Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Oct. 7, 2026 — Puerto Vallarta will host Jalisco’s Children’s and Youth Mariachi Competition Oct. 14-16, bringing 18 ensembles from across the state to four local venues.
The fourth edition will be the first held outside the Guadalajara metropolitan area. Ten groups will compete in the Intermediate category and eight in the Advanced category.
The Jalisco Secretariat of Culture, through its Community Culture office, is organizing the competition with Puerto Vallarta’s municipal government and the Instituto Vallartense de Cultura.
Three days across Puerto Vallarta
For local residents, the event will not be confined to a single theater or downtown stage. Activities will move between Lomas del Coapinole, the Malecón, the Hotel Zone and Colonia 5 de Diciembre.
The program begins Wednesday, Oct. 14, with a master class from noon to 3 p.m. at Centro Cultural La Lija. The Instituto Vallartense de Cultura lists La Lija at Pablo Franco 1000 in Lomas del Coapinole.
All 18 ensembles are scheduled to appear that evening during the opening gala at 8 p.m. at the Arcos del Malecón. The federal Cultural Information System identifies the outdoor Foro Aquiles Serdán at Morelos along the Malecón in Centro.
The opening places the statewide event at one of Puerto Vallarta’s most visible cultural gathering points rather than keeping the competition entirely indoors.
Residents looking for other activities during the week can also check the Vallarta Daily events calendar, which tracks cultural and community events around the city.
Semifinals move to the Hotel Zone
A second master class is scheduled Thursday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at La Lija. Competition begins later that day at Friendly Fun Vallarta in the Hotel Zone.
Intermediate semifinalists are scheduled to perform from 6 to 8 p.m. Advanced groups will follow from 8 to 9:30 p.m., according to the detailed competition schedule.
Judges will evaluate musical execution, interpretation, ensemble work, tuning, and adherence to mariachi tradition when selecting the finalists.
Final set for Teatro Vallarta
The final round will take place Friday, Oct. 16, beginning at 6 p.m. at Teatro Vallarta.
Intermediate finalists are scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by the Advanced category from 7 to 8 p.m. The closing program will bring all 18 participating mariachis together for a combined performance developed through the two master classes.
Teatro Vallarta is at Uruguay 184 in Colonia 5 de Diciembre. The federal Sistema de Información Cultural lists the theater with a capacity of 918.
Prize money in the Intermediate division is 25,000 pesos for first place, 15,000 pesos for second, and 10,000 pesos for third. Advanced competitors will receive 50,000 pesos for first, 30,000 pesos for second and 20,000 pesos for third.
Musicians coming from across Jalisco
Guadalajara will send four ensembles, while Zapotiltic and Tecolotlán will each send two.
Other participants are coming from Zapotlán el Grande, Chapala, Jamay, Tapalpa, Quitupan, Cocula, Atoyac, Zapotitlán de Vadillo and Zapopan. A group from Juanacatlán and a delegation from Tapalpa are also participating.
The state Secretariat of Culture will cover transportation from Guadalajara, along with lodging and meals during the competition, according to the event announcement.
Moving the competition to Puerto Vallarta marks a geographic change from its first three editions. This year, young mariachi musicians from communities across Jalisco will compete and train on the coast rather than returning to the Guadalajara metropolitan area.