Luminari Bus Tour a tradition in Albuquerque has been cancelled this year
ABQ Ride says attendance has been low over the years and the expense has increased
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
ABQ Ride has announced the cancellation of its annual luminaria bus tour, a nearly 60-year-old Albuquerque tradition, due to declining attendance and financial challenges.
“Making this decision was a hard decision for the department,” said Bobby Cisneros, deputy director of ABQ Ride.
Cisneros explained that while tickets for the Christmas Eve event would typically sell out in minutes, attendance has dropped significantly over the past decade, with more than a third of ticket holders not showing up.
“We live in a large, large community, and if we only have 500 people coming out to do our event, something’s not right there,” Cisneros said.
In 2025, the tour cost approximately $200,000 to operate, serving just 586 people at a cost of $341 per person. Because the city’s transit system is free, ABQ Ride cannot charge more than its regular bus fare, meaning the tour generates no revenue to offset its expenses.
“It’s loud and clear that folks don’t want to be in the bus as they’re looking at luminaria tours anymore,” Cisneros said.
Albuquerque resident Gabriella Quevedo expressed her disappointment and hopes the city can find a way to preserve the tradition.
“And I feel like it’s something beautiful and it’s so specific just to New Mexico,” Quevedo said.
Kate and Tiny Currier, visitors from Florida who came to Albuquerque for a wedding, said they would have planned another trip if the bus tours were still happening.
“Because we love to do festive things like our holidays have kind of lost the magic as our kids have grown up,” they said.
