This Day of the Dead, Mexico once again dresses in marigold flowers, candles and pan de muerto aromas to pay tribute to those who have passed away, among them great figures in art, science, sports and politics who left their mark in 2025. This year’s ofrendas will be charged with emotion, memory and gratitude, remembering that -as tradition dictates- no one dies as long as they continue to be remembered.
A tradition that unites generations
Every November 2, millions of Mexican families set up altars decorated with the essential elements of the holiday: portraits, candles, fruit, papel picado and the favorite dishes of those who have passed away. Many homes and public spaces also include photographs of admired figures, artists, athletes or leaders who marked a moment in history.
Streets, plazas, museums and cemeteries throughout the country are filled with color and symbolism to welcome the souls that, according to popular belief, return from the afterlife to live with the living. This 2025, the ofrendas in Mexico City, Oaxaca, Puebla, Guadalajara and Merida stand out for incorporating portraits of personalities whose departure touched millions.
Figures that left in 2025
Among the names most remembered this Day of the Dead are Paquita la del Barrio, a ranchera music icon who died on February 17, and host Daniel Bisogno, who died on February 20 after health complications. Also to be honored are boxing legend George Foreman, who died on March 21, and actor Val Kilmer, who left an indelible legacy in Hollywood.
The world of letters is also in mourning: Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa died on April 13, and Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of millions of Catholics, died just a week later, on April 21. In Latin America, the departure of former Uruguayan President Pepe Mujica on May 13 marked the end of an era of ethical and austere leadership.
The sport also suffered notable losses, such as those of Portuguese soccer players Diogo Jota and André Silva, both of whom died on July 3, and former technical director Manuel “Manolo” Lapuente, a key figure in the history of Mexican soccer, who died on October 25.
International music bid farewell to rock legend Ozzy Osbourne (†July 22) and Paul “Ace” Frehley, founding guitarist of Kiss (†October 16). World cinema also mourned actor and director Robert Redford (†16 September), while Mexican science lost astronomer Julieta Fierro (†19 September), and the naturalist world bid farewell to British primatologist Jane Goodall (†1 October).
Mexico honors its dead… and its idols
This Day of the Dead 2025, the faces of these figures will appear on family altars, public ofrendas and digital tributes. From the humblest homes to the largest cultural venues, their names will be spoken amid candles and flowers.
The entire country thus celebrates one of its deepest traditions: a celebration of life that overcomes oblivion, where collective memory becomes a bridge between generations. Because in Mexico, even the stars – of film, music or science – return every November to rekindle the flame of memory.
Celebrities deceased in 2025 remembered this Day of the Dead
Date of death Name Profession / Recognition
17 February Paquita la del Barrio Mexican singer
20 February Daniel Bisogno Mexican host and actor
21 March George Foreman Former world boxing champion
1 April Val Kilmer American actor
13 April Mario Vargas Llosa Writer, Nobel Laureate in Literature
21 April Pope Francis Leader of the Catholic Church
13 May Pepe Mujica Former President of Uruguay
3 July Diogo Jota Portuguese soccer player
3 July André Silva Portuguese soccer player
17 July Felix Baumgartner Extreme athlete
22 July Ozzy Osbourne British singer and songwriter
16 September Robert Redford Actor and film director
September 19 Julieta Fierro Mexican astronomer
1 October Jane Goodall British primatologist and conservationist
16 October Paul “Ace” Frehley KISS guitarist
October 18 Sam Rivers Limp Bizkit bassist
October 25 Manuel “Manolo” Lapuente Mexican manager
26 October Alicia Bonet Mexican actress
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