Plaza de los Mariachis

Plaza de los Mariachis sits just south of Mercado Libertad in Guadalajara's historic center and is where the mariachi tradition, born in rural Jalisco, took on its modern urban form starting in the 1920s as musicians gathered here seeking work. Small, narrow, and lined with cantinas and open-air tables, the plaza fills each evening with mariachi groups in full charro dress carrying guitarrón, vihuela, trumpet, and violin, waiting to be hired for a song or a set by patrons at the surrounding tables. Visitors typically spend one to two hours here, ordering a beer or michelada and listening to whichever group is playing nearby, or negotiating directly with a group for a private song. Photo opportunities are best from a table facing the open plaza, where several groups often perform within view at once. Evenings from around 7PM onward are when the plaza comes alive, with the peak atmosphere and largest number of musicians typically found after 9PM on weekends, while the plaza is largely empty and unremarkable during the day.