Today, Zacatecas is experiencing a different era, marked by the restoration of peace, the strengthening of the social fabric, and increased trust between citizens and institutions, stated Governor David Monreal Ávila at the presentation of the program for the 2026 Zacatecas Cultural Festival, on its 40th anniversary.
Thanks to coordinated efforts in security, ongoing dialogue, and the building of consensus, the state is moving forward peacefully, allowing families to reclaim public spaces and experience culture as a right and a collective celebration, he emphasized.
Development in Zacatecas is expressed not only in projects and infrastructure, but also in the opportunity to live together, to reconnect, and to move forward united, remarked Governor David Monreal, affirming that culture has become a driving force for well-being, capable of generating economic growth, tourism, employment, and community pride, while strengthening our identity and projecting the state at national and international levels.
In this Year of Progress 2026, he said, Zacatecas demonstrates that true progress is built on peace, inclusion, and opportunities for everyone. The Zacatecas Cultural Festival, he affirmed, reflects this vision: a space where art, community, and social participation confirm that tranquility is the foundation of development and that progress is achieved when we walk together, with confidence and hope for the future.
With more than 400 scheduled activities, over 2,000 participating creators, and artists from 20 countries, the 40th edition of the Zacatecas Cultural Festival is the most ambitious in its history. Figures such as Alondra de la Parra; the iconic Argentine bands Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Los Auténticos Decadentes; as well as Comisario Pantera, La Barranca, Rhapsody of Fire, the Revisiting Creedence show, and the renowned performer Marc Martel are part of a lineup that reaffirms Zacatecas as one of the country’s great cultural epicenters.
Within the framework of the Year of Progress, Governor David Monreal presented the general program for this historic edition, which celebrates four decades of art, thought, and cultural diversity in a World Heritage city that once again embraces its role as a stage for the world.
María de Jesús Muñoz Reyes, Director General of the Zacatecas Institute of Culture (IZC) Ramón López Velarde, affirmed that, in this 2026 Year of Progress, culture is confirmed as one of the strongest pillars for building peace, development, and social well-being. The Zacatecas Cultural Festival, she said, is a living expression of this conviction: a space where art strengthens identity, fosters dialogue, and opens opportunities for everyone, without distinction.
Today we celebrate not only another edition of the festival, she continued, but also the continuation of a project that has accompanied Zacatecas for four decades, transforming plazas, venues, and streets into places of encounter, community, and collective expression. Thanks to the peaceful environment the state enjoys, he expressed, it is possible to welcome families, artists, and visitors with the certainty that culture flourishes when there is peace.
“From the Ramón López Velarde Zacatecas Institute of Culture, we reaffirm that true development is built upon culture: promoting local talent, engaging in dialogue with the world, and sowing the seeds of a more just and harmonious future in children and young people. The Zacatecas Cultural Festival is, now more than ever, a celebration of the progress that is born from art and consolidated within the community,” he stated.
Regarding the Cultural Festival’s activities, the Plaza de Armas will once again stand as the monumental heart of the festival. Its stage will host generations and genres: from the romantic pop of Pablo Alborán and Fonseca to the powerful symphonic metal of Rhapsody of Fire.
Likewise, the multimedia virtuosity of Vivaldianno Shining Venice; The festival will feature the traditional concert by the Zacatecas State Symphonic Band, with its 96-year history, and the symbolic power of Mariachi and the National Guard’s Musical Vanguard. The opening will be marked by the classic energy of American rock with a tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival.
The festival will also showcase classical music with the International Piano Series and the International Guitar Series, which will bring together world-class virtuosos from Ukraine, Italy, China, Mexico, Georgia, France, Spain, Russia, Brazil, and the United States. This presence solidifies Zacatecas’s position as a national leader in concert music.
Source: zacatecas.gob
