MEXICO CITY — Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined Paseo de la Reforma on Sunday as the capital staged its annual Día de Muertos megaprocession, featuring towering skeleton floats, costumed performers and catrina figures ahead of the November holiday.

The procession has grown into one of Mexico City's largest public events since authorities launched it in 2016, inspired in part by a fictional parade shown in the 2015 James Bond film 'Spectre'. Routes typically run from the Estela de Luz monument toward the Zócalo, drawing families, tourists and local artisans.

The Mexican tradition is celebrated across North America, with community centres holding early events through October. The Sherman Heights Community Center in San Diego marked its 32nd year of Día de los Muertos observances this month, with altars, mole and its own procession, reflecting the holiday's reach among Mexican American communities.

Mexico City's tourism secretariat has promoted the celebrations as a major driver of hotel bookings and visitor spending in October, building on the global popularity boosted by Pixar's 'Coco'. The secretariat expected large crowds given favourable autumn weather and the Sunday timing.

Organisers deployed police, medical teams and crowd-control barriers along Reforma, a standard measure for the event. The celebrations serve as a prelude to the official Day of the Dead on November 1 and 2, when families visit cemeteries and build ofrendas honouring deceased relatives.