Diablada

Ancient roots and faith

Bolivian historians trace the performance back to the Uru people and their ancient dance honoring Tiw, a protective underground spirit linked with caves and rivers. With Spanish colonial rule, authorities suppressed native rites or blended them with Christian liturgy. Tiw transformed into El Tío, the guardian of the mines, and was later equated with the devil. Similar customs emerged around Lake Titicaca among the Lupaka and Aymara peoples, drawing on theatrical autos sacramentales that depicted fights between angels and demons. Over centuries, these layered beliefs produced the modern festival dance.

Characters and choreography

The dance presents a theatrical procession led by the Archangel Michael, who appears dressed in a skirt and blouse while wielding a sword and shield. Behind him march Lucifer, Satan, and devil women known as China Supay, along with dancers representing the seven deadly sins. Troopers in fierce masks follow, constantly moving across streets, plazas, or theater stages. In the climactic moment of the performance, Saint Michael defeats the devil. Choreographies rely on three distinct structural formats, each unfolding across seven moves.

Music and traditional instruments

Musical accompaniment for the dance originally depended on sikuri ensembles playing the siku, a traditional Andean panpipe. Modern groups perform to full brass orchestras or percussionists called Sicu-Morenos. A typical musical piece is divided into two distinct sections: an opening march followed by the lively rhythm known as the Devil's Mecapaqueña. While historical performances included spoken dialogue between the saint and the devils, mid-twentieth-century performers abandoned the spoken lines to concentrate entirely on synchronized movement and music.

Festivals across the Andes

The dance is a central attraction of the Carnival of Oruro in Bolivia, where organized groups like the Gran Tradicional y Auténtica Diablada Oruro have danced since the early twentieth century. Across the border in Peru, the Diablada Puneña is celebrated in Puno, incorporating distinct regional costumes and historical pre-Columbian motifs. In northern Chile, tens of thousands gather in the village of La Tirana for the Fiesta de La Tirana, where squads dance to honour the Virgin of Carmen.

How Diablada is kept

Performers organise into dedicated dance squads and take to city streets or public arenas in elaborate costumes. Led by Saint Michael holding a sword and shield, the troupe processes alongside Lucifer, Satan, devil women, and figures embodying the seven deadly sins. Accompanied by brass bands or traditional panpipes, the angels and demons execute series of synchronized steps. The ritual reaches its climax when the archangel confronts and conquers the devil in front of the watching crowd.

When and where

The dance is held primarily during Carnival season and Catholic feasts. Key dates include Candlemas on 2 February, the annual Carnival of Oruro, and northern Chile's Fiesta de La Tirana.

Diablada is performed across the Andean Altiplano region, with its deepest roots in Oruro and Potosí in Bolivia. Major traditions also thrive in Puno, Peru, and in northern Chilean towns like La Tirana and Iquique.

What Diablada means

The performance represents the triumph of good over evil through the victory of Saint Michael over the devil. Beneath the Christian narrative, the dance preserves ancient Andean cosmology, honouring subterranean guardians like Tiw or El Tío, and celebrating mythical creatures such as snakes, lizards, toads, and ants that protected sacred places.

Days Diablada is marked

Questions people ask about Diablada

See also

Feast of Corpus ChristiA Christian feast celebrating the presence of Christ in the bread and wine of the EucharistInti RaymiA major Andean festival honoring the sun god Inti and marking the winter solstice in Cusco.Carnival of OruroA Bolivian festival of masked pilgrimage dances honoring the Virgin of the Mineshaft

Good reading and sources

• Diablada on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.