By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Palm SundaySunday 21 March 2027
- Holy Thursday: the Last Supper staged in IztapalapaThursday 25 March 2027
- Good Friday: the procession and the crucifixion on the Cerro de la EstrellaFriday 26 March 2027
- Easter SundaySunday 28 March 2027
- Where
- Cerro de la Estrella, Iztapalapa
- Tickets
- Free
- Time of year
- March or April
- Dates
- Set by the moon and the spring equinox, so they move by weeks each year
Holy Week follows Easter, which falls on 28 March in 2027. The Iztapalapa organising committee and the alcaldía publish the programme in the weeks before. In 2026, the 183rd staging, the Good Friday procession set off through the eight barrios in the morning and the crucifixion came in the middle of the afternoon; the alcaldía counted 2.85 million people over the four main days. On Holy Thursday and Good Friday the Metro ran its holiday hours, 7am to midnight.
Semana Santa runs from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, and it pulls Mexico City in two directions at once. Schools break up and many residents leave for the coast, so most of the city is calmer than at any other point of the spring, with lighter traffic and roomier museums. In Iztapalapa, in the east, the opposite happens: its barrios stage the country’s best-known Passion play, and on Good Friday millions follow the procession to the crucifixion on the Cerro de la Estrella. Decide which week you want, the quiet one or the crowded one, and plan the Friday around that choice.
What Semana Santa actually is
The Passion in Iztapalapa began as a vow. When cholera killed hundreds in the town in the nineteenth century, its people carried their venerated image of Christ in procession and promised to re-enact the Passion each year if the epidemic passed. Residents of the eight original barrios have staged it ever since, as a community rather than a company, and it is now on UNESCO’s list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
The rest of the city keeps an older, quieter Holy Week. On Palm Sunday, vendors outside churches sell fronds woven into crosses and figures; on Holy Thursday many families walk between seven churches in the evening, a custom called the visit to the seven houses; and Good Friday brings processions and silent services before Easter Sunday at home.
Where to watch Semana Santa
- Iztapalapa on Good Friday. The procession sets off through the barrios in the morning and climbs to the Cerro de la Estrella, where the crucifixion is staged in the afternoon. Find a place on the route early, or on the slopes of the hill, and expect to stay put for hours.
- Iztapalapa on Holy Thursday. The Last Supper and the washing of the feet are staged on the main stage in the Jardín Cuitláhuac, the borough’s central garden, with a small part of Friday’s crowd.
- The Centro Histórico on Holy Thursday evening. The churches of the old centre stay open for the visit to the seven houses, and following the families on their round is the gentlest way to see the week.
- On television. The Good Friday procession is broadcast live, and that is how much of the city follows it.
Tickets and what it costs
Everything here is free. The cost of the Passion is the crowd and the time it takes to reach a good spot, and the cost of the quiet week elsewhere is that some family restaurants and smaller shops close for a few days.
Official information and booking: mexicocity.cdmx.gob.mx
Getting there
For Iztapalapa take Metro Line 8 to Iztapalapa or Cerro de la Estrella station. On Holy Thursday and Good Friday the Metro has kept holiday hours, opening at seven in the morning, and on Friday the stations nearest the route are packed for most of the day.
Do not drive. The Calzada Ermita Iztapalapa and the streets around the route close from early on Good Friday morning, and traffic is sent round the borough on the ring roads.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Assuming the city shuts
Holy Thursday and Good Friday are not official days off. Schools are out and many offices, family restaurants and small shops close or shorten their hours, but the big museums, hotels and chains mostly carry on. Check a particular place before planning a day around it.
Reaching the hill at the crucifixion hour
By the middle of the afternoon the slopes of the Cerro de la Estrella are full. Be in place by late morning if you want to see the cross raised rather than hear about it.
Going in without a way out
Leaving Iztapalapa on Good Friday takes far longer than arriving. Agree a meeting point, carry water and some cash, and start back before the end if you are not staying for it.
Carrying valuables into the crowd
Dense crowds draw pickpockets. Leave passports and spare cards at the hotel, and keep your phone in a front pocket.
Heading for the coast the same week
Half the city has the same plan. Buses and flights to the beaches fill and the roads out jam at the start and end of the week; go before or after if you want the sea.
Other Mexico City events
Frequently asked questions
When is Semana Santa in Mexico City?
From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, which moves with Easter between late March and late April. This edition’s dates head the page.
What time is the crucifixion in Iztapalapa?
In the middle of the afternoon on Good Friday, on the Cerro de la Estrella, at the end of a procession that leaves the barrios in the morning.
Is the Iztapalapa Passion free?
Yes. There are no tickets or seats. The route and the hillside are open to everyone; the price is the crowd.
Is Mexico City busy during Holy Week?
Less than usual in most of the city, because schools are out and many residents travel. The exceptions are Iztapalapa on Good Friday, and the bus stations and the airport at the start and end of the week.
How do I get to the Passion in Iztapalapa?
By Metro Line 8, to Iztapalapa or Cerro de la Estrella station. The roads around the route close from early on Good Friday, so driving is not an option.
Sources
- La Nación (AP), UNESCO’s inscription of the Iztapalapa Passion
- Milenio, Good Friday timings and where to watch
- La Lista, Metro hours and closures in Holy Week
- Infobae, the latest attendance count
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2028. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.