Night of the Radishes Oaxaca 2026: date, times and info

The Zócalo, setting for the festival

According to Vanguardia, the origin goes back to 1897. A former municipal president, Francisco Vasconcelos, reportedly turned a market practice into an official contest, with a stated aim: to promote floriculture and horticulture, and to liven up the Christmas market. Some sources present him as governor; we keep the title of municipal president, the one used by the local press.

The first official exhibition is dated 23 December 1897 by English Wikipedia (consulted 18 October 2026). The link to the Christmas festival therefore rests on the date and on the market.

A popular legend credits the origin to two Dominican friars who reportedly encouraged the growing of a misshapen radish. No official source we read confirms it. Present it as a story that is told, not as an established fact.

What to remember

• The tradition has been documented since 1897, the date kept by English Wikipedia and Vanguardia.
• The radish is a local variety. The authorities supply it free to participants (Vanguardia, 2023).
• The contest is judged on beauty, technique and creativity, according to a festival guide consulted on 18 October 2026.

A paid activity is available on 23 December 2026: a street art tour with an artist in Oaxaca, bookable on Viator. It is not a tour of the Night of the Radishes, but a discovery of the city’s urban art. The timing and duration are not checked here: see the product page before you book.

Traditional, free, and two materials next to the radish

The contest is organised by category. The traditional category groups religious or strongly cultural themes, such as the Nativity or village scenes. The free category welcomes contemporary creation and popular culture (Vanguardia, 2023). The same article cites two alternative materials, dried immortal flower and dried corn husk, which have their own categories.

The sources we read describe neither the sculpting techniques nor the makeup of the jury. The press speaks of several dozen sculptors per edition, with no official figure. You will therefore see mostly radishes on the square, and compositions in flowers or corn husks in the dedicated categories.

Source: Vanguardia, article of 23 December 2023, checked on 18 October 2026.

The amount of cash prizes varies from one source to another: 12,000, 15,000 or 30,000 pesos appear depending on the article, with no year given. No amount for 2026 had been published at the verification date. We therefore give no figure, and readers who want the detail will have to wait for the organiser’s announcement.

An evening in three stages

The sculptures are reportedly exhibited during the day, the festival gains momentum in late afternoon, and the winners are reportedly announced in the evening. The times below come from the 2025 edition, the 2023 press or guides. Until the organiser publishes the 2026 programme, read them in the conditional.

Source: Visit Mexico, 2025 edition listing and Vanguardia, 2023, checked on 18 October 2026.

The advice most repeated by guides is to arrive between 4 pm and 5 pm. A hotel guide, a search extract, mentions queues of 45 to 90 minutes in late afternoon: this is not an official measure. Exhibitions are visible during the day according to Visit Mexico and guides, but the 2023 press places the set-up and the sales from 5 pm.

Guides describe a queue at the announcement of the winners, around 9 pm (time not confirmed for 2026). If you want to see the result, plan to stay on site.

Direct flights from Mexico City

Direct flights link Mexico City to Oaxaca. They are operated by Volaris, Viva Aerobus and Aeroméxico, according to Kupi (consulted 18 October 2026). Aeroméxico shows, on a promotional page, a round-trip economy fare from 1,929 MXN, valid for departures from 3 to 10 December 2026, with the page valid for 48 hours. This price does not cover 23 December: it only serves as an order of magnitude.

Source: Aeroméxico, Despegar and Infobae, checked on 18 October 2026.

The union blockades by section 22 of the CNTE targeted Oaxaca airport in June 2026. No end was announced at the date of consultation. Allow extra time between your flight and your appointment in town, and check traffic the day before you leave.

The trip from the airport to the centre is not priced here. The page oaxaca-airport.com, consulted on 18 October 2026, says taxis, private transfers and rental cars are available, without giving a price or a duration.

What to check before you buy

• The exact flight fare for your return date, which can differ sharply from the promotional price.
• Transport between the airport and your accommodation: taxi or private transfer, with price and duration to ask before you leave.
• The state of the union blockades, if your trip falls in the same period as those of June 2026.

Historic centre, Jalatlaco or Reforma

The historic centre is the simplest choice: the Zócalo is within walking distance, and the district is pedestrian. A hotel guide, a search extract, mentions a higher price range in the centre during the festival, with no figure. Hotels in the centre therefore fill up early over the year-end holidays.

• Historic centre: the most practical for an evening on foot; rates for 23 December are not recorded.
• Jalatlaco: a colourful district with cobbled streets, a few minutes’ walk from the Zócalo, and quieter.
• Reforma: a residential district with local restaurants, a short distance from the centre.

If your hotel is not in the centre, the return after the festival is on foot or by taxi, at night. Note the exact address of your accommodation in your phone, and keep it offline.

A free evening, a stay that is not

Entry to the festival is free according to the tourist sources consulted, to be reconfirmed for 2026. The budget is therefore spent elsewhere: flights, accommodation and paid activities. No source we read prices food for December 2026, and we do not estimate it here.

Source: Visit Mexico, 2026 listing, Aeroméxico and Despegar pages, and Viator price check of 18 October 2026 (based on 2 adults, availability verified for 23 December).

The Aeroméxico promotion only applies to departures from 3 to 10 December 2026, and the Despegar minimum is indicative. Do not take these prices as applying to 23 December: check the fare for your return date.

The schedule, based on the known times

This schedule is a working plan. It draws on the benchmarks of the 2025 edition, the 2023 press and guides, and should be aligned with the official 2026 programme once it is published.

1. Morning: walk around the historic centre and locate the access points to the Zócalo.
2. During the day: if you want a paid activity, the street art tour with an artist is available on 23 December 2026 (Viator check of 18 October). Read its start time and duration on the product page.
3. From 5 pm: sculptures are set up and sales open, according to the 2023 press. This is the moment to arrive at the Zócalo.
4. Early evening: the sculptures are lit, according to travel guides. Walk round the square once, then go back to the pieces you prefer.
5. Around 9 pm: announcement of the winners, according to festival guides. This moment is not confirmed for 2026.

The crowd and the 2023 incident

The crowd is the point to plan for. On 22 December 2023, the eve of the festival, stands collapsed during the preparations. The toll was 9 injured according to El Universal, and 13 according to Por Esto, the two headlines of the time. The evening screening was cancelled, and the governor ordered an internal inquiry.

No incident is reported for 2024 in the sources we read. For 2025, no toll was published in the sources consulted. That does not mean the evening is risk-free: it means the information available is incomplete.

• Arrive early, before the queue for the announcement of the winners, and stay within the marked areas.
• Keep your bag closed in front of you and your phone put away in the crowd.
• Identify two exits from the Zócalo before you settle in, and note your group’s meeting point.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) updated its Mexico travel advice on 16 October 2026 because of Hurricane Trudy. According to the text consulted on the FCDO Mexico page, the warning does not mention Oaxaca. Our reading is partial: check the page on the day you travel.

Dia de Muertos, two months earlier

Oaxaca has another major festival, the Dia de Muertos, held on 1 and 2 November 2026, about two months before the Night of the Radishes. The two festivals do not share the same setting: cemeteries and offerings on one side, a sculpture contest on the square on the other. Our guide to Dia de Muertos 2026 experiences in Oaxaca, from cemeteries to workshops details the places to book for the autumn.

If you stay several days, the city is best explored on foot, and the surroundings are worth a detour. The archaeological site of Monte Albán, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987, suits a half-day visit. For a longer route between Mexico City and Oaxaca, our guide to the Mexico, Oaxaca and Puebla itinerary for 2026 proposes a step-by-step breakdown, and the road trip between Oaxaca, Puebla and Teotihuacán shows how to organise the route.