November is one of Medellín's most underrated months. The big December crowds have not arrived yet, the city runs two free cultural festivals, a brand new concert arena opens just south of the city, and by the last week of the month the Christmas season is already starting. It is also the tail end of the rainy season, and there is a holiday weekend in the middle of the month that changes traffic and day trips.
This guide is for travelers planning a trip to Medellín in November 2026. It covers the dates that matter this year, what the weather is really like, the concerts and festivals worth knowing about, and how to plan around the long weekend and the start of the holiday season.
Short answer: November is a good month to visit Medellín if you plan around the rain and one long weekend. Expect mild temperatures with frequent showers, since November is the last month of Colombia's second rainy season. The city hosts free festivals (Miradas Medellín, November 3 to 8, and Danzamed, November 17 to 22), several major concerts at the new DAVIarena in Sabaneta, and a national holiday on Monday, November 16. The Christmas Festival starts on November 27, and the Christmas lights are expected to switch on between late November and early December. Avoid day trips to Guatapé on the November 14 to 16 long weekend if your dates are flexible.
November 2026 in Medellín at a Glance
What Is the Weather Like in Medellín in November?
Medellín's temperature barely changes through the year, so the real November question is rain. According to IDEAM, Colombia's weather institute, the country's second rainy season of the year runs through November, and Antioquia is one of the regions where it is felt most. Showers can be short and heavy, and they can show up on a day that started with clear skies.
This year has an extra layer. IDEAM officially declared El Niño on October 8, 2026, and expects its strongest effects in December, when it is associated with less rain and higher temperatures. That does not mean November will be dry. IDEAM has been clear that El Niño reduces rainfall rather than stopping it, and its November outlook points to rainfall close to normal levels in much of the country.
What to pack: a light rain jacket or a compact umbrella, shoes that handle wet sidewalks, and a layer for the evenings. If you are planning a full day outdoors, a little flexibility in the schedule goes a long way this month.
Free Culture in November: Film, Dance and Museums
November is one of the best months to see Medellín's cultural side, and most of it costs nothing.
Miradas Medellín, November 3 to 8
Miradas Medellín is the city's film and audiovisual arts festival, organized by the Alcaldía. The 2026 edition, its sixth, brings 73 works (22 feature films, 39 short films and 12 expanded format projects) to 16 venues in Medellín and other towns in the Aburrá Valley, and every screening is free. The program is centered on Ibero American cinema, with a special selection of films made in Medellín, so most dialogue will be in Spanish or Portuguese. If subtitles matter to you, check each listing before you go.
For families, the most useful part of the program is the Cinemateca Móvil at Parque de los Deseos on Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, with children's matinees, short workshops and a portable dome. Parque de los Deseos sits in the north of the city, next to the Planetario, so it combines easily with Parque Explora or the Jardín Botánico on the same day.
Danzamed, November 17 to 22
Danzamed, Medellín's international dance season, celebrates its tenth edition this year with 35 free performances across the city, featuring local dancers and companies from China, Mexico, Venezuela and Argentina. The main gala is on Thursday, November 19 at the Teatro Metropolitano. Dance needs no translation, which makes this one of the easiest cultural events for visitors who do not speak Spanish.
A museum challenge that ends November 30
If you like museums, the city's Coleccionistas de Museos challenge invites people to visit 33 museums in Medellín before November 30. You do not need to join to enjoy them, but the list is a good starting point if you want to go beyond the Museo de Antioquia and Plaza Botero.
DAVIarena: Medellín's New Concert Venue Opens in November
The biggest change to Medellín's entertainment scene this year opens on November 14. DAVIarena is a new covered arena in Sabaneta, the town just south of Medellín, with capacity for more than 17,000 people. Juanes, who grew up in Medellín, plays the opening night, and the venue's first weeks bring several big names:
Tickets for these shows are sold through Tuboleta. As with any major event, buy only through the official ticketing channel, not from resellers.
How to get to DAVIarena
The arena is about 350 meters from Itagüí station on Metro Line A, the same line that runs through El Poblado, and the Metro has said it is coordinating extended hours for the opening concert. Check the Metro's official channels on the day of your show, since extended service is announced event by event.
The return is the part to plan. When a 17,000 person venue empties at once, ride apps surge and cars get reassigned while you wait, a pattern we saw at the big festivals in October. If you are going with a group, agree on a pickup time and a meeting point a few blocks from the main exit before the show starts, so everyone knows where to go even if the phone signal is weak.
Keep in mind that the opening night falls on the Saturday of the long weekend, so the south of the valley will be busy that evening even if you are not going to the concert.
The November 16 Long Weekend
Monday, November 16 is a national holiday (Independencia de Cartagena, moved to Monday), which creates a three day weekend from Saturday, November 14. It follows the same pattern as every puente in Colombia: many residents leave the city on Friday evening and Saturday morning and come back on Monday afternoon.
Inside Medellín, life goes on normally, although many businesses work on holiday hours on Monday, and banks and government offices are closed. The effect is felt on the highways and in the most popular day trip destinations.
Guatapé on the long weekend
Guatapé and the Piedra del Peñol are the most popular day trip from Medellín, and long weekends push the town to its busiest. Based on our own trips on holiday weekends:
If your dates are flexible, the easiest days for Guatapé this month are weekdays outside the long weekend, such as Tuesday, November 17 or any day between November 3 and 13. If the long weekend is your only option, go on Saturday, leave early and avoid planning anything tight on Monday evening.
Climbing the Piedra del Peñol means roughly 700 steps, and lines are longer on busy days. Not everyone in a group has to climb: the town and a boat ride on the reservoir are worth the trip on their own.
Late November: When the Christmas Season Starts
By the last week of November, Medellín is already moving into December mode.
The Christmas Festival and the marching band festival
The Festival de Navidad Medellín Te Quiere, the city's free Christmas program, runs from Friday, November 27 to Sunday, December 13, according to the Alcaldía's 2026 events calendar, with Christmas plazas, concerts and cultural activities in neighborhoods across the city. The same weekend, on November 28 and 29, the city hosts Medellín Marcha Musical, its international marching band festival, another free event that works well for families.
Will the Christmas lights be on in November?
Possibly, if you are here in the final days of the month. EPM has not announced the official 2026 dates yet. Regional media have reported that EPM's calendar places the switch on of its Christmas lights between November 23 and December 6, and that EPM ruled out cancelling the lights despite El Niño and calls to save energy. For reference, in 2025 the lights were switched on Friday, November 28, and stayed on until January 12.
So if your trip ends before November 23, plan on missing the lights. If it runs into the last days of November or early December, there is a good chance you will see them. We will update this article as soon as EPM confirms the date. For the full December picture, including where to see the lights and how to avoid the crowds, see our guide to Medellín in December.
The night of November 30
At midnight between November 30 and December 1, fireworks go off across many neighborhoods to welcome December, a tradition known as the alborada. Fireworks are prohibited in Medellín and local media report burn injuries every year, so this is something to be aware of rather than an event to attend. If you are traveling with young children or anyone sensitive to noise, expect a loud night, especially in hillside neighborhoods.
Thanksgiving in Medellín
Thanksgiving, on Thursday, November 26 this year, is not a holiday in Colombia, so the city runs a normal working day. In past years, some restaurants and hotels in Medellín have offered Thanksgiving menus aimed at American visitors and residents, and these tend to need a reservation. We will publish a full guide to spending Thanksgiving in Medellín next week.
Is November a Good Time to Visit Medellín?
For many travelers, yes. November sits just before the December high season, so the city feels less crowded than it will a few weeks later, and you get free festivals, a strong concert calendar and, at the end of the month, the first days of the Christmas season.
The trade offs are the rain and the long weekend. Showers are part of almost every November trip, so outdoor plans work best with some flexibility. And the November 14 to 16 weekend is the one time in the month when roads and popular day trip destinations get crowded.
Planning November in Medellín With TourPoint
If you would rather not spend your trip checking Metro schedules, holiday traffic and rain forecasts, TourPoint can plan your November days around your group. We arrange private transportation to and from DAVIarena with a pickup point agreed in advance, schedule Guatapé or a coffee farm on the right day and at the right hour, build flexibility into outdoor plans for the rainy season, and handle airport transfers around your flights. If your trip runs into late November, we can also help you plan your first nights of the Christmas season.
Message us on WhatsApp to start planning your November in Medellín.
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