ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS
EVENTS
Mexico City is the
nation?s entertainment, sports and cultural capital. For that reason,
it has a wide offering of venues
where you can go to concerts,
theatrical performances, expos, book fairs,
soccer matches, bullfights, and other exciting sports events. Among the most
important are:
Festival de Mexico
en el Centro Historico ? Considered one of the
most awaited events of the
year, this festival offers a wide variety
of cultural activities, such as music, dance and film. It takes place in April.
Feria Internacional del Libro (International Book Fair) ? Takes place in February and March
in the Palacio de Mineria on Tacuba Street
in the Historic Center. At this
fair you can find exhibitors from Mexico and abroad
offering their latest titles.
Muestra Internacional de Cine (International Film Festival) ? Takes place at the Cineteca
Nacional and at different theaters throughout the city. The first
edition runs in March and April
and the second
part in November and December. This
is a highly anticipated event, particularly among cinephiles.
Teatro de la Ciudad ? Located at 36 Donceles, Col. Centro, Cuauhtemoc
District. This is one of
the capital?s oldest theaters. Known for its eclectic
acts, it draws legendary international artists, such as Enrico Caruso, Ana Pavlova and Maria Conesa (known as the white
kitten). The theater holds up to 1,300 spectators.
Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) ? Located next to
the Alameda Park at 1 Avenida Hidalgo, Col. Centro, Cuauhtemoc
District. In this impressive eclectic construction you?ll find some of
the nation?s most important museums and cultural events, such as its art and
architecture museums. In addition to a crystal
curtain, which depicts a panoramic view of the
Valley of Mexico, the building?s
concert hall also has a
notable stained-glass image of Apollo
and the Nine
Muses. Also inside the palace
are an audition room, a showroom for temporary exhibits
and a library. Another strong draw is the
art in the hallways, featuring murals of Rufino Tamayo, David
Alfaro Siqueiros, Jose
Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera, among
others. Open daily from 10:00 to 6:00.
Teatro Metropolitan ? Located at 90 Independencia, Col. Centro, Cuauhtemoc
District. This gorgeous building has two floors with
an elegant staircase. Here, all kinds of
cultural events take place:
concerts, movie premieres, awards shows and much
more.
Auditorio Nacional ? Located at 50 Avenida Paseo de la Reforma in front
of Chapultepec Park. With 10,000 seats, this modern
auditorium ranks second worldwide in admissions among venues of its
kind. It is one of
the most popular places for concerts, as it books big-name national and
international acts. It also hosts
various cultural and recreational activities, such as workshops and courses.
Centro Nacional de las Artes ? Located in south Mexico City,
at Avenida Rio Churubusco and Calzada de Tlalpan, Tlalpan District. This group of buildings
has five art schools and four
national research centers. It also
hosts various cultural events, such as International Dance Day, theatrical performances, concerts, national and international film festivals and art
exhibits.
World Trade Center ? Located at 38 Montecito, Col. Napoles, Benito Juarez District. This is one of
the city?s tallest buildings. It has spacious and modern facilities
for expositions, as well as offices, banquet rooms, conference and convention halls, department stores and the city?s
most famous revolving restaurant on the top
floor.
Centro Cultural Universitario ? Located in southwest Mexico City on the
southern end of the University
City campus, at Avenida Insurgentes Sur and
Circuito Mario de la Cueva, Coyoacan District. This is one of
the capital?s most important cultural centers and it lies
in the middle of the Pedregal Ecological Reserve. Its facilities include a library, a media center, a science museum, concert and dance halls, movie theaters
and performing arts venues.
Foro Sol ? Located in east Mexico City,
at Avenida Rio Churubusco and Viaducto Rio Piedad, Col. Granjas Mexico, Iztacalco District. This highly versatile
venue stages all kinds of
events: concerts, professional baseball games, expositions, fairs and private events,
among others. The two-tiered
stadium holds 30,000 spectators, while the floor area
accommodates an additional 25,000 visitors.
Palacio de los Deportes ? Located in east Mexico City,
at Avenida Rio Churubusco and Anil, Col. Granjas Mexico, Iztacalco District. This is a sports
complex with a metallic bronze dome ornamented with pyramid-like structures.
The venue hosts concerts, expos and fairs.
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez ? Located in east Mexico City,
between Avenida Viaducto Rio
Piedad and Avenida Rio Churubusco, in the Ciudad
Deportiva Magdalena Mixhiuca, Iztacalco
District. This track holds important
auto races, such as the Cart Series, among others.
Monumental Plaza de Toros Mexico (Bullfights) ? Located at 241 Augusto Rodin, Benito Juarez District. This bullfight arena, with a capacity of 50,000, is next
to the Estadio Azul soccer stadium; together they comprise
what is known
as la Ciudad de los Deportes. Bullfight fans will definitely
want to visit
this bullring, which has drawn famous international acts such as Silverio Perez, Manuel "Manolete" Rodriguez, Eloy Cavazos, Eulalio
"Zotoluco" Lopez, Enrique
Ponce and Julian "El Juli" Lopez.
Hipodromo de las Americas (Horse Racing) ? Located in west Mexico City, at
Avenida Industria Militar, Miguel Hidalgo District. This racetrack complex, which covers 52 hectares (128 acres),
has traditional horse races. It also
has restaurants, halls for special events
and an expo
center. Doors open at 2:30 pm
on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Estadio Azteca - Located in south Mexico City,
at 3465 Calzada de Tlalpan,
Tlalpan District. This is Mexico?s
largest soccer stadium and can hold 110,000 spectators. It has hosted two
World Cup soccer events, professional American football games, boxing matches, motocross races and large-scale
concerts.
