With a lineup featuring more than 400 national and international artists, the 41st edition of the Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Festival (FAOT) has begun. One of Latin America’s most important music festivals, it transforms the Magical Town of Álamos into an open-air stage for bel canto, popular music, and contemporary artistic expressions until January 31.
The festival’s guests of honor are Morocco and the state of Aguascalientes, whose presence broadens cultural exchange and positions Sonora as an international meeting point through art. Throughout the nine days of the festival, more than 80 activities will take place in nine venues, including 18 concerts, 14 educational activities, and the participation of six indigenous groups.
The Secretary of Education and Culture, Froylán Gámez Gamboa, emphasized that the FAOT (Festival of Arts and Music of Sonora) is a living expression of Sonoran identity and a lasting tribute to the legacy of Alfonso Ortiz Tirado, a native of Álamos, whose artistic career transcended borders without losing touch with his roots. He stressed that the festival is experienced in the streets, in the plazas, and in the community spirit fostered by the music throughout each day.
For her part, the Director General of the Sonoran Institute of Culture, Beatriz Guadalupe Aldaco Encinas, noted that the FAOT is the longest-running music festival in the country and a space that, through culture, promotes social interaction. She indicated that the festival is part of the state strategy to consolidate artistic events as public spaces for community gathering and participation.
During the opening ceremony of FAOT 2026, the Recognition for Musical Education was presented to Valentina Torres Molina, a Comcaac cultural promoter and artisan, whose work has focused on transmitting knowledge through oral tradition, community work, and the preservation of the identity of Indigenous peoples.
The first gala evening took place at the Municipal Palace with a performance by Spanish soprano Ainhoa Arteta, accompanied on piano by Miquel Ortega. Later, the streets of the historic center were filled with music as the Dr. Alfonso Ortiz Tirado student musical group performed the traditional callejoneadas (musical serenades).
Source: jornada
