Day of the Dead 2026 in Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit: What to See, Where to Go & What to Expect
If you are planning to visit Puerto Vallarta or Riviera Nayarit between late October and early November, you will be arriving during one of the most vibrant and culturally significant times of the year.
This guide brings together the officially announced Day of the Dead activities in Puerto Vallarta and the municipality of Bahía de Banderas, including events in Sayulita, Bucerías, San Pancho, Valle de Banderas and San Juan de Abajo. The information in this article has been compiled directly from the official tourism and municipal websites of Puerto Vallarta and Bahía de Banderas, using the programs they have published for the 2026 celebrations. Because some schedules and activities may still be updated by the organizers, we recommend checking the official programs before attending.
Day of the Dead across Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit
Day of the Dead in this region is much more than a single parade or an evening event. Over several days, streets, plazas, beaches, cemeteries and historic neighborhoods become places of remembrance and celebration, with altars, Catrinas, cempasúchil flowers, candles, music, dance, food, art and local traditions.
What makes this area particularly interesting for visitors is the variety of experiences available within a relatively small geographic area. Puerto Vallarta offers large public celebrations around the Malecón and Historic Center, while just north of the city, communities throughout Riviera Nayarit and the municipality of Bahía de Banderas will celebrate with their own traditions and cultural activities. This gives travelers the opportunity to experience both the large-scale events and the more community-oriented side of Día de Muertos.
Puerto Vallarta: art, altars, Catrinas and the Malecón
Puerto Vallarta will participate in Festival de las Almas 2026, the state-wide Day of the Dead festival organized by the Government of Jalisco. The main Puerto Vallarta program runs from October 31 through November 2, with more than 28 experiences scheduled throughout the Malecón, Historic Center and other locations around the city.
One of the most visible elements will be the 50 monumental Catrinas installed along the Malecón, creating an open-air gallery facing the ocean. The exhibition begins October 28 and will remain through November 3. The city's traditional monumental Catrina will also be inaugurated on November 1 at the Malecón lighthouse, adding another major visual landmark to the celebration.
But the festivities extend well beyond the Malecón. On October 30, Parque Hidalgo will host the inauguration of a public Day of the Dead gallery that will remain open through November 3. Plaza de Armas will also feature altars and ofrendas, with a traditional pan de muerto tasting, while music, dance, mariachi, performances and other cultural activities will take place throughout the Historic Center.
Puerto Vallarta will also host a Day of the Dead art exhibition featuring local artists, adding another opportunity for visitors to experience the celebration through contemporary local creativity rather than only through traditional decorations and performances.
A different side of Día de Muertos at the 5 de Diciembre Cemetery
One of the most interesting parts of Puerto Vallarta's program will take place away from the main tourist corridor. The Municipal Cemetery of 5 de Diciembre will become a setting for stories, legends, Mexican horror films, immersive walks and theatrical performances from October 30 through the main Day of the Dead celebrations.
The cemetery is also receiving new Day of the Dead murals, bringing local art directly into the space where families gather to remember their loved ones. This is an important reminder that Día de Muertos in Puerto Vallarta is not only about large public installations. It is also about cemeteries, neighborhoods, artists and local communities finding their own ways to preserve and reinterpret the tradition.
November 2: Puerto Vallarta's main parade
The main Day of the Dead parade is scheduled for November 2, beginning at the Municipal Cemetery of 5 de Diciembre at 6:00 PM and making its way through the city before reaching Muelle de Playa Los Muertos.
Catrinas, dancers, musicians, performers and colorful groups will fill the streets during the procession. In 2025, organizers reported more than 35,000 people attending the parade, so visitors should expect significant crowds around the Historic Center and Malecón. If you want a good viewing location, arriving early will be important.
Riviera Nayarit: Day of the Dead just north of Puerto Vallarta.
Just north of Puerto Vallarta, the communities of Bahía de Banderas will host their own major celebration: the International Day of the Dead Festival 2026, scheduled from October 29 through November 2.
The festival will be centered in Sayulita, with additional activities in Bucerías, San Pancho, Valle de Banderas and San Juan de Abajo. The official program describes a celebration combining Mexican traditions, culture, art, gastronomy, music and the coastal identity of Riviera Nayarit.
This is especially interesting for visitors because the celebrations extend beyond the area's best-known beach destinations. While Sayulita will host the largest international component of the festival, the surrounding communities will offer their own cultural and traditional activities, giving travelers a chance to see different expressions of the same holiday.
Sayulita: where Day of the Dead meets surf culture
Sayulita will be the main stage for the Bahía de Banderas festival, and this year's celebration has a particularly distinctive element: an International Day of the Dead Surf Tournament.
The competition will take place at Sayulita's Main Beach from October 29 through November 1, bringing together national and international surfers competing in Shortboard, Longboard, SUP Racing, Bodyboard, Para Surf and other categories. There will even be a Dog Surf Exhibition.
It is an unusual combination, but one that feels very natural in Sayulita: a deeply Mexican tradition taking place alongside one of the community's defining cultural identities — surfing.
Bucerías, San Pancho, San Juan de Abajo and Valle de Banderas
The celebration continues beyond Sayulita. Bucerías will host cultural and traditional activities, while San Pancho will have its own community celebration and cultural programming.
In San Juan de Abajo, the official program includes altars, a parade, music, dance and traditional activities. Valle de Banderas, one of the historic communities of the municipality, will also participate with cultural activities and Day of the Dead celebrations.
For travelers staying along Riviera Nayarit, these communities offer something different from the larger events in Puerto Vallarta or Sayulita. They provide an opportunity to explore the region beyond the resort areas and experience how Día de Muertos is celebrated within local communities.
New Day of the Dead murals are also being created in several local cemeteries and communities, including Valle de Banderas, San Juan de Abajo and San José del Valle, adding another layer of local art to this year's celebrations.
Why this is a special time to visit
For international travelers, Día de Muertos is often one of the Mexican traditions they most want to experience. But seeing a Catrina in a photograph is very different from walking through a Mexican town while streets are decorated with cempasúchil, candles and papel picado, hearing music in a plaza and seeing families preparing their own ofrendas.
And in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit, you can experience all of this with the added backdrop of the Pacific coast.
You can spend an evening walking through Puerto Vallarta's Historic Center and Malecón, visit monumental Catrinas and public galleries, watch the November 2 parade, and then travel north to Sayulita, San Pancho, Bucerías or one of the traditional communities of Bahía de Banderas to see another side of the celebration.
If you are already planning to visit Puerto Vallarta or Riviera Nayarit around October 31 through November 2, this is one of the best times of the year to experience the region.
Día de Muertos here is not one single event.
It is an entire season of art, memory, culture, food and community.
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