If you want to buy art during Mexico City Art Week 2027, start about twelve weeks ahead: the fair opens on Wednesday 3 February 2027, and the steps that take time are reserving a work, arranging payment and shipping, and booking travel. This guide gives a dated timeline from 9 November 2026, with the shipping arithmetic worked out from the gallery’s published times, so that you buy what you chose, not what was left.
Key takeaways
- Zona Maco runs Wednesday 3 to Sunday 7 February 2027; Salón ACME No. 14 runs 4 to 8 February 2027. Material had published no 2027 dates on 9 November 2026.
- Twelve weeks before the fair is the week of 11 November 2026: set a budget and shortlist.
- An international order takes roughly two weeks at the fastest and about a month and a half at the slowest from payment to delivery, based on the gallery’s stated dispatch and delivery times.
- To have a shipped order at home by 8 February 2027, pay by 6 January 2027.
- Payment-plan terms are set case by case, so raise them early.
- If you will be in Mexico City, you can see a work by appointment and collect it at no charge, which removes shipping entirely.
Verified 9 November 2026 against the fairs’ own sites, the Art of NOMA FAQ and our Art Week guide. Dates and policies can change.
What should you do, week by week?
The timeline counts back from Wednesday 3 February 2027, the opening evening of Zona Maco. Each row falls on a Wednesday. Nothing here is a rule, but each step removes a source of last-minute stress.
| Week of | Weeks before Zona Maco | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Nov 2026 | 12 | Set a budget. Browse the works and shortlist three to five. Send your questions to the gallery. |
| 25 Nov 2026 | 10 | Choose a favourite and ask to reserve it. If you want instalments, start the conversation now: terms are set case by case. |
| 9 Dec 2026 | 8 | Decide whether to collect in Mexico City or ship. Book flights and a hotel; the week is busy. |
| 23 Dec 2026 | 6 | Check the fairs’ exhibitor lists and ticket pages. Salón ACME is 4 to 8 Feb; Material’s dates were still unpublished on 9 Nov. |
| 6 Jan 2027 | 4 | Latest payment date, with little slack, if you want a shipped international order home by 8 Feb (see the arithmetic below). |
| 20 Jan 2027 | 2 | Re-read the Art Week guide for openings. Book gallery appointments. Confirm the Zona Maco venue. |
| 27 Jan 2027 | 1 | Check hours on the fair’s tickets page. Plan one neighbourhood a day. Remember that most galleries close on Monday. |
| 3 to 7 Feb 2027 | 0 | Zona Maco. Look first, then decide on Thursday or Friday. |
Our Mexico City Art Week 2027 guide is updated every Thursday until the week, so a weekly look is enough. The Zona Maco 2027 guide has the public hours for each day and the fair’s sections.
How far ahead do you need to pay to get a work home?
The gallery says most works are dispatched within five to seven business days, and that delivery once shipped is typically seven to twenty-one days internationally, depending on route and customs. Add the two. The fastest case is five business days, about seven calendar days, plus seven days, so about two weeks. The slowest is seven business days, about ten calendar days, plus twenty-one days, so about a month. Round up for weekends and holidays and allow about a month and a half at the outside.
If you will be travelling home on 8 February 2027, a month and a half back is late December 2026. Paying by 6 January 2027, 33 days ahead, covers the slowest stated case of about 31 days, with little slack. These are the gallery’s typical times, not guarantees, and some works are made to order, which the work’s page states. Import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility, so check your own country’s rules before you pay; our overview of buying art across borders lists the documents. The full order process is in how buying original art online works.
When is collecting in person the easier route?
If you will be in Mexico City for Art Week, collecting is simpler than shipping. According to the gallery’s FAQ, viewings and collection are arranged by appointment in Mexico City and collecting is free, while shipping is charged on every order. You could see the work on a gallery day, pay the balance and carry or courier it yourself. Check the size first: a 120 × 180 cm canvas is not an airline carry-on. Ask the gallery about framing and crating before you travel.
How do you set a budget?
Decide the number before you look, then add costs the price does not include: shipping, framing if you want it, and any duties at home. On 9 November 2026, across 202 works on the Art of NOMA catalogue (excluding works by JoCa), 80 cost under MX$25,000, 65 cost from MX$25,000 to MX$49,999, 41 cost from MX$50,000 to MX$99,999 and 16 cost MX$100,000 or more. These are asking prices on one gallery’s list, and they can move; the live works page is the source. Our guide on how much to spend on your first artwork offers a method for choosing the number.
What should the week itself look like?
Look on Wednesday evening and Thursday, decide on Thursday or Friday, and keep Saturday for galleries outside the fair. Pick one or two neighbourhoods a day; most galleries close on Monday, and none of the commercial galleries in our directory with listed hours lists Sunday. The Roma gallery walk gives addresses and hours for ten galleries, and our guide to buying art at an art fair covers the habits that carry across any fair.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early should you plan to buy art during Mexico City Art Week 2027?
About twelve weeks ahead. Zona Maco opens on Wednesday 3 February 2027, so the week of 11 November 2026 is the time to set a budget and shortlist works, and early December is the time to reserve one and book travel.
How long does it take for art bought in Mexico to reach you?
According to Art of NOMA’s FAQ, most works are dispatched within five to seven business days and arrive typically seven to twenty-one days later when shipped internationally. That is about two weeks at the fastest and about a month and a half at the slowest, from payment to delivery.
Can you collect art in person in Mexico City instead of shipping it?
Yes. Art of NOMA arranges viewings and collection by appointment in Mexico City, and collecting in person is free. Shipping is charged on every order.
When are the art fairs in Mexico City in February 2027?
Zona Maco runs 3 to 7 February 2027 and Salón ACME No. 14 runs 4 to 8 February 2027, according to their own sites. Material had not published 2027 dates on its own site on 9 November 2026.
Can you pay for an artwork in instalments?
Yes. Art of NOMA arranges plans directly, usually a deposit that reserves the work while you pay the balance over an agreed period, with terms set case by case. Ask early so the plan is agreed before you travel.
