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There's an impressive range of traditional Mexican and classical concerts and contemporary gigs, opera, classic and modern film, theatre and art exhibitions in town, and you can see some kind of performance most nights of the week. For international and classic films , try Cine Charles Chaplin, López Mateos Nortes 873 or Cine Cinematografo, Vallarta 1102 and Mexico 2222. For listings information, try the Guadalajara Colony Reporter , an English-language daily newspaper, or the Spanish-language Publico (Fri edition).

There is a regular programme of theatre and dance in the beautiful Teatro Degollado and a series of events put on by the state Fine Arts department in the former Convento del Carmen and other sites around the city. You can pick up details from the tourist office. Guadalajara's ballet folklórico - two hours of impressive traditional dance performed by the university dance troupe - is staged in the Teatro Degollado every Sunday at 10am (except when the company's on tour) and is definitely worth getting up for: tickets are sold at the theatre ticket office (daily 10am-1pm & 4-7pm; tel 3/613-1115). The state dance company performs a similar ballet, though its reputation isn't as good, in the Cine-Teatro Cabañas in the Hospicio Cabañas every Wednesday at 8.30pm and Sunday at 10am. Tickets go for around US$3 from the Hospicio (details tel 3/617-4322 ext 122).

Less formally, you'll find bands playing and crowds gathered somewhere round the central plaza complex every weekend and often during the week, too (generally Tues and Thurs), and there's always entertainment of some kind laid on in the Parque Agua Azul.

The entire month of October in Guadalajara is dominated by the famous Fiestas de Octubre , with daily events including charreadas (rodeos) and processions (the biggest on the 12th) with free entertainment such as modern Mexican music performances put on from noon till 10pm in the fairgrounds of the Benito Juárez auditorium and fireworks each night. The Instituto Cultural Mexicano Norte-americano de Jalisco, Díaz de León 300, hosts classical music concerts year-round.

In Tlaquepaque the big day is June 29 ( Fiesta de San Pedro ): endless mariachis , dances and a mass procession.