“Guanajuato welcomes the world with open arms, because here cultures meet, dialogue and unite us!” “The Festival of the Spirit” arrives with
“Guanajuato welcomes the world with open arms, because here cultures meet, dialogue and unite us!”
“The Festival of the Spirit” arrives with renewed strength and new stories to tell: Libia Dennise
Guanajuato/Gto News
Governor Libia Dennise Garcia Munoz Ledo presided over the presentation ceremony of the 54th edition of the Cervantino International Festival, “The Celebration of the Spirit.” For 16 days, Guanajuato will once again be a stage for the world. Artists from 28 countries will be in attendance.
Libia Dennise said that the 54th edition of the FIC arrives with renewed strength, with new stories to tell and with a very clear message: culture transforms and unites us.
“Today we welcome France with open arms as our guest of honor. A nation that has been the cradle of the Enlightenment, a land of ideas that changed the course of humanity; home to artists, thinkers, and movements that have defended liberty, equality, and fraternity,” said the Governor.
Libia added that 200 years after the start of diplomatic relations between Mexico and France, “we celebrate not only a shared history, but a common vision: that culture is one of the most powerful bridges between nations.”
The Governor said that for the first time, 20 Mexican states will participate, transforming the Cervantino Festival into a grand cultural mosaic. “Twenty ways of understanding identity. Twenty voices in dialogue. Twenty expressions that converge here in Guanajuato. Because this festival is also Mexico’s home.”
Libia noted that more than 1,400 artists from Guanajuato will be present at this year’s festival, as well as the Ruelas Project, which honors the deepest roots of the Cervantino Festival, those born in community. “It takes art to where it is most needed. It transforms lives. Because when a girl or boy steps onto a stage for the first time, something changes forever.”
And the People’s Stage, which is a space that celebrates our municipalities, our traditions, our most authentic expressions. “There, the corners of Guanajuato proudly proclaim: Here we are. Here we are, and we have something to say to the world,” she added.
Libia said that the 2026 edition will allow for the celebration of the centenary of the birth of Jose Alfredo Jimenez, one of the most important composers in Mexico and a source of pride for Guanajuato.
“Our beloved Cervantino International Festival, which today beats stronger than ever, is a festival that was not born on grand stages, but in the streets. It was not born for a select few, but for everyone,” said the Governor.
She recalled that it was born in a public square, in the beloved Plazuela de San Roque, when the teacher Enrique Ruelas and the University of Guanajuato taught that art does not need permission to touch the heart, and that culture, when it is true, always finds its way to the people.
“And since then, Guanajuato has become much more than just a venue. It has become a protagonist. Because here, in this wonderful city, art is not confined, it is breathed in its alleyways that tell stories and legends,” she added.
At the heart of this story is our beloved University of Guanajuato. “Alma mater. Nurturing mother of the Cervantino Festival. Light that has guided generations of talent, that has sown sensitivity, critical thinking, and a love for the arts. Thank you, University of Guanajuato, because without you, this festival would not be what it is: a living expression of freedom. Because that is what the Cervantino Festival is: freedom,” said the Governor.
“From now on, we welcome the world with open arms, because here cultures meet, dialogue, and unite us! The Cervantino Festival is not just a festival. It is an embrace between cultures,” the Governor stated.
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