Join us at Tate Modern for a day of music, making, remembrance and celebration. Followed by an exclusive evening of live music with Malphino, Carlos Rene and Coco María.
Inspired by Frida: The Making of an Icon and co-curated with selector and radio host Coco María, the festival explores the traditions and cultural significance of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), while celebrating the creativity, resilience and enduring influence of Frida Kahlo.
Enjoy live performances, community workshops, a collaborative ofrenda, a colourful procession and activities throughout the building, then stay into the evening for a special ticketed programme.
Frida: Day of the Dead Festival is supported by Bank of America.
Daytime Performances
12.00–18.00
Free and drop in
Welcome: Bienvenidos y bienvenidas
14.00–15.00
Join Coco María for her first set of the day welcoming audiences in with chill sounds and a section of boleros.
Iko Chérie
15.00–16.00
Head over to Corner Bar and join Iko Chérie for a set of experimental pop and sounds exclusively by women.
Cumbia with Malphino: Músicos callejeros
13.30, 14.30, 15.30
Tanks Foyer
Listen out for the sounds of cumbia drifting through the Tanks throughout the day. Performing in the spirit of street musicians, Malphino offers an organic musical experience and a unique insight into Coco María’s storytelling.
Sing with Luzmira: Canta con Luzmira
13.00, 14.00, 15.00
South Tank
Join singer and musician Luzmira Zerpa for a participatory musical experience celebrating love, memory and the enduring connection between the living and those we remember. Through her interpretations of two beloved Mexican songs, La Llorona and Amor Eterno, Luzmira invites visitors to sing together and become part of a shared musical offering.
Day of the Dead Procession
16.00–16.30
Starting in the South Tank
Join a colourful community procession through Tate Modern celebrating Día de los Muertos. Led by Mandinga Arts, Javier Calderón and the UK Latin Community and accompanied by live music from Malphino and Luzmira Zerpa, the procession honours loved ones, ancestors and the traditions of the day.
Daytime Workshops
10.00–17.00
Free and drop-in
Open to all ages, with all materials provided
Throughout the day participate in workshops inspired by Frida Kahlo and Día de los Muertos, exploring creativity, identity, remembrance and celebration.
Collaborative Ofrenda with Javier Calderón
12.00–17.00
South Tank
Step into a collaborative ofrenda created by artist Javier Calderón and the Tate Collective Producers.
The ofrenda is a shared space for remembrance, reflection and celebration at the heart of the festival.
Offers to Frida
Visit the South Tanks, where visitors are invited to join our four ‘Offers to Frida’ workshops to create your own handmade offering to contribute to the Ofrenda.
Día De Los Muertos Community Making Workshop with Javier Calderón and UK Latin Community
12.00–15.30
South Tank
Join us in celebrating Día de los Muertos by engaging in hands-on and collective making to add offerings to the community ofrenda and to create head dresses, accessories and costume pieces for a community procession that will take place at 16.00 to honour the traditions of the day and our loved ones.
Create a Unique Memorial Frame with illustrator Natalie Byrne
12.00–17.00
South Tank
Inspired by the traditions of Día de los Muertos, where photographs are essential to remember and celebrate loved ones who have passed, this workshop invites you to create a meaningful, personal frame to honour a loved one and keep their memory close.
Choose from two creative frame-making options, Colour In Your Own Paper Frame to celebrate the joy, love and memories of a life lived or Create a Personalised Foil-Embossed Frame, inspired by traditional Mexican folk-art techniques.
Milagros: Pocket Altar Zines for Remembering Ourselves with Artizine
12.00–17.00
South Tank
Make a self-led pocket altar zine inspired by the ofrenda tradition, using images, collage, poetry, written devotions and personal symbols to celebrate remembrance, connection and your own life.
Viva La Vida: Watermelon Painting with Veronica Cordova
12.00–17.00
South Tank
Draw and paint watermelons that will be on display and create your own watercolour creations inspired by Frida Kahlo’s painting Viva la Vida, and Veronica Cordova's own painting So Long Suckers which celebrates the life of Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Participants will be invited to write something they would like to be remembered for, just as Kahlo did with 'Viva la Vida'.
UNIQLO Tate Play
Holiday Make Studio: Remake/Retry/Redo
10.30–18.00
East Tank
Work together to create a vibrant, ever-changing display, inspired by connection, play and renewal.
Mandinga Arts - Día de Muertos Mask Making
12.00–12.45, 13.00–13.45, 14.00–14.45, 15.00–15.45
Tanks Studio
Free ticket required*
Make a bold Día de Muertos-inspired mask with Mandinga Arts, ready to wear in the afternoon procession. Recommended for ages 16+.
*Free tickets available to pick up on the day from 10.00 at the ticket desk
Make an Icon: A Poster Workshop
12.00-18.00
Turbine Hall Bridge
The exhibition poster for Frida: The Making of an Icon celebrates the many artists inspired by Frida Kahlo.
In this workshop, you’re invited to create your own unique Frida collage, combining images, fabrics and textures to reimagine the exhibition poster in your own style.
Selected designs will have the exciting opportunity to feature in the Frida: The Making of an Icon marketing campaign across the London Underground this winter.
Día de Muertos Artwork by Yu Sato
10.00–18.00
Tanks Foyer
Visit the Día de Muertos artwork designed by Yu Sato. What ends, what remains, and what transforms? Take a moment to reflect on the many forms of death and how it lives alongside us. This is where Coco’s story begins to unfold.
Inspired by traditional Día de Muertos floral art, tapetes de flores, and hand-painted Mexican street-sign lettering.
Face Painting
12.00-16.00
Head to the Corner bar to have your face painted with a Día de Muertos inspired design!
Coco’s Mexico City
10.00–18.00
Tanks Foyer
See footage from Coco María’s recent trip to Mexico City and experience the city through her eyes.
Quiet and Reflection Space
10.00–18.00
McAulay Studio
Take some time away from the festivities and have a moment to relax and reflect in our quiet space.
Evening Programme
19.00–22.00
£10 / £5 for Concessions / £5 for Members and Tate Collective
An exclusive evening of live music in the South Tanks with Malphino, Carlos René and Coco María. Curated by Coco María.
Malphino
19.00–19.45
Carlos René
19.45–20.30
Coco María
20.30–22.00
After-hours exhibition access
£25 / Free for Members / £5 for Tate Collective
Frida: The Making of an Icon will be open during the evening programme from 19.00, giving you the chance to experience the exhibition alongside the live music.
Food and drink
Corner
10.00–19.00
Head over to Corner for a special food and drink menu prepared for the festival including exclusive cocktails in partnership with Tico Tequila and Ojo de Dios Mezcal and Pan de Muerto.
Pop-Up Bar
19.00–21.30
Tanks Foyer
Fancy a drink during the evening programme? Head over to our pop-up bar in Tanks Foyer!
More information
Coco María
Music has been a constant in Coco María's life since she was very little. This is what it’s like to be born in a country as sonorous as Mexico: on the other side of the window there is always a song playing.
Now based in Amsterdam, Coco María has transformed her musical heritage into a vibrant and elegant force that continues to discover and make Latin sounds travel to the most unexpected corners. Since her morning radio show on Worldwide FM, Gilles Peterson’s online radio station, catapulted her onto the international scene, she has toured across all five continents.
Her unique style fuses the best of tropical music with her interpretation of modernity, creating warm and distinctive sets that connect cultures, eras and stories. Through her selections, Coco María has established herself as a unique storyteller, capable of weaving emotions through music and inviting audiences to be carried away by rhythms that tell all kinds of stories.
Carlos René
Carlos René is a prominent DJ, music archivist, and record dealer who has been influential in the DJ scene in Mexico city since 2002. He specialises in organic, vintage sounds and is known for his dedication to reviving forgotten Mexican and Latin music. He co-founded Casa Calypso record shop and shares his musical discoveries globally through his NTS show and multiple YouTube channels. Renowned for his innovative club nights like Bombo y Maracas, Sacúdete and his exclusive use of 7" records, Carlos René captivates audiences at festivals and venues worldwide with his eclectic musical range and passion for music.
Malphino
Malphino are an outer-national, mystical band from an imaginary tropical island that has dreamt up a cinematic score and audio backdrop to their idyll. A promised land of hypnotic Cumbia rhythms, subtle digital warbling, accordion textures, voodoo vapours and woodblock charm awaits the off piste explorer willing to step through the arch and Visit Malphino. As dusky pink sky light lit the coast, the celebration began, ¡Viva la isla de Malphino!
Yu Sato
Yu Sato is a London-based multidisciplinary artist working across design, motion, and music. Originally from Japan, his inspirations are gathered from around the world, particularly the vibrant culture of South America. His work moves between visual and musical forms, exploring rhythm, movement, colour, and the connections between different cultures.
Iko Chérie
Iko Chérie is the moniker of musician and selector Marie Merlet. She features on Coco Maria’s Club Coco compilations both as a solo artist and guitarist in psychedelic cumbia band Malphino. Her voice can also be heard on Stereolab’s latest album and she has collaborated with the likes of Gina Birch and Yama Warashi.
A resident at Total Refreshment Centre, Iko Chérie also hosts Little Trouble Girls on Soho Radio, championing women in music for over a decade. Her set carries that celebration onto the dancefloor, connecting psychedelic grooves, experimental gems, dub and underground leftfield electronics from around the world.
Luzmira Zerpa
Luzmira Zerpa is a Venezuelan singer, songwriter and cultural storyteller whose voice travels across continents and traditions. Rooted in the rich musical soil of Venezuela — including folkloric rhythms of her homeland — she weaves together folk, jazz and global sonic textures to create a sound that is at once ancient and fresh. Based in the UK, Luzmira brings migration, resilience and connection into her music, showing how song can be both memory and transformation.
Javier Calderón
Javier Calderón is a Mexican cultural promoter, artist and significant figure in London's art scene, particularly recognized for his role in championing Latin American art. His established Somers Gallery in 2015, a platform that has consistently presented works by artists from Latin America, and his career has been shaped by a commitment to fostering cross-cultural dialogue and introducing diverse artistic voices to an international audience. Javier also founded Temporary in 2025, operating as a complementary force to Somers Gallery, and expanding his capacity to curate and exhibit works that reflect the rich artistic traditions and contemporary practices of Latin America.
UK Latin Community CIC
UK Latin Community CIC is a non-profit organisation based in London that empowers children, young people, and families through sports, arts, food, and community wellbeing programmes. They believe that everyone deserves opportunities that build confidence, creativity, and connection. Each year, they engage more than 900 participants across Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, and Greenwich, working with local partners to create safe, inspiring spaces where communities can thrive. Their mission is simple - to bring people together, nurture potential, and strengthen community bonds across generations and cultures.
Natalie Byrne
Natalie Byrne is a Latina illustrator based in London. She studied Graphic Design at Sheffield Hallam University and found her illustrative voice combining colour and important topics. Natalie’s work promotes intersectional feminism and tackles social issues such as sexual assault, mental health and equality.
Artizine (Ioana Simion)
Ioana Simion is an artist, educator and facilitator working under the artistic identity of Artizine. Her practice moves across zines, collage, writing and participatory art. She explores handmade publishing as a form of emotional archiving and an act of care - a way of remembering, processing and sharing our stories.
Zine-making sits at the heart of Ioana’s work as a collaborative and social form. Her work is informed by the history of zines as tools for connection, self-organisation and shared storytelling. Through workshops and extended practice, Ioana honours this lineage by creating spaces that prioritise exchange, participation, and shared cultures and meaning. She is the founder of Artizine Club, a regular IRL and online zine-making community, and works across galleries, cultural institutions, schools and community settings.
Mandinga Arts
Mandinga Arts celebrates carnival traditions and makes magic come alive since 2002. Through extraordinary performances and collective expression, we create spaces where imagination knows no bounds.
Veronica Cordova de la Rosa
Veronica Cordova de la Rosa is a Mexican-born visual artist, curator and educator based in Oxford, UK. Her interdisciplinary practice draws on Nahua artistic philosophy and explores relationships between people, materials, environments and curiosity. Working with objects and participatory processes, she creates temporary spaces where transformation, experimentation and collective experience can take place. She is the founder and director of the Live Art and Performance Group (LAPER), an artist-led platform for performance, research and exchange.
All Tate Modern entrances are step-free. You can enter via the Turbine Hall and into the Natalie Bell Building on Holland Street, or into the Blavatnik Building on Sumner street. There are lifts to every floor of the Blavatnik and Natalie Bell buildings. Alternatively you can take the stairs.
- Fully accessible toilets are located on every floor on the concourses.
- A quiet room is available to use in the Natalie Bell Building on Level 4.
- Ear defenders can be borrowed from the Ticket desks.
To help plan your visit to Tate Modern, have a look at our visual story. It includes photographs and information about what you can expect from a visit to the gallery.
For more information before your visit:
- Email hello@tate.org.uk
- Call +44 (0)20 7887 8888 (daily 10.00–17.00)
