Music Festivals on the Riviera Maya

The coastline from Cancun south to Playa del Carmen and Tulum has become something of a hot spot for music festivals in recent years. There are various local and international festivals that feature a wide range of musical genres. Each year, the Riviera Maya Jazz Festival takes place around November, while the Arena Festival welcomes gay and lesbian party people in January.

Another long-running date is La Fete de la Musique, organized by the French consul in the area. It takes place each year on June 21 to mark the summer solstice. Corona Sunsets Festival focuses on electronic music, with big-name DJs drawing big crowds to the beach in Playa del Carmen.

One newer festival is Comunite, a 3-year-old music and cultural festival that focuses on building awareness of social and environmental issues. It’s also worth checking out Heineken Winter Beach Festival, which combines DJ sets with fashion catwalk shows for something a little bit different.

There are also one-off festivals such as Playing in the Sand, when several original members of Grateful Dead play a series of concerts at an all-inclusive resort on the coast Feb. 15–18, 2018.