San Miguel was recently named one of the top ten world destinations to study art, so there are a huge numbers of artists of all mediums who make San Miguel home. So take advantage of the frequent free gallery walks and openings.
There are also many concerts, theater, dance and music events throughout the year. My top recommedations include:
The Festival de Música de Cámara San Miguel is held in August since 1979. Most of the performances happen at the Angela Peralta Theater. Check out their website for the calendar as well as for lectures and other events. They also sponsor other events like hosting the Yale Symphony Orchestra in March, 2023.
There are films, lectures, theater, dance and music performances throughout the year at the Theatro Santa Anna at the Biblioteca Publica. The Biblioteca was opened in 1958 as a library to help educate the people of San Miguel. It has a substantial collection of bilingual books in both Spanish and English in its collection. It also features a number of educational, cultural and literary programs.
Opened in March, 2022 is the Biblioteca’s new Art Studio for the community. Located in a contemporary space, it features classes for children, adolescents and adults in different media including drawing, painting, design, sculpture and ceramics. Check out their website for current offerings.
In February the San Miguel Writers Festival is very good with excellent programs and talks by some major authors. They now also have programs throughout the year, including some virtual events.
Pro Musica: Pro Musica has been bringing world-class classical music to San Miguel de Allende for over ten years. The season runs from September through March and is comprised of around 25 concerts, ranging from solo piano and classical guitar recitals, through string quartets, to chamber orchestras and opera. There are a few events in July and August. They also have special events including a concert in a private garden and a concert by their Youth Orchestra. Check their website for the schedule.
I went to my first Garden Concert in March, 2022 which featured the music of Andrew Lloyd Weber. It was one of the best performance I have been to in town. The next Sunday I went to an excellent performance by the Youth Orchestra outside at the Instituto Allende. On March, 26, 2023 I went to my second Garden Concert with songs from Broadway musicals. It was excellent. I went back on March 21, 2024 for a brass quintet concert that I also enjoyed. The concert is located in a beautiful private home and they serve canapes and proseco during the extended intermission. I find that it is an event where you can easily easy meet people while in town.
Opera San Miguel: Opera San Miguel has a mission to bring young operatic talent to town. Each year there is Concurso San Miguel which is a national contest for Mexican singers that culminates with a sold-out concert. In 2022 I attended a really excellent concert featuring singers from Mexico and Canada at the theater in the Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez “El Nigromante” El Nigromante also hosts free outdoor concerts in their courtyard in the afternoon and evening throughout the year along with film, lectures and theater events.
In March, 2022 I went to my first performance of the Metropolitan Opera’s Mexico District Laffont Competition 2021 Winners’ Concert. I went back in March 2024 for a concert by the four 2023 winners. Since 2018, the local council, the San Miguel Met Opera Trust, has hosted a competition designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist them in the development of their careers. The quality of both performances was outstanding. I will make a point to go every year.
In the past I enjoyed a Brazilian jazz performance as part of the Festival Internacional de Jazz y Blues. In January 2024, I went to a great Latin Jazz concert at Casa Europa. Check out their website performance schedule which runs from January through April each year. In addition to Casa Europa, they perform at El Sindicato Centro Cultural Comunitario, St. Pauls Church and Teatro Ángela Peralta.
I went back for my second performance at El Sindicato at Recreo 4, to hear Louise Phelan sing the love songs of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Rogers and Hart and others. It was excellent. I prefer this venue over Casa Europa.
There are also opera performances, symphony concerts, music concerts, dance performances and photography lectures and more at the Ángela Peralta Theater as well throughout the year. I have been to many over the years. It has reopened after a major renovation. I am excited to go back. Mesones 82.
San Miguel Playhouse is a nonprofit, performance art theatre that stages theatrical productions and concerts. The San Miguel Playwrights Winter Showcase, presents short plays at the Playhouse, as does the Players Workshop. In March 2023, I went to my first performance of their Festival of Short Plays which included six, ten-minute plays. My second, two weeks later was a Comedy Tonight – The Lighter Side of Stephen Sondheim. I was very impressed with the quality. They are dedicated to bringing English language theater to San Miguel since 1982 and have held the Festival of Short Plays for 10 years.
They lost their lease at Ave. Independencia #82 and are in the process of moving to a new performance space near La Luciernaga Mall. Their plan is to include theater, chamber music and opera that will be directed to both the Mexican as well as expat community. I will keep you updated as to when they will open in 2025.
In October 2023, I went to my first performance of Ballet Folklórico de San Miguel de Allende. Started in 1975, this is a local dance troupe with a focus on traditional dances from various states throughout Mexico. Their goal to “preserve our traditions and identity, and please the public with programs full of life, joy, and passion.” I was very impressed with the quality of the dancers and the costumes.
Architecture lovers should walk by Casa Legorreta at Aldama 45. Named after the late internationally-renowned Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta, the first Latin AIA Gold Medal winner, this is a contemporary home where the owners worked directly with Legorreta on the design, completing it on a double lot in 2005.
I have also heard about Art Tour San Miguel. They take people through local artists studios and galleries. I am hoping to take on my next trip down.
Tickets for many events can be purchased online on the Boleto City website. San Miguel Live! is a new, recently launched, website that sells tickets for many live performances in town from theater, music, opera, dance and more. I am very impressed with the increasing number of live music performances that are offered in town.
My favorite artists include David Mendoza, Gil Gutiérrez, Media Luna, Gabriel Hernandez and Pedro Cartas.
Several places hosting live music include Paprika, Tres Fuentes Hotel Boutique, Trina Cantina, El Monarco, Casa Europa, Vivali Ristorante Terraza Bar and Cafe Rama.
Casa Europa, located at San Francisco 23, is becoming a venue for not only art exhibitions throughout the year, but also live music programs including classical, jazz, blues and opera. I was recently there for the 2023 Pro Musica Youth Orchestra concert. It is a convenient block walk from the Jardin.
Another cultural venue that recently opened is Casa Nigromante, part of the Universidad de Guanajuato, at Umarán No. 38. They feature montly cultural offerings including films and music concerts. Tickets are available through San Miguel Live.com.
After visiting the cultural center, I attended the Día de Muertos Requiem de Luigi Cherubini performed by Chorale San Miguel at the Templo de la Tercera Orden at the San Francisco church. This is a “community choir from San Miguel de Allende presenting large-format choral concerts, primarily Masses, Oratorios, a cappella works, and choral and orchestral compositions from four centuries. Our main home is the historic Tercera Orden in the San Francisco convent complex, which dates back to the early 17th century, with excellent acoustics for choral music.
The Choir is comprised of a core group of 32 auditioned singers, a significant portion of whom are professional singers, joining forces with talented volunteer choral singers from the area. The Choir features local and regional participants, including musicians from regional professional orchestras in Guanajuato and Querétaro. The artistic director is Malcolm Halliday and he shares conducting duties with Mauro Ledesma.
The San Miguel Choir purchased a historic 1875 pipe organ for the Third Order. The organ was moved from Massachusetts to San Miguel and will serve as a concert instrument, a recital instrument, including participation in the San Miguel Organ Festival, and for general use in the Third Order Chapel.”
The performance was outstanding and I was so pleased to be able to hear the new organ. The church was beautiful and a perfect venue for the concert. I hope to be able to see future performances
