It seems that most tourists come to Mexico City for its museums and historical sites. This makes sense, as Mexico City has more museums than any city in the world outside of London, and remnants of both Aztec (click here to read about that) and earlier civilizations (click here to read about Teotihuacan). But Mexican culture is a modern, vibrant thing, and for those interested in experiencing some of it, two evening experiences seem to jump out: Ballet Folklorico and Lucha Libre.

At first glance, these two experiences would seem to have nothing in common. One is a relatively formal affair, the other a rowdy party. One is “high” art, a beautiful display of choreographed music and dance. The other, while still choreographed, seems a bit more low-brow in its execution. One caters almost exclusively to tourists, while the other allows tourists but focuses on locals.

But beneath this dichotomy, there is actually a lot that unites Ballet Folklorico and Lucha Libre. Both are staunchly and uniquely Mexican. Both highlight national pride. And both experiences provide an insight for tourists into what makes this country wonderful.

One of the best reasons to see Ballet Folklorico is the building it is held in. Mexico City’s Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes) is an art nouveau stunner that opened in 1934. I’ve never actually been during the day to see the art collection, although I hear it is wonderful. But at night, the building is easily one of the most beautiful in a city full of such places.

The Ballet itself started in 1952, although that original eight person ensemble wouldn’t recognize the event today. While I don’t know exactly how many dancers, singers, and musicians were part of the show I saw, my guess is that it would approach 100.

Scenes are varied, with dances and music ranging from native-inspired (I doubt the Aztec dance was truly authentic) to some of the best cultural heritage aspects of Mexico’s history. Consider that in a mere two hour show, we were treated to close to a dozen dances, all of which had superb live musical aspects, that included acrobatic dancing, rope work, and more complex steps than I could count. Many featured tapping or stomping, as well.

And oh, the music! Musicians provided both the soundtrack for the dancers, as well as interludes while the company dancers changed off-stage. Those were probably my favorite component, especially a battle of dueling harps. Yes, dueling harps.

On the other side of the culture spectrum, Lucha Libre is also a choreographed spectacle, but instead of costumed dancers, singers, and musicians, it features masked wrestlers. Think of it as Mexico’s equivalent of the WWE, with apparently complex storylines of heroes and villains in an acrobatic display of athletic prowess and – for lack of a better term – acting.

The stadium probably held between 5 and 10,000 fans, all seemingly emotionally invested in pre-determined outcomes. While I admit to not understanding having true rooting interests in a fake (the athletics are very real, though, and I don’t mean to take anything away from that aspect) story, the excitement of the crowd of mainly locals does lend a buzz.

And there is no questioning the cultural relevance of Lucha Libre, as it is probably second to soccer in the hearts of Mexican sports fans.

After seeing both performances, what are the main takeaways? First and most importantly, both are staunchly nationalistic, featuring lots of “viva Mexico” chants, and celebrations of the symbology of the country. (Part of the Lucha Libre performance I saw was a tournament between female Mexican wrestlers and those representing the rest of the world. Mexico won; I was hardly shocked.)

Second, both of these events are culturally relevant. Mexico is a nation of song and dance, of music all its own, and those are featured in Ballet Folklorico, although the audience appeared to be mainly tourists. Lucha Libre, likewise, is a truly Mexican and iconic spectacle, one that I would guess gets talked about frequently at work the following Monday.

As for my own personal preferences, I definitely enjoyed Ballet Folklorico more, and by a decent margin. Wrestling has never appealed to me, and though I admired certain aspects of it, some of the lower-brow humor didn’t appeal. And some, like costumed “little people” fighting each other after the bell, offended me a bit. The ballet, on the other hand, left me with nothing but a positive feeling.

Tickets for each can run up over $100 US. (For Lucha Libre, you should strongly consider spending for floor seats, both for the view and for the much milder surrounding clientele.) And both can sell out, necessitating a bit of planning. Both can also have some rather significant waits for an Uber afterward, so just be prepared for that.

Would I do either again? Well, I definitely wouldn’t attend another Lucha Libre event. But as the Ballet Folklorico program seems to change seasonally, I could be talked into splurging for another evening at the Palace of Fine Arts.

Ballet Folklorico and Lucha Libre. Two very different evenings of performance, with two very different audiences. But both are culturally relevant, and both are things worth considering when in Mexico City.

Like it? Pin it!