Days of the Dead Festival is an October festival of Fringe Theatre on themes of the Day of the Dead, Halloween, and Samhain.
Days of the Dead Festival NYC 2025
Days of the Dead Festival of independent Fringe Theatre on themes of the Day of the Dead, Halloween, and Samhain; is at the Under St Marks Theater in Manhattan’s East Village; from October 17 to November 2, 2025. $25. 🎃
Days of the Dead Festival
People do similar things around the world and across time, because we are human. Day of the Dead is a pan-Latin tradition whose Mexican version has gone global, but there are many others. The Mexican Day of the Dead tradition blends Aztec or perhaps neo-Aztec traditions with Spanish Catholic All Souls Day traditions. The European tradition is based on Samhain, the old Celtic fall harvest festival and Celtic new year. It was believed that the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead opened at that time, so spirits could cross over. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to New York City where it evolved into Halloween. All of this is source material for the Days of the Dead Festival. There is nothing bad or scary about any of this. It’s just fun.
The Festival is produced by FRIGID New York, the non-profit independent theater company at the Off-Off Broadway Under St Marks Theater in Manhattan’s East Village. It has that old school funky cool vibe which is rapidly disappearing from New York City.
FRIGID New York also produces the New York City Fringe festival of independent theatre.