Day of the Dead Altar at Instituto Cultural Oaxaca

2026 Day of the Dead Spanish program

Looking for a unique cultural experience?

Immerse yourself in Oaxaca's vibrant cultural traditions on Day of the Dead.

Day of the Dead Learn Spanish while discovering Oaxaca only at Instituto Cultural Oaxaca

Day of the Dead Spanish Program Highlights

Our 2026 Day of the Dead program offers an immersive experience of Oaxaca’s most iconic festival.

Join us for an immersive two-week Spanish-language program from October 19 to November 1, 2026, centered on one of Mexico's most iconic traditions: Day of the Dead. Our program offers a unique experience that combines language learning with cultural exploration, giving you a deep dive into Oaxaca's rich heritage during this vibrant celebration.

Day of the Dead Program highlights

Spanish classes: Daily classes from Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 1 PM, tailored to all proficiency levels, focusing on conversational skills and cultural context.

Cultural Workshops in Spanish:
- Day of the Dead cooking workshop: Learn to prepare traditional recipes related to the "Día de Muertos," such as Mole negro, and other foods exclusive to the festivities, and put your Spanish into practice.
- Mask-making workshop: Create your own Day of the Dead mask and put your creativity into practice, a significant element of the celebration's visual culture.
- La Muerte de Fiesta workshop: This new addition explores the elements of the Day of the Dead, covering the significance of the ofrenda, traditional altars, symbolic food, music, and overall festivities.
Special activities
- Lecture by Dr. Jorge Hernández Hernández (UABJO): an evening talk at the school on the history and living traditions of Día de Muertos in Oaxaca.
Day of the Dead tours:
- Cemetery Visit: Experience the poignant beauty of Oaxacan cemeteries, where families gather to honor their deceased loved ones.
- Tour to the comparsas: Witness the lively street parades known as comparsas, featuring music, dancing, and colorful costumes.
Unique Experience: All students will participate in ICO's own comparsa, a joyful parade around the school's vicinity, celebrating this culturally rich festival together.

Key Program Facts

Spanish Language Classes

20 hours of Spanish Language classes per week, from Monday to Friday, from 9 AM to 1 PM.

Cultural Workshops

During these two weeks, every workshop centers on Día de Muertos. You choose one workshop per week, which meets Monday to Thursday afternoons, all in Spanish. The workshops planned for 2026 are:

Week of October 19: Barrios de Oaxaca, Music, Mask-Making, or Conversation: La Muerte de Fiesta.

Week of October 26: Cooking: La Comida de los Muertos, Barrios de Oaxaca on Día de Muertos, Music, or Mask-Making.

The final offering can vary with group size and teacher availability; we'll confirm your options on your first day.

Lecture on Día de Muertos with Dr. Jorge Hernández

On Wednesday, October 28, at 5:00 PM, Dr. Jorge Hernández Hernández, Professor of Anthropology of Art at the Universidad Autónoma "Benito Juárez" de Oaxaca (UABJO), will give a lecture on the history and meaning of Día de Muertos in Oaxaca. Born in Oaxaca City, he holds graduate degrees in Latin American Studies from the University of Connecticut and in Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. The lecture takes place at the school, Av. Juárez 909, and is open only to ICO students.

Tours to the cemeteries

We will visit with students and staff two of the most iconic cemeteries near the city of Oaxaca, Xoxocotlán and Atzompa.

Tour to the comparsas

A field trip out of Oaxaca city to the Valley of Etla, where neighborhoods and towns compete for the best costume, a place where creativity explodes through the rhythm of banda

Ofrenda set up and our Comparsa

This is our favorite, the moment we share as a community. Students set up their own ofrenda at the school, and on Friday, October 30, at noon, we take our comparsa into the streets around the Institute, along Av. Juárez and Jacobo Dalevuelta to the Jardín Conzatti and back: an hour of banda, costumes and joy to celebrate the dead the Oaxacan way.

Key Dates 2026

Monday, October 19: Program begins; placement test at 8:00 AM
First week: Theater performance by Perfecto Luna
Wednesday, October 28, 5:00 PM: Lecture on Día de Muertos by anthropologist Jorge Hernández (UABJO)
Friday, October 30: ICO's student comparsa through the streets around the school.
Saturday, October 31, night: Cemetery tour to Xoxocotlán and Atzompa.
Sunday, November 1: Comparsas in the Valley of Etla.

Día de Muertos is a living celebration, and a few events depend on performers, speakers and the towns themselves, so details can change at short notice. If anything moves, we'll let registered students know right away and update this page.

Why Día de Muertos matters in Oaxaca

"Para los oaxaqueños, el Día de Muertos es la fiesta más importante del año, es más importante que la Navidad. Es el momento no solo de recordar a los que ya se nos adelantaron, sino de reunirnos con los que no están en Oaxaca: amigos y familia viajan a Oaxaca para Día de Muertos. Es un momento de familia, de la familia con la que nacimos y la que escogimos, en el que celebramos la vida a través de la muerte. Por eso en Oaxaca la gente suele gastar más en la fiesta de muertos que en Navidad."

"For Oaxacans, Day of the Dead is the most important celebration of the year, more important than Christmas. It's a time not only to remember those who have gone ahead of us, but to come together with the people who no longer live in Oaxaca, because friends and family travel home for Día de Muertos. It's a family time, for the family we were born into and the family we chose, when we celebrate life through death. That's why in Oaxaca people often spend more on the fiesta de muertos than on Christmas."

Carlos T., Director, Instituto Cultural Oaxaca, Av. Juárez 909, Centro

Day of the Dead Packages

Our Day of the Dead packages are the perfect way to experience this cultural celebration while immersing yourself in Spanish. Choose from one of our options, which includes Spanish classes, tours, workshops, and more. All of our packages are designed to give you an authentic and unforgettable experience of the most time-honored holiday of Oaxaca. *Prices are in USD

Booking both weeks together saves USD $81 compared with reserving each week separately, and it's the only way to join every workshop and event on the program, from your first mask-making session to the comparsas in Etla.

Day of The Dead Program

$799

799

October 19 to November 1, 2026

Valid for 2 weeks

40 hours of Spanish language classes (Monday to Friday)

2 cultural workshops of your choice, one per week (16 hours)

Theater performance by Perfecto Luna (first week)

Lecture by anthropologist Jorge Hernández (October 28)

ICO student comparsa (October 30)

1 Tour to the cemeteries (night of October 31)

1 Tour to the comparsas (Sunday, November 1)

Best Value

First Week Day of the Dead Program

$385

385

October 19 to 23

Valid for one week

20 hours of Spanish language classes

1 cultural workshop of your choice (8 hours, Mon to Thu)

Perfecto Luna theater performance (Friday, October 23)

Best Value

Second Week Day of the Dead Program

$495

495

October 26 to November 1, 2026

Valid for one week

20 hours of Spanish language classes (Monday to Friday)

1 cultural workshop of your choice (8 hours, Monday to Thurs

ICO student comparsa (October 30)

Lecture by anthropologist Jorge Hernández (October 28)

1 Tour to the cemeteries (night of October 31)

1 Tour to the comparsas (Sunday, November 1)

All materials are included.

Space in ICO's 2026 Day of the Dead Program is limited, so if Day of the Dead is the reason you're timing your trip to Oaxaca, we'd recommend registering early. Fill out the form below, and our team will confirm availability, help you decide between the one-week and two-week formats or more weeks and walk you through homestay options during this high-demand season. Rooms near Centro fill up fast in the weeks around November 1st.

Or if you are ready, you can register now

Day of the Dead FAQ's

When is Day of the Dead in Oaxaca in 2026?

The main days are November 1 and 2, 2026. In Oaxaca the celebration begins the night of Saturday, October 31, when families gather in the cemeteries — that's the night our program visits Xoxocotlán and Atzompa.

Do I need to speak Spanish already to join?

No. Classes are tailored to all proficiency levels, from complete beginners to advanced, and you're placed after a short assessment on your first morning. The tours and workshops are run in Spanish but designed so beginners can follow.

Can I come for just one week instead of two?

Yes. The first week (October 19–23) includes your classes, a workshop of your choice, and the Perfecto Luna theater performance. The second week (October 26–November 1) includes the lecture, our student comparsa, the cemetery night, and the comparsas in Etla, so if the celebration itself is why you're coming, choose the second. You can also start Full Immersion on October 5 or 12 and continue straight into the program, or stay on for November 2 to 6.

Where do students stay during the program?

Most students stay with an Oaxacan host family walking distance from the school in Centro. Accommodation is arranged separately from the program fee, please let us know your dates on the form below and we'll walk you through the options.

Can I join just the cultural workshops that week?

No. During the two Day of the Dead weeks, workshops are only offered as part of the program, together with morning Spanish classes from 9 AM to 1 PM. The workshops are taught in Spanish and run as a series from Monday to Thursday.

Which cemeteries does the program visit?

Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán and Santa María Atzompa, two of the most significant Day of the Dead sites in the Valley of Oaxaca. The tour runs four to five hours on the night of October 31.

Is it respectful for visitors to attend Day of the Dead in Oaxaca?

Yes, when you go with people who know the customs. This is a welcoming celebration, not a private ceremony, but there's a real difference between joining and gawking, and your teachers will tell you plainly where photographs are fine and where they aren't.

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Past Programs

2023 Day of the Dead Program (Archived)

2024 Day of the Dead Program (Archived)

Last Updated: September 2026