Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is one of the most meaningful celebrations in Los Angeles. Families build ofrendas (altars) for loved ones who have died, decorate them with marigolds, candles, photos and favorite foods, and gather to remember them with music, dance and food. The traditional dates are November 1 and 2, and in LA the events stretch across the last week of October and the first days of November.
Most of the city’s big Día de los Muertos celebrations are free. Here is where to go in 2026, what to expect and how to visit respectfully.
In this guide
For more festivals through the year, see our Los Angeles events calendar.
Día de los Muertos 2026 in LA at a glance
- Main days: Sunday, November 1 and Monday, November 2, 2026
- Free and family-friendly: Olvera Street (Oct 25 to Nov 2) and Grand Park (Oct 24 to Nov 2)
- Biggest ticketed event: Hollywood Forever Cemetery, held on Saturday, October 24 this year
- Getting there: Union Station and Civic Center/Grand Park Metro stations serve the downtown events
What is Día de los Muertos?
Día de los Muertos comes from Mexico and blends Indigenous traditions with Catholic All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. It is not a sad holiday and it is not Mexican Halloween. The idea is that the spirits of the dead return for a visit, and families welcome them home.
Key symbols you will see across LA:
- Ofrendas: home or public altars with photos, candles, food, drinks and personal objects of the person being honored.
- Cempasúchil (marigolds): bright orange flowers whose color and scent are said to guide spirits home.
- Calaveras: decorated sugar skulls, plus the face paint many people wear.
- Pan de muerto: a sweet bread topped with dough shaped like bones, sold at Mexican bakeries across the city in late October.
- Papel picado: cut tissue paper banners strung above altars and streets.
- La Catrina: the elegant skeleton lady, a symbol of the holiday seen in costumes and art.
Olvera Street
Olvera Street, the historic heart of El Pueblo de Los Ángeles near Union Station, holds the city’s longest-running Día de los Muertos celebration. From October 25 through November 2, 2026, it hosts nine nights of free events.
Each evening at about 7 p.m., a candlelit procession led by Indigenous danzantes moves through the plaza and blesses the community altars. Afternoon entertainment and face painting are scheduled on the weekend days and on November 1 and 2. Stalls sell sugar skulls, papel picado, candles and pan de muerto, and the restaurants serve taquitos and churros. Our Olvera Street guide covers the rest of the plaza.
Grand Park ofrendas
Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown LA fills with large art installations and community ofrendas from October 24 through November 2, 2026. Artists and local groups build altars about loss, family and memory, and you can walk through them for free. The park’s Noche de los Muertos celebration takes place on November 1, with music and programming in the evening.
Grand Park is a short walk from Olvera Street, so you can combine the two in one evening. The Metro B and D Lines stop at Civic Center/Grand Park station.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
The Día de los Muertos festival at Hollywood Forever is the largest in the city, drawing tens of thousands of people. In 2026 it was held on Saturday, October 24, from noon to midnight. It is a ticketed event, and children 5 and older need a ticket.
The cemetery grounds fill with hundreds of altars built by families and artists, Aztec dancers perform, and live bands play on the main stage into the night. If you missed it this year, it is worth putting on next year’s calendar: tickets go on sale in late summer, and parking near the cemetery fills early, so plan on rideshare.
More Día de los Muertos events in LA
- LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes: a free afternoon celebration on Sunday, October 25, with RSVP, next to Olvera Street.
- Los Angeles Central Library: free family activities on Sunday, November 1, no reservation needed.
- Forest Lawn Glendale: free performances and remembrance activities on the afternoon of November 1.
- Self Help Graphics and Art, East LA: the Boyle Heights art center has hosted one of LA’s longest-running Día de los Muertos celebrations and sells prints by local artists.
- Neighborhood bakeries and markets: across East LA, Boyle Heights and the San Fernando Valley, panaderías sell pan de muerto and markets sell marigolds through November 2.
Check each venue’s page the week of the event for exact times.
Where to see altars and art
If you want to see ofrendas without big crowds, go on a weekday afternoon. Grand Park and Olvera Street altars are up for more than a week. Museums and libraries across the city also set up community altars in late October, and many neighborhood restaurants and shops build their own.
How to celebrate respectfully
Día de los Muertos is a living tradition, not a theme party. A few tips:
- Do not touch or take items from altars, and ask before photographing people, especially families at their own altars.
- Face paint is welcome at public festivals, but treat it as part of honoring the dead, not a Halloween costume.
- Learn the story behind an altar if someone offers to share it.
- Support local makers by buying sugar skulls, art and bread from neighborhood vendors.
Getting there and parking
Downtown events are easiest by Metro. Union Station is next to Olvera Street and LA Plaza, and Civic Center/Grand Park station is steps from Grand Park. Downtown garages fill on weekend evenings, so arrive early if you drive. Our LA Metro guide explains fares and lines.
Frequently asked questions
When is Día de los Muertos in 2026?
The traditional dates are November 1 and 2, which fall on a Sunday and Monday in 2026. LA events run from about October 24 to November 2.
Is Día de los Muertos in LA free?
Most events are. Olvera Street, Grand Park, the Central Library and Forest Lawn are free. Hollywood Forever’s festival is ticketed.
When was Hollywood Forever’s Día de los Muertos in 2026?
It was held on Saturday, October 24, 2026, from noon to midnight.
Is Día de los Muertos the same as Halloween?
No. Halloween is about costumes and scares on October 31. Día de los Muertos honors loved ones who have died, on November 1 and 2. For October 31 events, see our Halloween in Los Angeles guide.
Can kids go to Día de los Muertos events?
Yes. Olvera Street and Grand Park are family-friendly, with face painting and crafts.
Photo credits
Featured image: Cesar Arredondo/CASfreelancer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
