Popayán Holy Week in Colombia Expected 23 to 27 March

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COLOMBIA · HOLY WEEK

Popayán Holy Week 2027 should bring five night processions to this Colombian city, from Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 March. Easter Sunday falls on 28 March, and UNESCO says the processions run from the Tuesday to the Saturday before it.

For a US reader, Popayán Holy Week is a dated, once-a-year chance to see a UNESCO-listed tradition. The details that matter are the nights, the safety advice and what is still unconfirmed.

What the Processions Are

UNESCO, the United Nations culture agency, listed Popayán Holy Week as intangible cultural heritage on 30 September 2009. That list protects living traditions rather than buildings.

UNESCO calls the processions one of the oldest traditions in Colombia, held since the colonial period. Each one is built around pasos, floats that carry wooden statues showing scenes from the Easter story.

Popayán Holy Week has five processions, one each night, honouring Mary, Jesus, the Cross, the Laying in the Tomb and the Resurrection. Each follows a two-kilometre (1.2-mile) route through the town centre between 8:00 and 11:00 in the evening, according to UNESCO.

Who Runs It and Who Carries the Floats

Residents who formed a general assembly to protect the tradition act as its organisers, UNESCO says. They work with the authorities, and their preparations last a full year.

Colombia’s official travel site says families carry the religious images on wooden platforms. The carriers are called cargueros, and the role passes down through generations.

The same travel site says a Religious Music Festival with choirs and soloists is part of the celebration and has run for over sixty years. It gives no dates for 2027.

The Dates and Nights to Plan Around

Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027, so Popayán Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday, 21 March. By UNESCO’s rule the five processions fall on Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 March.

Our Colombian traditions guide says Holy Thursday and Good Friday, 25 and 26 March, are holidays that stay where Easter puts them. Do your errands earlier in the week, because offices are likely to be closed.

UNESCO lists the five processions in the order Mary, Jesus, the Cross, the Laying in the Tomb and the Resurrection. We found no 2027 programme that matches them to nights, so check the local schedule before choosing your evening.

Colombia keeps one time all year, UTC-5, and New York moves to daylight time on 14 March 2027. From then on, a procession at 8:00 in the evening in Popayán starts at 9:00 in New York.

Getting to Popayán and Where to Stay

Colombia’s official travel site says Popayán is about three hours by car from Cali. That road crosses Cauca department, and the US advisory tells Americans not to travel in Cauca outside the city.

For that reason, a flight is the cautious way in. We found no airline schedule for Popayán in March 2027, so ask your airline which routes serve the city.

Our Colombian religion guide says Holy Week brings the heaviest church-calendar crowds, so book lodging early. For Popayán Holy Week, a hotel near the centre probably saves you a late ride, because the route runs through the centre.

We found no published room rates or ticket prices for Popayán Holy Week 2027. Treat any price you see before the programme is out as the seller’s own estimate.

Safety and Entry Rules for US Visitors

US citizens need no visa for tourist stays of 90 days or less, according to the US State Department. The passport must be valid for the whole stay.

The State Department advisory for Colombia is Level 3, Reconsider Travel, and says violent crime is common in many areas. It marks Cauca department, excluding Popayán, as Level 4, Do Not Travel, for any reason, because of crime and terrorism.

Stay inside the city for Popayán Holy Week and skip day trips into the countryside. The processions end near 11:00 at night, and US government staff may not use street taxis, so book rides through your hotel.

Dial 123 for emergencies in Colombia. The US Embassy in Bogotá answers at +57 601 275-2000, and after hours you press 0 on the same number.

Our own <a href=”https://www.riotimesonline.com/colombia-security-crime-explained-2026/”>security guide</a> gives the wider picture, including the regions the advisory names. Check the advisory again in March before you fly, because it can change.

How to Combine It With a Wider Colombia Trip

The Estéreo Picnic festival takes place in Bogotá from 19 to 21 March 2027, two days before the first expected procession. Our <a href=”https://www.riotimesonline.com/estereo-picnic-2027-bogota-lineup-tickets-2026/”>Estéreo Picnic guide</a> covers it, so the two events could fit one trip.

Cali is the big city about three hours away by car, and our <a href=”https://www.riotimesonline.com/expat-cities/cali/”>Cali expat guide</a> covers it. Our <a href=”https://www.riotimesonline.com/colombian-traditions-holidays-family-celebrations/”>Colombian traditions guide</a> explains the holidays and family customs behind Holy Week.

Our <a href=”https://www.riotimesonline.com/colombia-religion-explained-2026/”>religion explainer</a> gives the faith background. Our <a href=”https://www.riotimesonline.com/colombia-christmas-new-year-holiday-dates-2026/”>Christmas guide</a> covers the next holidays.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

We found no 2027 programme from the organisers, so the five nights, the start time and the route come from UNESCO’s description. The local church and city websites we tried did not open for our checks.

We did not confirm whether any seating, tickets or paid viewing places exist, or whether the processions are free to watch. We also found no dates for the Religious Music Festival and no airline schedule for Popayán.

Ask your hotel in Popayán for the printed programme when you book. Check the US State Department advisory again before you fly.

More: Colombia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Popayán Holy Week in 2027?

Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027, and UNESCO says the processions run from the Tuesday to the Saturday before it. That points to Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 March, but no 2027 programme is published yet.

Is Popayán Holy Week safe for American visitors?

The State Department rates Colombia Level 3, Reconsider Travel, and marks Cauca outside Popayán as Do Not Travel. Stay in the city, avoid overland day trips and arrange night rides through your hotel.

Do US citizens need a visa or tickets?

No visa is needed for tourist stays of 90 days or less, and the passport must cover the whole stay. We found no ticket sale for the processions, but this is not confirmed.

Sources: UNESCO, Holy Week processions in Popayán (Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, inscribed 2009), accessed 29 October 2026; Colombia official travel site, Popayán (Holy Week, cargueros, Religious Music Festival, distance from Cali), accessed 29 October 2026; US State Department, Colombia Travel Advisory (Level 3; Cauca excluding Popayán Do Not Travel), accessed 29 October 2026; US State Department, Colombia country information (entry, passport validity, embassy, emergency number), accessed 29 October 2026; Ministry of Culture of Colombia, plaque in Popayán recording the UNESCO inscription of 30 September 2009, photographed 20 January 2020.

Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error