San Miguel de Allende (SMA) continues to make headlines, from global travel honors to vibrant cultural festivals and public safety efforts. Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening in this beloved city.
SMA again eyes World’s Best Small City title
San Miguel de Allende continues to shine on the global stage as a finalist for the 2025 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, competing once more for the title of Best City in the World. The city last won this prestigious honor in 2024.
San Miguel is also distinguished by multiple accolades from Condé Nast Traveler, including being named the No. 1 Small City in the World in years 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Additionally, San Miguel was named the Best Wedding Destination in Mexico earlier this year by Mexican magazine, México Desconocido, further cementing its status as a top choice for travelers worldwide.
San Miguel is one of two final cities in the running. Results are expected in the coming days.
FASMA 2025 brings 2 weeks of arts and culture
From August 1 to 17, the Festival of the Arts San Miguel de Allende (FASMA) returns for its third edition, bringing more than 100 events featuring opera, jazz, ballet, and visual arts to venues across the city.
Festival highlights include concerts at the historic Angela Peralta Theatre, such as a Cuban jazz evening with 13-time Grammy winner Chuchito Valdés and prize-winning classical pianist Gile Bae. Casa Europa will host events like The Eight Seasons by violinist Adolfo Alejos and a Lyric Gala by Operísima México, while Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez “El Nigromante” will present a retrospective of Leonard Brooks’ collage work. An exhibit of paintings by Enrique Guillén Sáenz also opens at Fábrica La Aurora during the festival.
Running alongside the festival is “The Diary of Anne Frank: Notes of Hope,” now open at Casa de la Cultura, offering an immersive exhibit with replicas of Anne’s personal belongings.
Festival president Eduardo Adame Goddard says FASMA was born from a desire to unify the city’s diverse artistic offerings into one annual celebration.
“We realized we didn’t have a festival that brought all the arts together. FASMA is a celebration of the fine arts and a way to give even more relevance to the city’s cultural life.”
FASMA brings together 25 of the city’s leading cultural organizations, from the Biblioteca Pública and the Opera of San Miguel to the San Miguel Writers’ Conference and many others representing the city’s diverse artistic community.
San Miguel gears up for month-long Pride celebrations
COSMA (Colectivo Orgullo San Miguel de Allende) has announced the return of its LGBTQ+ Pride March, set for Friday, July 12 at 4 p.m. The march will begin at Parque Juárez and conclude in the Jardín Principal, anchoring a monthlong series of events centered on visibility, inclusion, and structural change.
This year’s march is both a celebration and a call to action in a state that continues to face barriers to equality for LGBTQ+ individuals.
“Visibility is not enough if it isn’t accompanied by guarantees,” COSMA emphasized in a statement. “Our fight is not for symbolic inclusion but for structural justice. We thank our sponsors and allies. All people are welcome to march, regardless of their gender identity or expression.”
Rafael Cabrera, cofounder of COSMA, added that this year’s march will highlight demands for structural reforms supporting LGBTQ+ rights in San Miguel. Key issues include ending oppression in public spaces, securing proper funding for the city’s diversity office and promoting ongoing sensitivity training for public officials.
City government to raise bus fares
After 13 years without changes, San Miguel de Allende’s municipal government has approved a public transportation fare increase from 8 pesos to 10 pesos (about US $0.50). The previous 8-peso fare had been the lowest in the entire state of Guanajuato, according to Mayor Mauricio Trejo.
The decision comes after weeks of negotiations between the mayor’s office and transportation operators, who had initially proposed raising the fare by as much as 7 pesos, with some reports speculating a jump as high as 18 pesos.
As part of the process, the mayor emphasized that although transportation operators have the right to request a fare adjustment, citizens also have the right to demand improved service. Among the conditions being discussed are a cleaner, more professional appearance for drivers and the removal of tinted windows.
The fare will remain discounted at 50% for students and seniors. Before taking effect, the increase will undergo a feasibility study and must be approved by the city council.
SMA strengthens public safety measures
Local officials are stepping up prevention efforts in response to shifting crime patterns in the region. Mayor Mauricio Trejo acknowledged the increasing pressure on the city as organized crime groups move north within the state.
“The worst thing a mayor can do is deny a problem. San Miguel de Allende is not an unsafe city, but there’s pressure coming from all sides, and it’s taking a lot of work to keep it secure,” Trejo said.
He added that the issue is not exclusive to San Miguel but rather the result of being surrounded by some of the most insecure municipalities in the country.
In response, the city has doubled the capacity of its C4 surveillance center (now the most advanced in the state), which coordinates emergency response and monitors activity across the city. Officials have also invested in better-equipped patrol units and expanded police training.
San Miguel is hosting a state-level coordination meeting this week, bringing together security leaders from across Guanajuato, including the National Guard (GN) and state officials. This meeting will address the issue of criminal group migration.
Did you know?
Ignacio Ramírez Calzada, known as “El Nigromante” (the necromancer), was born in San Miguel de Allende in 1818. A fierce defender of human rights, secular education and free speech, his legacy remains strong in the city through the Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez “El Nigromante.” Last month, San Miguel honored his 207th birthday with a ceremony at the Jardín Principal and a tribute at his historic home, celebrating his lasting influence on Mexico’s values and culture.
Karla Parra is a Mexican-American writer based in San Miguel de Allende. She writes the MND series Hecho en México, authors Coloring Across Lines on Substack and helps organize the annual San Miguel Writers’ Conference. You can find her on Instagram as @karlaexploradora.
