From September 17 to 20, MEXTRÓPOLI invites visitors to look at Mexico City from a new perspective. The festival brings together architecture, art, and public space across a schedule of lectures, exhibitions, routes, and installations that turn the city itself into part of the experience.

Featuring guests like Riken Yamamoto, Lina Ghotmeh, Junya Ishigami, and LANZA Atelier, this edition brings an international lens to a program also designed to explore the city and discover some of its spaces through architecture.

The City as a Stage

Under the theme “MOVEMENTS,” the thirteenth edition of MEXTRÓPOLI proposes observing how people, buildings, infrastructure, and public space continuously transform the city. Over four days, various venues and streets across Mexico City will set the stage for lectures, exhibitions, tours, film screenings, panel discussions, and urban interventions.

For anyone visiting the capital during those dates, a major draw lies in the architectural routes, which offer guided tours with specialists through some of the city's most iconic works and neighborhoods. The program includes tours of Ciudad Universitaria, Paseo de la Reforma, Unidad Independencia, Tlatelolco, and Santa María la Ribera, along with visits centered on architects such as Teodoro González de León, Juan O'Gorman, and Mathias Goeritz. The routes are free with prior registration.

The programming will also bring architecture directly into the public realm. Nine temporary installations exploring different ways of engaging with the environment will be set up in Alameda Central. Among them will be el muro (the wall), the winning project of the Arquine Competition No. 28, which uses a permeable element to transform how people navigate and experience this Historic Center space.

Exhibitions for a Different Take on Architecture

The festival serves as a great starting point to explore exhibitions that will remain open past the four-day event. At the Colegio de San Ildefonso, Entretejidas. Arquitectas mexicanas: presente, pasado y futuro presents an overview of the careers of more than 200 Mexican female architects. Curated by Zaida Muxí Martínez, the exhibition will run from September 17 to December 6. Another highlight is Polis. Premio Europeo de Espacio Público at the Centro Cultural de España, featuring 32 projects centered on mobility, memory, markets, housing, participation, and renaturalization. It will be open from September 19 to November 15.

At Laguna, the exhibition Construir Europa. Arquitecturas Catalanas. EUmies Awards 1988–2026 highlights Catalan architectural projects recognized and nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture. It can be visited from September 19 to October 31.

Architecture Through Film

The program expands to the screen with a film series dedicated to different ways of imagining and inhabiting the city. Titles on the lineup include Miralles by María Muti, Here are the Arquitectas by Kliwadenko & Novas, and Teodoro en concreto by Emilio Maille.

There will also be panel discussions on issues shaping contemporary urban life, such as public space, water and the city, women's movements in architecture, and lighting design. Admission is free.

Keynote lectures will take place on September 18 at the Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris, gathering architects and thinkers from around the globe. Speakers include Riken Yamamoto, winner of the 2024 Pritzker Prize; Lina Ghotmeh, architect of the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion; Junya Ishigami, Golden Lion winner at the Venice Biennale; and the Mexican firm LANZA Atelier, designers of the 2026 Serpentine Pavilion.

For four days, MEXTRÓPOLI offers more than just a festival to attend—it offers a fresh lens for exploring Mexico City. Its buildings, plazas, neighborhoods, and public spaces shift from being background scenery into key pieces for understanding how the capital was built and how it might evolve. For any traveler drawn to architecture, design, and urban culture, the festival offers a distinct way to experience the city: walking its streets, entering its buildings, observing its public spaces, and discovering the stories behind them.

Check out the full schedule here: mextropoli.mx