Mexico News Daily is officially launching MND Local CDMX, a weekly roundup of the news, events and cultural moments that capture the beating heart of the nation’s capital.
Coming up: South Korean culture takes over the capital, the city pauses for a national earthquake drill, coveted tickets for the NFL Mexico City Series 2026 go on sale, and President Claudia Sheinbaum leads the country in its annual Independence Day celebration.
K-EXPO takes over Mexico City, Sept. 25-27 K-EXPO Mexico City is set to take over Nápoles from Sept. 25-27. (Korean Cultural Center)From bibimbap to gamja hot dogs, and BTS to “Squid Game,” South Korean culture shows no sign of slowing its march across Mexico. Now, the South Korean government and one of the country’s leading creative-content agencies are bringing K-mania to Mexico City with K-EXPO 2026, a three-day celebration of Korean food, music, entertainment and lifestyle.
The free public events run Sept. 25-27 at the Centro Internacional de Exposiciones y Convenciones (CIEC) WTC in Colonia Nápoles, roughly 15 minutes driving from Chapultepec Park. Visitors can meet some of Korea’s leading tastemakers in food, content creation and lifestyle, while taking in a K-Pop All-Star cover-dance performance, a live cooking show and an idol makeup workshop.
Then comes the main event — and this one isn’t free. On Sept. 26, K-Pop acts Winner, Dayoung, Soyou, Touched and Alpha Drive One will perform at Pepsi Center WTC. Ticket details are expected to be announced soon.
50,000 fans gather in Mexico City’s Zócalo to catch a glimpse of K-pop superstars BTS
For the latest updates, check K-EXPO Mexico City’s official website or Instagram page.
What: K-EXPO Exhibition and Events
Where: CIEC WTC, Filadelfia s/n, Nápoles, Benito Juárez, CDMX
When: Sept. 25-27
Price: Free
What: K-EXPO Concert
Where: Pepsi Center WTC, Dakota s/n, Nápoles, Benito Juárez, CDMX
When: Sept. 26
Price: To be announced
It may not be the most exciting item on the calendar, but anyone in Mexico City on Sept. 19 — especially visitors — should know what’s coming.
At noon, the city’s loudspeakers, cellphones, radio and television broadcasts will erupt with an earthquake alarm, marking the start of Mexico’s second national earthquake drill of the year. The simulated scenario: a magnitude 7.7 quake.
Earthquake monitoring is coming to Mexico’s historically underserved northern states
According to the National Coordinator of Civil Protection, the exercise is designed to strengthen government preparedness and coordination while encouraging the public to play an active role in reducing disaster risk.
If you live here, consider it a good excuse to finally put together that go-bag. If you’re visiting, take a deep breath, remember it’s a drill and don’t freak out.
The date itself carries some serious significance. Several of Mexico City’s most devastating earthquakes have struck on Sept. 19, including the disasters of 1985 and 2017. To mark the solemn occasion, President Claudia Sheinbaum will raise the national flag in the Zócalo at 7:19 a.m. in honor of the victims.
NFL tickets are coming. Good luck.Football fans, get your clicking fingers ready.
The NFL is bringing the 2026 Mexico City Series to Estadio Banorte on Nov. 22, when the Minnesota Vikings face off against the San Francisco 49ers.
The game is still more than two months away, but if previous NFL games in Mexico City are any indication, waiting until the last minute for tickets is probably not the move. When the league last played here, in 2022, presale tickets reportedly disappeared within an hour, while general-sale tickets are also said to have sold out almost immediately.
Here’s the schedule for the 2026 ticket rush, with sales taking place through Ticketmaster:
- American Express Presale: Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. CST — limit of 6 tickets per person
- Banorte Presale: Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. CST — limit of 4 tickets per person
- General Sale: Sept. 22 at 10 a.m. CST — limit of 4 tickets per person
MND Local CDMX will always aim to point you toward the things happening below the radar. But considering our inaugural edition lands just ahead of El Grito, we’d be remiss not to give you the quick-and-dirty guide to one of the biggest nights on Mexico’s calendar.
The official celebration of Mexican Independence is held Sept. 15 and draws enormous crowds to Mexico City’s Plaza de la Constitución — better known as the Zócalo — in the historic center.
Decorative lighting in the Zócalo of CDMX for the Mexican national holidays for Independence Day. (Arlette Lopez/Shutterstock)The festivities begin well before the main event, with people arriving hours in advance to stake out a spot with a view of the Palacio Nacional. Then, at 11 p.m., President Claudia Sheinbaum steps onto the main balcony and delivers the iconic Grito de Dolores, or Grito de la Independencia, officially kicking off the celebrations.
What follows is exactly what you’d expect from Mexico City on one of its biggest nights: street food, music, fireworks, flags, an abundance of green, white and red, and a whole lot of people. This year’s musical lineup is headlined by Tejano superstars Grupo Intocable.
If you don’t shy away from crowds, we highly recommend experiencing the spectacle at least once. It’s loud, chaotic, deeply patriotic and very, very Mexico City.
If, on the other hand, the prospect of being packed into a square with millions of people sounds less than appealing, fear not. Hundreds of smaller celebrations will be happening across the city, offering plenty of Grito energy, with plenty more breathing room.
Welcome to MND Local CDMX. We’ll see you next week.
Drew Pittock serves as Mexico News Daily’s features director. He is based in Mexico City. Have an idea for a feature story or unique event in CDMX? Send an email to drew.pittock@mexiconewsdaily.com.
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