Arena Mexico is a famous indoor arena located in Mexico City. Since opening in 1956, the arena has been known as the “cathedral of lucha libre” due to its strong association with the famous Mexican style of professional wrestling. The arena has a capacity of 16,500 and is considered to be largest purpose-built wrestling arena in the world.

Arena Mexico is the main venue for shows held by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), the oldest continually running wrestling promotion and most popular in Mexico. The CMLL hosts shows every Tuesday and Friday night known as Martes Populares and Viernes Espectacular.

The atmosphere outside the arena on the day of a show is electric. As you make your way to the entrance on Dr. Lavista street, you will pass vendors selling everything from food and drinks to every kind of lucha libre themed souvenir you can think off, be sure to grab a luchador mask, a fun and easy souvenir to take home with you.

Once inside, take some time to appreciate the vibrant murals that line the ceiling of the concourse area. These murals depict many of the themes and traditions found within this popular part of Mexican culture.

The main arena area is spacious with a centrally placed ring surrounded by seats that are spread across the entirety of the arena floor and along the higher balcon and grada sections. We can’t imagine there being a bad seat in the house due to the intense atmosphere generated within the venue. Lucha libre fans are some the most animated spectators we have come across and really amplify the atmosphere of the experience.

The show itself is a mixture of theatre and impressive sporting ability. Each luchador is different and brings their own unique personality and fighting style into the ring. Some nights, you may be lucky enough to witness a lucha de apuesta, where the loser has to remove their sacred mask, forever exposing their identity.

When heading to the arena be sure to let your driver know that you are headed to the Arena Mexico and not the Arena Ciudad de Mexico which is a completely different arena located in a different part of the city. Tickets can be purchased easily online through Ticketmaster Mexico and picked up after arriving in Mexico City from the venue that is specified during your purchase. We had to collect our tickets from one of the city’s Liverpool department stores, but this may vary depending on where in the world your tickets were purchased.