Mexico City’s boroughs have closed their books on Day of the Dead, and the biggest crowd count so far comes from Iztapalapa, a borough of Mexico City. It reports about 350,000 visitors to its 10 cemeteries, and no serious incidents.
We follow the festival in our Day of the Dead live hub. The holiday ended on 2 November, so these are closing balances, and every figure is self-reported by local governments.
Key Facts
- What. Iztapalapa, a Mexico City borough, counted about 350,000 visitors at 10 cemeteries, with no serious incidents.
- When. 31 October to 2 November 2026; boroughs reported on 2 and 3 November.
- Other counts. Coyoacán more than 150,000; Xoco cemetery more than 80,000; Mazatlán 48,325.
- Caveat. All figures are self-reported; no citywide or national total has been published.
Iztapalapa Reports 350,000 Visitors
About 350,000 people visited the 10 cemeteries of Iztapalapa, a borough of Mexico City, between 31 October and 2 November 2026, according to the borough. It described its security and public-service operation as a “saldo blanco,” meaning it ended without serious incidents.
Municipal crews removed 116 metric tons of waste. The waste figure was preliminary because the night cleanup of 2 November had not yet been counted.
The borough is led by Aleida Alavez Ruiz, its elected head. Its 10 sites comprise three general and seven neighborhood cemeteries, and the borough also reported 221 water-truck trips to supply cemetery cisterns.
Other Boroughs Report a Similar Calm
Coyoacán, another Mexico City borough, said more than 150,000 people visited its historic centre over the festival weekend. It also reported a saldo blanco.
Officials working with the Administrative Verification Institute (INVEA), a city inspection agency, sealed a property in Cantil del Pedregal, a Coyoacán neighbourhood, where a costume contest for more than 500 people was planned. The borough said the site lacked required civil protection measures and permits, and suspension seals were placed.
Xoco cemetery, in the Benito Juárez borough, drew more than 80,000 visitors by 2 November, according to the borough. It stayed open until 11 p.m. local time that day, which was midnight on 3 November in New York (Eastern Time, ET), and diplomats from nine countries, including Israel, Malaysia and Pakistan, attended.
Mazatlán and Miguel Hidalgo Add Their Counts
In Mazatlán, a port city in Sinaloa state, Mayor Estrella Palacios Domínguez said 48,325 people visited municipal and private cemeteries over the holiday. She reported a saldo blanco and said the days hold a special importance for Mexicans.
In Miguel Hidalgo, a borough of Mexico City, Mayor Mauricio Tabe reported a saldo blanco at the Dolores and Sanctórum cemeteries, which he said could receive about 100,000 visitors in total. The borough’s emergency command center logged 19 non-serious medical cases and one hospital transfer after a visitor suffered a muscle injury slipping between graves.
Tabe also backed a proposed cenotaph, a memorial without remains, at the Dolores cemetery for José Guadalupe Posada, the engraver who created the skeleton figure known as La Catrina. According to the borough, his remains lie in a common grave and can no longer be located, and a civil association has gathered more than 12,000 signatures, though no monument has been announced.
Why the Figures Cannot Be Added Up
The counts come from the boroughs themselves and cover different periods, so they cannot be combined into a citywide total. Iztapalapa’s covers 31 October to 2 November, Coyoacán’s begins earlier in the weekend, and Mazatlán’s covers only the holiday itself.
No consolidated result has been published for the whole city. Pre-holiday visitor projections varied by outlet and were forecasts, not outcomes.
What It Means for US Readers
The crowds were large and the reports were calm, which matters for Americans who plan to visit Mexico City for the festival next year. Treat the local crowd figures as official estimates, not audited counts.
Visitors from abroad were among those attending, including diplomats from nine countries at Xoco cemetery. A calm balance does not remove the usual advice to check local conditions before travelling.
What Is Not Known
No final official citywide visitor count for Mexico City in 2026 has been found, and no federal tourism or economic-impact results for the holiday. All visitor counts and saldo blanco assessments are self-reported by borough and municipal governments.
Iztapalapa’s waste total may change once its final cleanup is counted. We found no report of a violent incident at the cemeteries covered here, which reflects the reports we reviewed, not independent confirmation that none occurred.
More: Mexico news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people visited Iztapalapa’s cemeteries?
About 350,000 people visited its 10 cemeteries between 31 October and 2 November 2026, according to the borough. The figure is the borough’s own estimate.
What does saldo blanco mean?
It is the term Mexican local authorities use for an operation that ends without serious incidents. Boroughs can still record minor medical cases under that label.
Is there a total for all of Mexico City?
No consolidated citywide count has been published in the material we reviewed. Each borough counts visitors over its own dates and by its own method.
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