Hollywood Forever Cemetery will throw open its gates for the 27th annual Día de los Muertos celebration on Saturday, October 24, 2026, running from noon to midnight at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood. Organizers say the daylong event will feature musical performances, community altars, art, traditional ceremonies and activities honoring the dead, with singer DannyLux leading the musical lineup.
According to the cemetery's own events calendar, the bill also includes Trish Toledo, East Los Angeles group Tropa Magica, San Diego indie band Los Shadows, and DJs Que Madre, JOAQU.N and Dro Barlo. As MyNewsLA.com reports, the celebration will also include a ceremonial procession and Aztec performers, continuing a tradition organizers say honors deceased family members and loved ones through altars, food, music and other customs.
This year's theme, “All Under One Sky / Bajo un Mismo Cielo,” centers on shared experiences of love, loss, memory, compassion and hope across cultures and borders, according to organizers. The event's official ticketing site, ladayofthedead.com, notes that live music, dance and cultural performances will unfold on the Muerte y Tradición stage throughout the day.
Altars, Art and a Children's Plaza
Hollywood Forever's community-created altars and ofrendas will feature photographs, mementos and traditional offerings honoring ancestors and loved ones, organizers say. The Cathedral Mausoleum will host an exhibition of original works by invited artists, while a Children's Plaza will offer hands-on art activities inspired by Día de los Muertos traditions, according to Hispanos Press.
The event will also feature arts, crafts and food vendors alongside its annual altar and costume competitions. The altar contest carries real stakes this year, with the ladayofthedead.com event page listing a $5,000 prize for first place, $3,500 for second and $2,500 for third. Anyone hoping to enter their own altar must submit an application by October 10, 2026, per the event's FAQ page.
New Entry Windows Replace Timed Sessions
The 2026 celebration marks a structural shift from last year's format. Per Time Out, the 2026 edition will swap time-limited sessions for entry windows, offering three admission times to book — noon to 4 p.m., 4 to 7 p.m. and 7 to 11 p.m. — while attendees may stay on the grounds until midnight.
That's a departure from the 26th annual event, which ran November 1 into the early hours of November 2, 2025, as three separate, ticketed sessions requiring attendees to leave the grounds between showings. That event sold out completely, with no tickets available at the gate, and featured more than 50 altars throughout the grounds, ancient rituals and dances, a screening of Disney-Pixar's Coco and a drone show. Tickets for that earlier celebration were priced at $5 for the 1 to 3:30 p.m. window and $25 for the 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. window, according to PBS SoCal's event listing.
Time Out also notes that last year's event dropped musical performances in favor of the Coco screenings — a change the 2026 lineup appears to reverse by restoring a full slate of live acts on the Muerte y Tradición stage. The event's organizers caution that the lineup and schedule remain subject to change at any time, and additional programming details are expected to be announced later.
Ancient Roots Behind a Modern Tradition
Día de los Muertos traditions have roots dating back thousands of years to Indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica, with the practice rooted in customs from Mexico and other parts of the region, honoring deceased loved ones through altars, food, music and ritual. Hollywood Forever's celebration is scheduled to proceed rain or shine as a single-day event, organizers confirmed. Tickets and further information are available through ladayofthedead.com.
