🏟️Lucha Libre in Mexico City: Everything you need to know

Want to see a Lucha Libre match without paying for a pricey tour? From buying your tickets to getting to the arena, we've got you covered.

Lucha Libre (“freestyle wrestling”) is one of the most entertaining experiences you can have in Mexico City.

It’s athletic and choreographed, campy and serious, a competition and a spectacle. You can cheer along with the crowd for the técnicos (“good guys”) and boo for the rudos (“bad guys”), watch women dance behind the ring, drink a michelada or two, and have a blast.

There are matches on Tuesday and Friday nights, plus late afternoons on Sundays. They promote Fridays as bigger spectacles and Sundays as family days. We’ve only been on Fridays, and it’s always been a blast.

Many people take a guided tour to a Lucha Libre match. There’s nothing wrong with that. But those tours can cost 1,280 to 1,680 MXN ($64 to $84 USD). And unlike excursions like a sunrise Xochimilco tour or a hot-air balloon ride over the Teotihuacán pyramids, you don’t need a guide to see a Lucha Libre match.

Here’s how to do it on your own

This is an excerpt from our downloadable book, Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City, which is designed to work seamlessly on your phone, e-reader, tablet, or computer. Use it to plan your itinerary, and refer to it any time you need to when you’re in Mexico City.

Finding Lucha Libre tickets

You can buy tickets on Ticketmaster. Choose the dates for your trip and a list of matches comes up. Make sure you select México, CDMX/Arena México. (There are also Saturday matches at Arena Coliseo, a different location. We haven’t been there yet.)

We’ve been able to find decent seats a few days in advance, but it’s not a bad idea to book earlier to get a better selection.

Zoom in on the Ticketmaster map to see exactly what seats are available, or sort them by price. Cheap seats might cost 183 MXN or $9.15 USD each before fees. Seats closer to the ring might cost 793 MXN or $39.65 USD. Expect to pay another 135 MXN or $6.75 USD per ticket for fees.

Tip: When you’re looking at the Ticketmaster site, you’ll see a place labeled “Escenario.” That’s where the wrestlers enter. The seats in the “Ring Naranja” are popular because they have a straight-on view.

If you’re traveling with children, keep in mind that kids aren’t allowed in the first three rows.

Once you buy your tickets, you get an email confirmation with a link to get your tickets on the Ticketmaster app.

Before you go to Lucha Libre

Make sure you aren’t bringing anything into the arena that’s not allowed. That includes cameras or video equipment, though cell phones are OK. No food or drinks.

I’ve never had any trouble bringing in a small purse—something just big enough to hold a phone, glasses, cash/credit cards/ID, and maybe a lip balm. Your bag will be inspected when you go in, so be prepared for that.

Getting to Arena Mexico

You can take the Metro to Cuauhtémoc and then walk to Arena Mexico in 6 minutes. You can also take an Uber. You’ll probably hit traffic as you get close to the arena because of all the people crowding outside. If you’re close, you might want to have the driver let you out so you can walk the rest of the way.

Unlike some other shows that we’ve seen in Mexico City (like Shakira’s concert, which started two hours after the ticket time), Lucha Libre pretty much starts on time. So give yourself time to get there, get past the ticket takers, and get settled into your seats.

Is it safe?

Arena Mexico is in the Doctores neighborhood, which doesn’t have the greatest reputation. But the arena is just over the neighborhood line from Roma Norte, and plenty of people, including entire families, go to the Lucha Libre shows.

Expect crowds outside the stadium, with vendors selling Lucha Libre masks and other merchandise, food stands, people reselling tickets, etc. Use all the normal safety precautions you would in any busy city. We’ve never had any issues.

What to expect at a Lucha Libre event

Doors open 30 minutes before the start time. Have your tickets ready on your Ticketmaster app and someone will scan them, let you in, and look inside your bag if you have one.

Someone will probably escort you to your seat. Even though we don’t really need help, we never try to stop them, and we tip them 20 or 50 MXN ($1 or $2.50 USD). They are local people trying to make a living, they know the layout, and if it happens that someone is in your seats, they can handle it in Spanish.

Vendors walk up and down the aisles selling food and drinks, and there are a few stands in the arena as well. Expect to find chips and salty snacks, candy, beer, micheladas, soda, and water. There’s not a big selection, and they don’t sell hot dogs, burgers, pizza, or other foods you might be familiar with at other sporting events.

Sit back, or stand and cheer, and enjoy the show for the next 2 hours or so. You’ll see several matches, with 2 to 8 wrestlers in the ring during each. Sometimes, the action explodes out of the ring and onto the floor nearby. Cameras broadcast everything to supersize screens, so you never miss a thing.

Once a year, on International Women’s Day in March, female wrestlers take over for a Friday night. They’re every bit as good as the men, so if you’re there at the right time of year, don’t miss it.

---

We’d love to get your feedback as we update and expand our guidebook. Please ❤️ if you like what you see here or 💬 with any thoughts or suggestions.