Mexico City ends its Day of the Dead season tonight with a sea of candles, as families light the graves of their dead at the San Andrés Mixquic cemetery in the borough of Tláhuac. The ceremony, called the Alumbrada, begins at 8 p.m. local time (9 p.m. Eastern Time, ET) on Monday, 2 November 2026.
It closes the Mixquic programme that began on 29 October, and we follow the wider festival in our Day of the Dead live hub. Mexico City is on Central Standard Time (UTC−6), which is six hours behind London and one hour behind New York after US clocks went back on 1 November.
Key Facts
- What: The Alumbrada, a candlelit vigil in which families light candles on the graves, closes the Mixquic programme.
- Where: San Andrés Mixquic cemetery, in Tláhuac, a borough in south-eastern Mexico City.
- When: Monday, 2 November 2026, from 8 p.m. local time, which is 9 p.m. ET.
- Record: Guinness World Records, the record-keeping body, certified the giant Catrina skeleton figure in Mexico City's Zócalo square at 33.41 metres (about 110 feet).
Mixquic Lights Its Cemetery Tonight
The Alumbrada, which means "the lighting", takes place in the Mixquic cemetery in south-eastern Mexico City. Graves there are decorated with marigolds, votive candles and offerings, and families gather around them through the night.
The official programme ran from 29 October to 2 November. It began with tomb cleaning on 29 October and continued on 31 October with the "Rodada del Mictlán", a bike ride. Pre-Hispanic ball-game exhibitions run from 31 October through 2 November.
The programme ends with vigils on 1 and 2 November. The start time of 8 p.m. comes from the official programme, and we did not reach the Tláhuac borough's own page to confirm it.
Why the Zócalo Catrina Is Still Drawing Crowds
Alfredo Arista, an adjudicator for Guinness World Records, validated the giant Catrina at 33.41 metres (about 110 feet) on 29 October 2026. A Catrina is the elegant skeleton lady that has become a symbol of the holiday, and this one stands in the Zócalo, Mexico City's main square.
The figure is the centrepiece of the Monumental Offering, a public altar dedicated to the engraver José Guadalupe Posada, whose satirical skeleton print Calavera Garbancera inspired the Catrina. It stays on view through Monday, 2 November, and no closing time has been published.
It has fibreglass bones, a steel frame, internal LED lighting and a 27-metre dress embroidered in the Tenango style, a Mexican hand-embroidery tradition, with marigolds and hummingbirds. The Taller de Arte Xibalbá, an art workshop led by director Carlos Báez, built it.
More than 100 people took part, among them artists, engineers, architects, blacksmiths and painters. The square also holds marigold fields and an exhibition called "Ajolotes en el corazón".
What It Means for US Readers
The Alumbrada starts at 9 p.m. ET on Monday, 2 November. We did not verify any livestream or US broadcast of the ceremony.
Mexico City authorities and the city Culture Secretariat are the sources to watch for official figures. Local time is six hours behind London and one hour behind New York.
What Is Not Known
No official attendance or incident figures for 1 and 2 November have been published yet. The Catrina's closing time on 2 November has not been stated.
No poll or prediction market applies to this topic. We will report the figures here once city authorities release them.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Mixquic Alumbrada?
It is set for Monday, 2 November 2026, from 8 p.m. in Mexico City, which is 9 p.m. ET. The time comes from the official programme.
Where does the Alumbrada take place?
It takes place at the San Andrés Mixquic cemetery in Tláhuac, a borough of Mexico City. Families light candles on the graves of their dead.
How tall is the record Catrina in the Zócalo?
Guinness World Records validated it at 33.41 metres, about 110 feet, on 29 October 2026. It stays on view through Monday, 2 November.
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