International Cervantino Festival 2014

The countdown has begun, and the city of Guanajuato is ready to receive the thousands of visitors who will make this historic place their own this October. The Guanajuato State government, in its role as host, and in conjunction with important bodies like CONCACULTA (the Mexican National Council for Culture and Arts), have prepared a magnificent cultural program, and will receive representatives from Japan and the state of Nuevo Leon as guests of honor.

Every corner of the state capital will be full of music, song, dance, theater, and literary events from October 8 – 26. This year will be the 42^nd edition of the festival and there will be two main themes: the first is the 450^th birthday of the illustrious English author William Shakespeare, with conferences and cinema inspired by his writings as well as projections of his works including Hamlet, Macbeth, and of course, Romeo and Juliet. The second main theme is a program called Frontiers, which looks to demonstrate the different limits between artistic genres.

The impressive cultural offering includes artistic performances by the percussion group Tokyo Dageki Dan and the amazing Austrian pianist Rudolph Buchbinder, who will perform Beethoven's 32 sonatas. There will also be urban art and graffiti by local artists from Guanajuato and nearby Nuevo Leon, shows by The Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon Folkloric Dance Company, and hundreds of other artists performing across the festival's different stages.

This year's edition of the festival will also feature the participation of theater companies that have members belonging to four marginalized communities in the state of Guanajuato. They will perform innovative adaptations of Shakespeare's works.

Sound good? Then don't miss out on the chance to have an unforgettable experience exploring the city's attractions, participating in "callejoneadas", hanging out with people of different nationalities, enjoying the cosmopolitan atmosphere, and breathing in the festive ambiance of this magical part of Mexico.