Mexico City gets all jolly and sparkly when Christmas is just around the corner — and capital-dwellers know it. From beautifully decorated avenues to traditional Christmas bazaars, our monstrous city shows its gentler side this season. Even atole (like all our traditional warm drinks) hits different when ordered on a misty, winter morning. So get your Christmas tree and singing voice ready! Here’s our last monthly digest: the best activities to enjoy in Mexico City this December.
Christmas shopping at Calle Correo Mayor
Mexico City’s Historic Center is well known to be the perfect place to grab great bargains year-round. Christmas time is no different. If you haven’t had the opportunity to deck your halls, do not hesitate to head to Calle Correo Mayor and buy strings of lights, nutcrackers, stockings, bags, figurines and everything your Christmas tree needs. These are the most impressive — and astonishingly bueno, bonito y barato — stores you can find, just blocks away from one another:
- Calle Correo Mayor 79, the traditional Christmas decorations bazaar
- Grupo Vizcarra store: Correo Mayor 84, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc
- Crearé store: Correo Mayor 89, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc
- Novedades Héctor store: Correo Mayor 91, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc
Dates: All December long!
Location: See store addresses above
Cost: Free of charge!
International Baroque Theatre Festival 2025
In its fabulous gothic chapel, the Instituto Helénico will host for the very first time the International Baroque Theater Festival this December. Organized by the University of Cloister of Sor Juana (UCSJ), and celebrating the 330th anniversary of the death of the New Spanish poet and playwright, this event promises to revive the classics of the Golden Age with a contemporary and reflective perspective.
The program includes eight performances, divided into four for each venue (the Cloister and the Chapel) at 7 p.m. The performances feature works of exponents of the Spanish and New Spanish Baroque, such as Lope de Vega, Juan Ruíz de Alarcón, Calderón de la Barca and, naturally, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.
Dates: Running from Nov. 11 to Dec. 4
Location: Centro Cultural Helénico. Avenida Revolución 1500, Guadalupe Inn, Alvarón Obregón; and Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana. Izazaga 92, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc
Cost: Entrance fees may vary depending on the workshop
Polanco Jazz Festival 2025
Hosted by the Ángela Peralta Theater, the 2025 edition will focus on improv and dialogue between styles. Founded in 2013, the festival has become one of the most celebrated jazz events in Mexico City. Coming from the United States, Luxembourg and France, musicians will perform in this magnificent open-air location, in the heart of Polanco’s Lincoln Park.
Dates: Dec. 6 and 7
Location: Aristóteles s/n, Polanco IV Secc, Miguel Hidalgo
Cost: Tickets starting at 600 pesos
Watch “The Nutcracker” at the Auditorio Nacional
The ultimate Christmas ballet classic arrives in Mexico City with the performances of the National Dance Company, which will bring E.T.A. Hoffmann’s tale to life at Polanco’s Auditorio Nacional. This year’s monumental production will bring together the Company’s most talented ballerinas and Tchaikovsky’s live music, performed by the Orchestra of the Palace of Fine Arts. Choreographed by Polish ballerina Nina Novak, visitors will have several chances to watch “The Nutcracker” this December, with 10 scheduled dates available throughout the month before Christmas.
Dates: Running from Dec. 10 to Dec. 18
Location: Av. Paseo de la Reforma 50, Polanco V Secc, Miguel Hidalgo
Cost: Tickets starting at 470 pesos
Coffee and Chocolate Craft Festival
Yes, it happened. Just as happened with Pan de Muerto, which is now consumed all year round, it seems that the formidable Rosca de Reyes is also being consumed before the traditional dates. So much so, that this December, Mexico City is organizing the traditional Coffee and Chocolate Festival, Christmas edition. The event will bring together 57 exhibitors from across the country, who will showcase products crafted using artisanal techniques. From cacao in every format imaginable to whole bean and ground coffee will be available — and, rumor has it, Santa Claus will prance across the bazaar, greeting kids and having a jolly time with everyone.
Dates: Running from Dec. 10 to Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Location: Jalapa 38, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc
Cost: Free of charge!
Join The Santa Run
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Calling all runners for the first Santa Run in Mexico City! Starting at La Mexicana Park, in the heart of Santa Fe, this Christmas-themed route is perfect for all the family. Children, adults and even puppies are allowed to sign up this year, with the only condition being that they are dressed as Santa Claus. Organizers even set up a landing page for runners to buy their costumes. Participants will get a medal if they complete 1, 5 or 10 kilometers. You can check the official route here.
Dates: Dec. 14, 7 a.m.
Location: La Mexicana Park. Avenida Luis Barragán 505, Lomas de Santa Fe, Cuajimalpa.
Cost: Entrance fees starting at 790 pesos
Yule: a Medieval Christmas
Mexico City can’t get enough of her Medieval-themed bazaars. Just as we had a Faires and Goblins Festival in October, this December, KAMELOT will be organizing an afternoon of medieval Christmas events. Visitors will encounter magical beings, knights and princesses — even puppies will be disguised as dragons! The idea is that people learn more about the Yule festival, which commemorates the winter solstice in the Celtic tradition, marking the end of darkness and the arrival of light.
Date: Dec. 14, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Desierto de los Leones Monastery. Carretera México-Toluca 05050, Cuajimalpa de Morelos
Cost: Entrance fees start at 250 pesos
Walk around MAM’s new outdoor exhibit at its Jardín Escultórico
As one of Mexico City’s most beautifully designed public gardens, the MAM Sculpture Garden is recognized worldwide for its permanent outdoor exhibition. Recently, as announced by the Ministry of Culture, the space added a new piece to its outdoor space. Spread out across tree branches, this new installation by Mexican artist María Sosa honors the knowledge and resilience of the weavers who have preserved the ancient technique of the backstrap loom. Titled “The Ancestral Women Who Weave, Speak and Walk,” the work is framed within the 2025 Year of Indigenous Women.
Dates: Available all month
Location: Av. Paseo de la Reforma S/N, Bosques de Chapultepec, Miguel Hidalgo
Cost: Tickets starting at 95 pesos
Candlelight concerts at El Cantoral, XMAS edition
Candlelight concerts, performed by candlelight, have become a sensation in Mexico City. To celebrate the holiday season, El Cantoral presents the Arcano String Quartet to perform beloved Christmas classics. The ensemble will play Carol of the Bells, O Holy Night, Let It Snow! and other iconic seasonal carols. Please note that children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Dates: Dec. 19 and 20, at 7 p.m.
Location: Puente Xoco s/n-Puerta A, Xoco, Benito Juárez
Cost: Tickets starting at 405 pesos. Buy yours here!
Watch a pastorela at Aztlán Urban Park
“Pastorelas” are traditional Catholic plays that tell the story of how Joseph and the Virgin Mary went through her pregnancy until the birth of Jesus. Designed to teach children the biblical origin of Christmas, these performances usually take place during the December festivities. If you’re looking for fun activities for the entire family to enjoy, do not hesitate to visit Aztlán Urban Park this month. After the pastorela, Santa will be waiting for the children to take cute pictures with them.
Dates: Dec. 21 to 25
Location: Av. de los Compositores s/n, Bosque de Chapultepec II Secc, Miguel Hidalgo
Cost: Tickets starting at 100 pesos
Andrea Fischer has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.
