Cinema: Nostalgia, Animation, and Video Games Conquered the Box Office
In 2025, the entertainment world clearly demonstrated which stories, screens, and stages continue to resonate with the general public. Despite attendance not reaching pre-pandemic levels, Mexico’s box office saw approximately 200 million tickets sold from January to December 15, according to Canacine. Although the audience size did not fully recover, it was evident that viewers preferred adaptations, animated franchises, and horror films on the big screen.
Lilo & Stitch’s live-action adaptation reigned supreme, attracting 17.3 million viewers in Mexico. Here are the top 10 most-watched films in Mexico for 2025:
- Lilo & Stitch – 17.3 million
- Minecraft – 10.7 million
- Jurassic World Dominion – 9.1 million
- How to Train Your Dragon – 8.7 million
- Mufasa: The Lion King – 8.7 million
- The Conjuring: The Last Rites – 8.4 million
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps – 7.5 million
- Zootopia 2 – 5.8 million
- Superman – 5.4 million
- Captain America: A New World – 4.7 million
Meanwhile, productions like F1 (featuring Brad Pitt) and Mission Impossible fell short of expectations, while Wicked Forever, with Ariana Grande, barely crossed the 1.3 million ticket threshold.
Streaming: The Internet Dictated Sentencing
Streaming platforms bet on anticipated returns and high-budget adaptations. Here are the most-watched and discussed series of 2025:
- Stranger Things 5 (Netflix) – The global phenomenon’s final episode, scheduled for December 31.
- Squid Game T2 (Netflix) – Another audience record for South Korea.
- Severance T2 (Apple TV+) – Critically acclaimed as the best series of the year.
- Andor T2 (Disney+) – Star Wars regained prestige among demanding fans.
- Fallout T2 (Prime Video) – Amazon solidified its reign in gamer adaptations.
- Welcome to Derry (Max) – The IT prequel surprised with its atmosphere and Stephen King connections.
Streaming proved it can set the agenda just as effectively as cinema, if not more so.
Confirmed Concerts for 2026
CDMX, Monterrey, and Guadalajara reinforced their status as must-visit stops for international tours. Rock, metal, pop, and urban music coexisted in a packed schedule.
- System of a Down – May 27 and 28, Estadio GNP Seguros
- Avenged Sevenfold – January 17, Estadio GNP
- My Chemical Romance – February 13 and 14, Estadio GNP
- Deftones – March 29, Palacio de los Deportes
- Korn – May 19, Palacio de los Deportes (Sold Out)
Pop/Urbano
- Ye (Kanye West) – January 30, Plaza de Toros
- Shakira – February 21, 24, and 27
- J Balvin – May in CDMX, GDL, and MTY
- Rosalía – August residency
- The Weeknd – April 20-22, Estadio GNP
- Doja Cat / Kali Uchis / Tyler, The Creator / The Neighbourhood / Lorde, among others
Festivals 2026 to Watch
- EDC Mexico – February 20-22
- Vive Latino 25 Years – March 14-15 (Lenny Kravitz and The Smashing Pumpkins)
- Tecate Pa’l Norte – March 27-29 (The Killers, Guns N’ Roses)
- Day Zero Tulum – January 10
Mexico will be the epicenter of the music world in the coming year.
2026 Releases
What’s coming in 2026 promises to break box office records and digital conversation:
- Avengers: Doomsday/ Robert Downey Jr.’s return as Dr. Doom
- Dune: The Messiah/ Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy conclusion
- The Mandalorian & Grogu/ from streaming to cinema
- Toy Story 5/ Pixar’s emotional comeback
- GTA VI/ the biggest entertainment release worldwide in 2026
Key Questions and Answers
- What were the most-watched films in Mexico in 2025? The top 10 most-watched films were Lilo & Stitch, Minecraft, Jurassic World Dominion, How to Train Your Dragon, Mufasa: The Lion King, The Conjuring: The Last Rites, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Zootopia 2, Superman, and Captain America: A New World.
- Which streaming series dominated in 2025? Stranger Things 5 (Netflix), Squid Game T2 (Netflix), Severance T2 (Apple TV+), Andor T2 (Disney+), and Fallout T2 (Prime Video) were the most-watched and discussed series.
- What major concerts are scheduled for 2026 in Mexico? System of a Down, Avenged Sevenfold, My Chemical Romance, Deftones, and Korn are among the confirmed concerts in Mexico City. Pop/urban artists like Ye (Kanye West), Shakira, J Balvin, Rosalía, The Weeknd, Doja Cat, Kali Uchis, Tyler, The Creator, and Lorde will also perform.
- Which festivals should music lovers watch in 2026? EDC Mexico, Vive Latino 25 Years, Tecate Pa’l Norte, and Day Zero Tulum are among the major music festivals in 2026.
