Culiacán Palenque cancelled after attack and threats

Reporting and context

Organizers cancelled the 2026 Palenque concert series in Culiacán on November 11, a day before its scheduled opening, following an armed attack outside the fairgrounds and threats attributed to criminal groups, according to Revista Espejo.

The company told Espejo the decision was intended to protect public safety and said it would begin refunding tickets. The concerts were scheduled for November 12–29 as part of the Feria Ganadera, with performers including Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Banda MS, Pánter Bélico and Neton Vega.

Espejo reported that an armed attack occurred outside the property housing the fairgrounds and concert venue on November 2. Banners threatening the event subsequently appeared around the Sinaloa capital. The report attributes the messages to organized-crime groups without identifying a particular faction.

This is the third consecutive year the Palenque has been cancelled. The 2024 and 2025 editions were also called off under similar circumstances. In 2024, gunfire and a fire at the fair’s ticket office accompanied banners threatening then-governor Rubén Rocha Moya and demanding that the event be stopped.

The cancellation followed a substantial security plan announced for the 2026 livestock fair. According to Espejo, authorities proposed deploying 7,028 personnel from the three levels of government, along with aerial surveillance, five helicopters and systems to counter drones.

National Guard state coordinator Julián Tadeo González Calzada presented the plan on November 9 during a visit by federal security officials. It included military and police participation, Civil Protection, metal detectors, canine teams and emergency-response specialists. The concert cancellation announcement concerns the Palenque; the report does not establish that the entire 2026 fair was cancelled.

Original reporting: Revista Espejo.