"LA FERIA Shimokita Mexican Festival" (LA FERIA 下北メキシコ祭り) is held for the first time at Mikan Shimokita in Tokyo's Shimokitazawa over three days, from Saturday, November 21 to Monday, November 23, 2026 (a national holiday). Through music, food, and art, the festival brings together Mexican, Japanese, and international cultures.
The creative direction is led by ArtsyKars, an artist based in Mexico City. ArtsyKars was selected to paint murals for all of the matches played in Mexico at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and has worked with global brands including Disney, adidas, and Xbox. LA FERIA is ArtsyKars' first large-scale project in Japan.
The first edition features 30 or more artists and DJs, including Natalia D. Highlights include a special collaboration between Mariachi La Fiesta and beatmaker Mike Larry Draw, The Devils and Libido (who have just returned from a tour in Mexico), and Thee Blackdoor Blues, a Mexican-Japanese duo based in Tokyo.
The venue also hosts collaborations with 10 or more food vendors and pop-ups by Mexican shops and artists. A large mural measuring 12 m by 4 m, created before the event by ArtsyKars together with Japanese artists, will be unveiled at the venue.
There will also be a special installation and pop-up. Official LA FERIA merchandise will be available, along with original goods inspired by the characters of ArtsyKars' "ARTSYWORLD." Details of the merchandise are to be announced soon.
Event Overview
- Event name: LA FERIA Shimokita Mexican Festival (LA FERIA 下北メキシコ祭り)
- Dates: Saturday, November 21 to Monday, November 23, 2026 (national holiday)
- Hours: Daily, 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM (except during special events)
- Special events:
- November 21 (Sat), 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM: Morning Run
- November 22 (Sun), 6:00 PM: Mariachi La Fiesta × Mike Larry Draw special performance
- Venue: Mikan Shimokita (ミカン下北)
- Address: 2-10-20 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 155-0031 (Google Maps)
- Access: 1-minute walk from Shimokitazawa Station
- Organizer: Senspace
- Creative direction: ArtsyKars
- Cooperation: Mikan Shimokita, Mexciting
- Supported by: Embassy of Mexico in Japan (the event is officially certified by the embassy)
- Official website: https://laferia.jp/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laferiajp/
About LA FERIA
"LA FERIA" means "festival" in Spanish. It is a first-time creative gathering that brings together cultures from Mexico, Japan, and around the world in one place.
ArtsyKars, a Mexican artist who has been strongly influenced by Japanese culture and has worked with brands such as adidas and Xbox, shapes the world of LA FERIA as the festival's creative director.
The venue is organized around four programs: LA MÚSICA (music), LA COCINA (food), LA TIENDITA (market), and EL MURAL (mural). Live performances and DJ sets fill the venue with music, 10 or more food vendors serve their dishes, and Mexican shops and artists open pop-ups. On a wall of Mikan Shimokita, a large 12 m by 4 m mural created before the event by ArtsyKars and Japanese artists is on display.
The festival aims to let people from different countries and cultures mix naturally through music, food, and art, and to create those three days in Shimokitazawa.
50 or more artists, restaurants, and shops gather in Shimokitazawa.
Programs, Performers, and Vendors
LA MÚSICA (Music)
30 or more artists and DJs perform over the three days.
November 21 (Sat)
Natalia D / DJ SKULLCRUSHER / Chanai / Pokaska / Shimon / ---MR--- / 仙道
November 22 (Sun)
Mariachi La Fiesta / Mike Larry Draw / DJ Pancho / Kaizen Club (Producer Shindig) / TAKAOSUN / Nitta Honoka / Yate / Zuigyo Yuki / Yayu / Masaki69
November 23 (Mon, national holiday)
The Devils and Libido / Hinata Mochizuki / The Park Tokyo / Thee Blackdoor Blues / Mileva Lorenzi / MFDP / Sano / NES / Itcho Baccho / DJ Pope / Rieko Koga / Rahsaan / Mati MDM / Kitsune / DJ SKULLCRUSHER / Alex Jackson (アイクぬわら) / Takeuchi081
LA COCINA (Food)
10 or more food vendors take part.
下北沢ミートブラザーズ / Brooklyn Roasting Company / The Standard Bakers / チョップスティックス / ダバイダン105 / 大衆ビストロ ハルタ / 下北六角 / 鎌倉山米店 × うなぎの寝床 / 楽観 / タイ屋台999 カオカオカオ
LA TIENDITA (Market)
Mexican shops and artists set up stalls. There is also a pop-up with a special installation, where official LA FERIA merchandise and original goods inspired by the characters of ArtsyKars' "ARTSYWORLD" are available.
Vivero Tokyo / Caracol / Gab Sumi / Picante / Show de Anny (face painting) / Danieru
EL MURAL (Mural)
Before the event, ArtsyKars creates a 12 m by 4 m mural together with Japanese artists Ayaka Ohira, Bakeneko, and きあと. The finished work can be seen at Mikan Shimokita during the event.
- Mural production: November 16 to 19
- Participating artists' Instagram:
- Ayaka Ohira: https://www.instagram.com/_ayakaohira_/
- Bakeneko: https://www.instagram.com/bakeneko.bakeneko/
- きあと: https://www.instagram.com/_kiato/
About ArtsyKars (Creative Director)
Born in Mexico in 1999, ArtsyKars graduated from CENTRO, a Mexican university of art and design, where they majored in digital design. They are now a visual artist based in Mexico City.
Strongly influenced by Mexican street art and Japanese manga, ArtsyKars works across a wide range of media, including painting, murals, illustration, and animation. Through characters that serve as their alter egos, ArtsyKars projects personal experiences and emotions, building a unique world called "ARTSYWORLD" where reality and fiction intersect.
At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ArtsyKars was selected as the artist to paint murals for all of the matches held in Mexico. ArtsyKars has also collaborated with many global brands, including Disney, adidas, Xbox, Samsung, Under Armour, and Sony Music. LA FERIA is ArtsyKars' first large-scale project in Japan.
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artsykars/
Featured Performers
Natalia D (November 21)
A singer from Mexico who appeared on the popular audition program "La Voz México" in her home country. Driven by a strong wish to "sing Japanese music," she came to Japan and has earned outstanding results at competitions across the country, including a win on TV Tokyo's "THEカラオケ★バトル." With a voice that is both powerful and delicate, she delivers a stage that blends J-POP, Japanese songs, Western songs, and dance performance.
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliad_official/
Mariachi La Fiesta (November 22)
Produced and directed by Mexico City-born musician Alex Mejía (アレックス・メヒア), Mariachi La Fiesta is Japan's only mariachi group and a leading name in authentic Mexican music in Japan. The group has performed in response to many requests, including official events of the Mexican Embassy and receptions held by various countries. It has appeared on NHK and commercial TV programs, in commercials for well-known companies, at overseas events, and at hotel events such as those at the Imperial Hotel and The Ritz-Carlton. Its appearances also include Kohaku Uta Gassen (紅白歌合戦), the premiere screening of the Disney film "Coco" (『リメンバー・ミー』), and an official performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and it continues to delight audiences of all ages. At LA FERIA, the group presents a special collaboration with beatmaker Mike Larry Draw.
Mike Larry Draw (November 22)
A Grammy-nominated record producer and performer from the Bronx in New York, now based in Tokyo. Moving across hip-hop, jazz, alternative hip-hop, and experimental soul, he combines meticulous studio work with unpredictable, energetic live shows.
In his live sets, he builds beats on the spot by sampling with a wireless Roland SP404MKII, adding live-played breaks and layering rap and soulful vocals over the beats. His specialty is a "beat set" that feels less like a DJ set and more like an intimate, spiritual gathering radiating heat right next to the audience.
He has performed at venues such as Billboard Live Tokyo and Cotton Club, and has shared the stage with Robert Glasper, Yasiin Bey, Talib Kweli, Pete Rock, Cory Henry, Hiatus Kaiyote, Seun Kuti, and Terrace Martin, among others. His total streams exceed 8 million.
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikelarrydraw/
The Devils and Libido (November 23)
An instrumental progressive punk band formed in Tokyo in 2015, which has just returned from a tour in Mexico. The band started as a bass-and-drums noisecore duo, and became a three-piece in April 2021 when a guitarist joined. The current members are TAIRA (bass), AYANA (guitar), and DAIGORO (drums).
Their trademark is an advanced, emotional performance that fuses technical, story-driven songs with the intensity of hardcore punk. In 2024, they released "Three-Body Phenomenon," their first new EP in five years (three tracks). The title track expresses the narrative structure of Liu Cixin's science fiction novel "The Three-Body Problem" (『三体』) through music.
Since their formation, the band has been active in overseas tours and exchanges, appearing at live shows and festivals in China, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and the US West Coast. In October 2025, they headlined the "CS PUNK MUSIC FESTIVAL" in Changsha, China. They have released five EPs and two full albums so far.
Thee Blackdoor Blues (November 23)
A duo made up of Jocelyn Guzman (ジョセリン・グズマン; vocals, guitar, noise, and more) from Mexico and 須藤直音 (guitar, drums) from Japan. Their sound, which blends psychedelic, garage, art punk, and blues, is truly "alien." They try to break down the "boundaries" of life, musical genres, and every other existing category, and to open a door that welcomes all kinds of "aliens." Their aim is to present an inner universe and to create a new universe out of the experience of an era in which music, art, emotion, spiritual evolution, and social regression coexist. Active in Japan since 2018, they draw listeners in with an overwhelming performance and a shocking sound.
