In an inter-institutional event, the state government presented the program for the 40th Zacatecas Cultural Festival 2026 to media outlets and travel agents in the state of Jalisco, with the aim of promoting the event’s cultural offerings and the destination’s tourist attractions.
During the meeting, the festival’s general program was announced. The festival will take place from March 28 to April 11, 2026, marking the fortieth edition of this cultural event, which is part of the initiatives promoted by Governor David Monreal Ávila’s administration.
The Secretary of Tourism, Le Roy Barragán Ocampo, noted that culture and tourism maintain a direct relationship in promoting destinations. He indicated that this type of event strengthens Zacatecas’s visibility among strategic audiences throughout the country.
He emphasized that the state has UNESCO World Heritage status, a distinction that forms part of its identity and international profile.
The Director of the Zacatecas Institute of Culture (IZC) “Ramón López Velarde,” María de Jesús Muñoz Reyes, presented the details of the artistic and cultural program for this year’s festival, which includes 400 artistic activities in various venues throughout the capital and other cultural spaces.
The program, she emphasized, includes music in diverse disciplines, such as traditional, concert, rock, blues, pop, jazz, and world music; it also features theater and dance performances, film screenings, activities for children, as well as exhibitions and academic events.
The 2026 edition will feature artists from 20 countries: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Spain, the United States, France, Georgia, England, Iran, Italy, Mali, the Czech Republic, Russia, Ukraine, and Uruguay.
Among the scheduled activities, those taking place on the main stage in Plaza de Armas stand out. The stage will be illuminated on March 28th at 8:00 p.m. to kick off the grand cultural celebration with the Revisiting Creedence Clearwater Revival show.
The program includes performances by artists such as Pablo Alborán, Vivaldiano Shining Venice, Rhapsody of Fire, and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. Billy Idol will close the festival.
The Zacatecas Cultural Festival aims to promote popular culture, fine arts, and humanist thought.
Through its programming, it fosters community engagement with local, national, and international creative expressions, supports the work of local artists, and strengthens tourism to the city of Zacatecas.
Source: zacatecas.gob
