Day of the Dead holiday 2026: what to do in Ecuador from October 31 to November 3

In 2026 the Day of the Dead falls on Monday November 2 and Cuenca's Independence Day on Tuesday November 3. With the weekend, the time off runs from Saturday October 31 to Tuesday November 3: four days in a row.

What is celebrated

• Day of the Dead, November 2. Families visit their dead in the cemeteries. The tradition for those days is colada morada, a spiced purple corn drink, with guaguas de pan, bread shaped like babies.
• Cuenca Independence Day, November 3. It marks Cuenca's proclamation of independence in 1820. The city celebrates with several days of festivities, and it is the destination that draws the most visitors this holiday.

What to do, city by city

Each city's list builds itself from what theatres, ticket sellers, cultural centres and organizers publish, and it changes every day:

• What to do in Quito over the holiday
• What to do in Guayaquil over the holiday
• What to do in Cuenca over the holiday
• Every city and the next holidays

If you are going to Cuenca, also read the guide to its festivities.

Before you go

• Check the time and the tickets at each event's source: the event page links to it.
• On long holidays, roads and bus terminals fill up on the first and the last day.

Organizing something for the holiday? Post it for free and it shows up in your city's agenda.