Guadalajara wrapped up hosting duties for the 2026 FIFA World Cup last week with two games at Guadalajara Stadium, while Plácido Domingo performed a sold-out concert at the Santander Performing Arts Center in Zapopan to cap Jalisco’s World Cup cultural program. However, for those who have soccer fatigue (or never cared to begin with), there is also a stellar modern art exhibit showing at Museo Cabañas in the city center.
Spain beats Uruguay with a monarch in attendance
The city’s crème de la crème turned out in force for the final night of live World Cup action at Guadalajara Stadium last Friday night, a highly anticipated matchup between the national teams of Spain and Uruguay. With most attendees sporting new Spanish team jerseys, the stands were transformed into a sea of crimson, save for a few pockets of blue and white worn by the outnumbered Uruguayan fans.
The game itself was uninspired and at times downright boring, with neither side delivering much spark or creativity on the pitch. But Spain prevailed 1-0 to close out the group stage of its campaign and advance to the round of 32, a result that surely pleased the Spanish monarch, King Felipe VI, seated in the front row of the honorary VIP box.
Early last week, fan zones and public spaces were chock-full of boisterous Colombian soccer fans, who had arrived to support their team as it took on the Republic of Congo in Guadalajara on June 23.
Colombians keep one eye on soccer scores and the other on presidential politics
But even as they cheered on their squad, Colombian visitors here last week had one eye on events back home. In one of Colombia’s most polarizing presidential elections in recent memory, the results were unexpected. Abelardo de la Espriella, a right-wing lawyer backed by Donald Trump, won the election by less than 1% of the vote.
While united in their support of the national team, Colombian visitors in Guadalajara were sharply divided on who should lead their country — and were not shy about sharing their thoughts as World Cup celebrations carried on around them. To supporters like José Vaquero, a businessman from Bogotá, De la Espriella’s victory represents a respite amid a crisis that in his view is suffocating Colombia.
“I see a very positive outlook, with a lot of activity, especially in the oil and corporate sectors. We lead an important business community in Bogotá … and we hope that everything will turn out well,” he said, per Milenio.
On the other side of the political spectrum are Colombians like Genaro Ruiz, who noted of the newly elected leader: “He does not have firsthand knowledge of the problems facing our country, considering that he lives between the United States and Italy. Colombia is facing a very difficult situation in education and health, and I believe that these are the issues he should be focusing on.”
Plácido Domingo delights fans in a sold-out concert in Zapopan
It was a week for star-studded events and visiting dignitaries. Capping Jalisco’s cultural program for the 2026 World Cup, the legendary Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo performed at a sold-out gala last Thursday evening in the performance hall bearing his name at the Santander Performing Arts Center.
It was a special return to the city where Domingo made his stage debut back in 1958. The production, billed as a “Concert for Three Voices,” was designed to showcase the historical, artistic and musical ties shared by Mexico and Spain.
The concert brought together more than 150 artists and combined two musical traditions with deep historical roots: Spanish zarzuela and Jalisco mariachi. The evening unfolded as a round trip between Spain and Mexico, with Plácido Domingo as the central figure, complemented by extensive participation from various soloists, orchestras and choirs.
The concert reached its emotional peak with the mariachi finale. Dressed as a charro and accompanied by the Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitlán, Domingo closed with a resounding rendition of “El Rey,” which brought the audience to its feet for a long ovation, as if welcoming back one of their own.
A journey through 20th-century Mexican art in Museo Cabañas exhibition
An exceptional collection of modern Mexican art is now on display at the Museo Cabañas in downtown Guadalajara. Titled “Journeys Through Mexico: Territories and Roots,” it’s being presented in collaboration with the National Bank of Mexico.
Curated by Carlos Segoviano, the exhibit showcases the bank’s historically significant collection of Mexican art, bringing together 55 works by 43 iconic artists, including Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Rufino Tamayo and Miguel Covarrubias.
It marks the first time that Frida Kahlo’s vibrant and poignant “Fruits of the Earth” is on display in Guadalajara. Also on display is Diego Rivera’s masterpiece “The Flower Vendor (Girl with Lilies).” The visually striking portrayal of an Indigenous girl gathering calla lilies showcases Rivera’s distinct stylized naturalism, while conveying a deeper commentary about the struggles of Mexico’s Indigenous people.
Dates: April 28 to July 19. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Cabañas Museum, Cabañas 8, Plaza Tapatía, Guadalajara
Cost: 160 pesos for general admission, with reduced prices for children, residents, students and teachers. The exhibit is free on Tuesdays.
MND Writer Dawn Stoner is reporting from Guadalajara.
