From within San Felipe de Neri, the first drumbeats of the Matachines echo outward. Their dance bursts into the plaza, carrying with it centuries of New Mexican tradition and culture. As night falls, a candlelight procession winds through Old Town, filling the streets with hundreds of flickering flames. Globitos, small hot air balloons lit from within, rise and shimmer, adding their own bursts of light and color to the night. At Plaza de los Recuerdos, families gather among more than 50 community-built ofrendas as a curandero offers a blessing, weaving together prayer, memory, and celebration.

Everywhere you turn, you are greeted by symbols of life and remembrance: a towering Catrina sculpture and a glowing Tree of Life, standing proudly as tributes to connection across generations. This journey through Old Town offers more than just sights, it is an immersive experience that brings the rich traditions of Día de los Muertos to life.

Summary Schedule of Events

How to plan without the full daily schedule yet?

See our event schedules for 2023, 2024 & 2025. The structure of daily schedules and plans will be similar in 2026.

Daily Features

The following features will be available throughout Old Town every-day during the entire duration of the event.

Ofrenda Tour: See 30+ ofrendas (altars) scattered throughout all of Old Town with unique themes, decorations, and more. Wander the hidden patios and portals of Old Town and find another ofrenda hidden around the next corner.
Papier Mache Sculptures: Master sculpture artists, JOMO (and if you’d like to see more of their work please visit Old Towns very own Doublecat Oddities in the Plazuela Sombra patio) have created a new towering papier mache sculpture to add to what they built the past two years. Come see the La Catrina, the Tree of Life, El Xolo Dog, and new for 2026 a towering (yet to be revealed) sculpture in person on the Old Town plaza.
Community Ofrenda: A large ornately decorated community ofrenda in the middle of the gazebo in Old Town. This ofrenda is decorated by community members and students of San Felipe de Neri Catholic School and Escuela del Sol Montessori.
Old Town Decorations: Wander the streets of Old Town and see papel picado, marigolds, fall colors, and more adorning the charming adobe buildings in throughout Old Town.
Marigold Mile! See over 15k feet of marigold garland line the beams, vigas, lights, adobe, and historic structures throughout Old Town.

About Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a vibrant Mexican celebration with roots in ancient Aztec traditions and Spanish customs. Originating over 3,000 years ago, the Aztecs honored the deceased with rituals and offerings. In Medieval Europe, Spain had its own traditions guiding souls back to the living. These practices fused in Mexico, leading to a festival with altars and offerings inviting the departed to visit.

While the celebration aligns with All Saints and All Souls Day from the Catholic calendar, it’s now recognized worldwide, each region adding its unique touch.

Key elements include altars filled with favorite foods, photos, flowers, and other offerings to welcome the spirits. Marigolds, particularly their orange and yellow petals, are essential as they’re believed to warm and guide souls. The scent of marigolds and copal incense further paves a sensory path for the departed. UNESCO celebrated this rich tradition in 2008 by naming it an INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY.

The iconic calaveras (skulls), especially the satirical designs by Jose Guadalupe Posada in the early 1900s, symbolize both death and celebration. The ofrenda, a temporary altar, showcases the four elements: water for drinking, papel picado banners for wind, food for earth, and candles, representing fire, to guide the spirits.

New Mexico proudly embraces a deep-rooted cultural blend of Spanish, Mexican, and Native histories. This unique fusion is evident in its Dia de Los Muertos celebrations, which integrate the Catholic observances of All Souls Day and All Saints Day. Annual parades, the Matachines dance, nightly Mass, and traditional Dia de los Muertos festivities all showcase New Mexico as a vibrant cultural amalgamation.

This is why we celebrate Dia de los Muertos (the day of the dead) in Old Town Albuquerque. Old Town Albuquerque has long been the community and cultural heart of the City and of the Southwest. We invite you to join in our celebration and remembrance of life.