Guanajuato During the Cervantino

We traveled to Guanajuato during the Cervantino, an International festival which is held every fall. The three-week long festival has performances of opera, music, dance, theater, street spectaculars, visual arts, film and more. Many of the performances are free, and are held in outdoor venues. We attended concerts by the famous African musician Salif Keita and the Québécois band Alfa Rococo. There were also numerous smaller performances on the streets that we enjoyed.

It’s estimated the festival can draw nearly 200,000 visitors, so the city becomes quite packed with people. You’ll need to make hotel reservations several months in advance if you want to stay in the center of Guanajuato during this time. You may also find some areas such as the streets around the Jardin de la Union to be jam-packed with people — literally shoulder to shoulder, particularly at night. Lines at museums will be longer, and restaurants are likely to be busy. Guanjauato is a noisy city even on a good night — so if you are a light sleeper, finding a hotel away from the crowds might be a priority. Expect people to be out all night, it’s a massive party and people have a great time.

Here are a few more photos from around Guanajuato during the Cervantino.