Hacienda Patron brought Día de Muertos to Delhi and Mumbai

I remember watching Coco for the first time and being a little unprepared for how much an animated film could make me feel. When Pixar released it in 2017, the story of Miguel, a little boy with big musical dreams and a family that wanted absolutely nothing to do with them, had audiences laughing, rooting for him and, by the time ‘Remember Me’ came around, reaching for tissues. I was right there with them. I cheered Miguel on as he found his way into the Land of the Dead, got caught up in his unlikely friendship with Héctor, and felt my heart break a little as the story behind his family’s past unravelled.

But what stayed with me just as much as the story was the world of Día de Muertos it introduced me to: the marigold-paved pathways, the colourful calaveras, the music spilling out of every corner and a celebration that made remembering those who had passed feel wonderfully alive. I loved the world of Coco, even if I had to admit that I knew embarrassingly little about the real festival that inspired it.

So, when Hacienda Patron brought Día de Muertos to Mumbai and New Delhi, I was curious to see what this world looked like beyond the animated frame. And well, it did feel like a full-circle moment.

Bringing a little piece of their Mexican roots to India

Here's what I find particularly interesting about bringing a cultural celebration to a new country: there’s a difference between borrowing its aesthetic for an evening and actually giving people an opportunity to engage with the culture behind it. With Hacienda Patron, the idea was to do the latter. As a first for the brand, they brought Día de Muertos to India through two city-wide celebrations to introduce Mexican heritage to audiences here, while bringing together India’s own fashion, entertainment, and creative communities.

And it wasn’t a one-size-fits-all guest list, either. The Mumbai celebration brought together a more celebrity-led crowd, while Delhi saw a gathering of KOLs and HNIs, allowing the experience to reach different social and cultural circles. Across both cities, they created an

immersive setting inspired by the festival, complete with music, food, and cocktail experiences. It was an interesting way for the brand to bring its Mexican roots into the Indian social calendar, with the experience extending beyond the evening itself through an exclusive fashion collaboration with Kapoor 2.0 by Dhruv Kapoor.

If you were there, you know it already and if you weren’t, here's everything that made the event one to remember.

An altar that set the cultural context

Of all the traditions associated with Día de Muertos, the ofrenda is perhaps the one worth understanding first. These elaborate altars are prepared to honour loved ones who have passed away, typically featuring their photographs, favourite foods, candles and marigolds, whose vivid orange petals are traditionally believed to help guide spirits home.

Hacienda Patron introduced guests to this tradition through a beautiful installation, making it possible to engage with one of the festival’s most meaningful rituals. And that’s what made it such an interesting introduction to Mexican culture. It was a chance to understand a little more about the people, stories, and meaning behind the celebration.

The face of Día de Muertos

If you've ever admired the elaborate skull-inspired makeup associated with Día de Muertos, you'll know that it isn't exactly a five-minute beauty routine. Often inspired by La Catrina, the elegantly dressed skeletal figure that has become one of the festival's most recognisable symbols, these looks can feature intricate detailing, floral patterns, and striking combinations of colour. And this very live face painting was among the experiences at the celebration, offering a more playful way to engage with the festival's distinctive aesthetic.

Mexico had the floor, and we were all ears

I particularly like that the celebrations didn't stop at recreating the festival's visual language. After all, there's only so much you can learn about a culture from looking at it. Sometimes, you need to hear it, watch it and experience the energy of its celebrations. And well, traditional Mexican performances formed an important part of Hacienda Patron’s events, bringing another layer of the country's cultural identity into the room.

And once the cultural performances had set the tone, DJ sets and a light show brought a more contemporary rhythm to the celebrations. Add the food and cocktail experiences, and Hacienda Patron managed to bring together a rather interesting mix of cultural discovery for a good evening out.

A guest list with plenty of conversation starters

Of course, an experience that brings together fashion, entertainment and culture is bound to attract an interesting crowd. Hacienda Patron’s two-city celebrations saw several familiar names join in, including Athiya Shetty, Ahan Shetty, Vijay Varma, Anaita Shroff Adajania, and Shalini Passi.

What I find interesting is the way the celebrations brought together different audiences across Mumbai and Delhi. While Mumbai's gathering leaned towards the celebrity and entertainment circuit, Delhi’s edition brought in KOLs and HNIs, extending the experience to another set of influential voices and creative communities. It was a smart way of taking the same cultural introduction to two rather different social circles while keeping the spirit of the celebrations consistent. And with familiar names from all industries sharing the same space, there was plenty to get people talking.

Denim jackets that made the cultural crossover official

We'd be lying if we said the exclusive Kapoor 2.0 collaboration didn't immediately catch our attention. For the occasion, Hacienda Patron joined forces with Dhruv Kapoor's contemporary fashion platform to create limited-edition engineered denim jackets for men and women that take inspiration from the festival's elements. Think heart motifs, marigolds, celestial details, and skull-inspired elements, all reinterpreted through Kapoor's signature design language. The collaboration brings together Patron’s Mexican heritage and the designer’s unique perspective, translating the larger cultural experience into two collectible statement pieces.

A pretty good way to get acquainted with another culture

If there's one thing Hacienda Patron’s celebrations in Mumbai and Delhi showed, it's how much more interesting a cultural introduction becomes when there's something to participate in. Through the performances, face painting, immersive installations, guest experiences, and its collaboration with Kapoor 2.0, the brand created multiple ways for people to discover Día de Muertos and engage with the culture behind it.

For those of us who were familiar with Día de Muertos largely through the virtual world, the celebrations provided a reason to look a little closer. And for Patron, it was a way to bring its Mexican roots into India's contemporary cultural conversation, connecting people with a part of its heritage through experiences that went beyond the expected. Between discovering the meaning behind the marigolds, getting acquainted with Mexican traditions, and finding a new denim jacket to covet, we'd say there was quite a bit to take away from the experience.