Wildlife Photographer of the Year just landed in Guanajuato for the first time. The 60th-edition show opens the visual side of Cervantino at the Museo Iconográfico del Quijote, while 46 exhibitions fan out across eight municipalities, including San Miguel de Allende. Expect headline names and hometown talent under one banner, from Diego and Frida stories to cutting-edge installations. We went inside the kickoff, checked dates and venues, and traced where the art goes next. Here’s what matters if you plan a visit this month.
The Cervantino Visual Arts program opened with a crowd-pleaser: Wildlife Photographer of the Year from London’s Natural History Museum, on view at the Museo Iconográfico del Quijote (MIQ) in Guanajuato City. It’s the first time the famed exhibition has come to Mexico, and it set the tone for a season that reaches San Miguel de Allende and more.
Organizers confirmed the scale: 46 exhibitions spread across 31 venues in eight municipalities—Guanajuato, León, Silao, Purísima del Rincón, Salamanca, Celaya, San Miguel de Allende, and Irapuato—featuring more than 400 artists. That means the festival’s visual art isn’t just downtown; it’s statewide.
At MIQ, the wildlife show presents 100 photographs from the competition’s 60th edition, a touring selection curated by the Natural History Museum. Doors are open from October 11 to November 2, according to state cultural authorities and coverage at the venue. The images are meant to dazzle—and to nudge audiences to think about climate and conservation in real life.
Cervantino Visual Arts
Cervantino’s visual slate isn’t one note. Alongside the UK-led wildlife centerpiece, the program incorporates fresh perspectives on Mexico’s giants. The Casa Diego Rivera opens multiple rooms that connect Diego Rivera’s work with Veracruz and showcase a family-curated project, “Kahlo Sin Fronteras.” It’s a brilliant pairing with the UK as the guest of honor this year, widening the conversation from nature to national memory.
The festival runs from October 10 to 26, with many exhibits continuing well past the curtain call. The University of Guanajuato notes that its museum and gallery shows—in Guanajuato, León, Irapuato, and San Miguel de Allende—can be visited through January 2026. That gives travelers and locals time to see work without fighting peak-festival crowds.
British and Mexican partners emphasized why this matters now. The UK ambassador in Mexico framed Wildlife Photographer of the Year as a creative spark for climate action; state leaders cast the art circuit as a way to connect communities across the map. It isn’t rhetoric; the program’s footprint, from the capital to San Miguel de Allende, backs it up.
What visitors should know
If you’re chasing the wildlife show, start at MIQ in Guanajuato City; the current run is scheduled through November 2. For a longer window—and a quieter room—aim for the University of Guanajuato’s spaces in San Miguel de Allende, where exhibitions remain open into the new year. The festival’s broader calendar continues through October 26, and the visual program keeps breathing after the last curtain call.
A final note for photo fans: while Mexico hosts the touring 60th-edition show, London unveils the next competition cycle this week. The Natural History Museum has already teased 2025 highlights, a reminder that this exhibition is a living organism—each year, new images, new worries, and new wonder.
