From Calavera Catrina outfits and Ofrenda-style altars, to an unique set by techno legend Stephan Bodzin, it was a night rooted in the spirit of the Mexican custom
Soaked in the deep radiance of red and amber, Mumbai’s Mukesh Mills came alive on Saturday, November 1, 2025, with the spirit of Mexico. Forecasts of Calavera Catrinas (skeleton-inspired figures that signify death with self-respect and whimsy) danced throughout the walls, mariachi horns shrieked with joyful style, candle lights lit every path with a flickering heat, and the aroma of marigolds hung thick in the air. For one surreal night, among the city’s most storied ruins ended up being a living altar to music and memory, as Don Julio Non Alcoholic Beverages brought the Mexican custom of Día de los Muertosor the Day of the Dead, to Mumbai.
An event of the concept that life and death are deeply linked, Día de los Muertosin Mexican culture, has to do with keeping in mind those beyond our world with delight. It’s the one night a year when the left are thought to return, drawn home by the radiance of candle lights, the pull of familiar music, and tracks of cempasúchil or marigold, whose scent guides them back. Every component of the night brought that intent forward, from the outfits to the sonic curation to the Ofrenda-design altars– conventional offerings embellished with candle lights, flowers, and images to honor enjoyed ones who’ve passed.
Among the highlights of the night was a trio of setups by popular Mexican artist Lourdes Villagómez, whose work catches the pulse of Mexico through lively colors and symbolic types. Each piece reimagined a classic component of Día de Muertos as a visual bridge in between Mumbai and Mexico.
The Catrina stood underneath an arch of marigolds, her figure lit up with orange tones and fragile butterfly concepts motivated by the Monarch butterfly, a sign of change and the souls who return each year to visit their liked ones. Another setup commemorated Mexico’s abundant cultural heritage through vibrant geometric patterns and modern analyses of conventional images. The 3rd, entitled The Musician, illustrated a figure mid-song, guitar in hand, worn joyful clothing– a cheerful suggestion that music unifies the living and the left in event and remembrance.
In keeping with that spirit, Don Julio Non Alcoholic Beverages reduced Stephan Bodzin, the German melodic techno legend whose work frequently checks out the area in between presence and infinity. His set unfolded like a séance of noise, the Melody Man turning the dancefloor into a liminal area in between the living and the left. Dropping signature tracks like” Singularity “and”Healing, Bodzin struck that sharp balance of melancholy and transcendence, with synth lines that shivered and skyrocketed in equivalent procedure. Understood for shaping loops, twisting knobs, and forming his noise on the fly, his set moved something primal, welcoming the crowd to show, release, and revel together. Surrounded by a holographic skull that sparkled with every bassline and 3D Calavera Catrinas wandering ghost-like above the decks, the setting itself felt otherworldly.
By the time the closing DJ, Bullzeye, took control of the cubicle and vocalized his mad brand name of techno, he equaled the explosive energy Stephan had actually currently set in movement, pressing the crowd deeper into that cumulative high.
For all its scale and phenomenon, the night seemed like a deeply human event that was as glamorous as it was grounded, honoring the essence of Día de los Muertos as equivalent parts routine and rave.
This story is a paid collaboration with Don Julio Non Alcoholic Beverages.