Quick summary: A marimba group from Sololá lists Q3,000 for a marimba sencilla con sonido, Q3,500 for a marimba doble and Q7,000 for a marimba orquesta (about US$393, US$458 and US$916; checked October 21, 2026). For a big-name marimba orquesta, the town of Pastores paid Q90,000 for two 5-hour shows: Q45,000 a show, Q9,000 an hour by simple division. Antigua Guatemala paid Q7,390 a presentation. Santa Eulalia paid Q1,536 an hour for 56 hours of marimba. The other single-event and fair contracts on this page ran from Q44,800 to Q90,000.
USD figures use the Banguat reference rate of Q7.63916 per US dollar on October 21, 2026, rounded. See today’s exchange rate.
A marimba group’s own price list
Marimba Perlas de Mi Tierra, from Santa María Visitación, Sololá, publishes its prices in the Ministry of Culture and Sports’ directory of artists, the Sistema de Información Cultural (SIC). The group says it plays at cultural activities, social events, family parties and Maya ceremonies. The listing was last updated on October 8, 2026, and was checked October 21, 2026.
| Format (as listed) | Price | USD (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Marimba sencilla, con sonido | Q3,000 | $393 |
| Marimba doble, con sonido | Q3,500 | $458 |
| Marimba orquesta, con sonido aéreo | Q7,000 | $916 |
Among the SIC directory listings returned by a search for marimba on October 21, 2026, it was the only one with a hire price. The listing does not state hours, a travel charge or the area the group covers.
Per show and per hour: what towns paid in 2026
Guatecompras records show exactly what a municipality bought. These are the 2026 records that say how many shows or days the price covered. The per-show and per-hour columns are simple division of the awarded amount.
| Buyer (Guatecompras NOG) | What the record specifies | Awarded | Per show or unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pastores, Sacatepéquez (31405320) | Two marimba orquesta shows of 5 hours each, in two villages | Q90,000 | Q45,000 a show; Q9,000 an hour |
| Pastores, Sacatepéquez (32197543) | Two more 5-hour marimba orquesta shows in the town centre | Q90,000 | Q45,000 a show; Q9,000 an hour |
| Santa Eulalia, Huehuetenango (29132916) | Marimba regional autóctona for the cultural events of the 2026 patron fair, 56 hours | Q86,016 | Q1,536 an hour |
| Chajul, Quiché (30849810) | Marimba orquesta for the opening of the municipal stadium: a 36-musician group, an 8-hour show (5 hours live music, 3 hours disco), with lighting, generator, screen, audio, stage and transport | Q87,950 | Q10,994 an hour, production included |
| Antigua Guatemala (30957915) | Nine marimba presentations at community events | Q66,510 | Q7,390 a presentation |
| Santiago Sacatepéquez (31250092) | One marimba orquesta show in three one-hour segments, plus stage, sound, lights, LED screens, generator, transport and meals | Q74,800 | one show, production included |
| San Rafael Petzal, Huehuetenango (32272359) | Marimba pura (autóctona), 5 units for the five days of the patron fair | Q60,000 | Q12,000 a unit |
| INGUAT (32145969) | Marimba group playing for cruise passengers at the Puerto Quetzal terminal through December 31, 2026 | Q44,800 | one contract for the season |
The Pastores records describe each group as a national marimba orquesta with international recognition, and set the hours: the August shows ran from 7 pm to midnight and from 6 pm to 11 pm; the October shows from 8 pm to 1 am and from 7 pm to midnight. The Antigua record lists three invoices from the group adding up to the Q66,510.
Other 2026 fiesta contracts
These records give a total for the service, not a price per show or per hour.
| Buyer (Guatecompras NOG) | Occasion and what was hired | Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| San Gaspar Ixchil, Huehuetenango (31939813) | Independence Day, marimba orquesta | Q90,000 |
| San Miguel Dueñas, Sacatepéquez (30878969) | A cumbia group and a marimba orquesta | Q89,990 |
| San Rafael Petzal, Huehuetenango (32271530) | Patron fair, marimba orquesta (40 units) | Q89,900 |
| San Ildefonso Ixtahuacán, Huehuetenango (29052947) | Patron fair, regional marimba | Q89,900 |
| Jacaltenango, Huehuetenango (31867790) | Independence festivities, marimba and a music group | Q89,500 |
| San Juan Ixcoy, Huehuetenango (30652170) | Patron fair, marimba orquesta for the social dances | Q88,000 |
| Jocotenango, Sacatepéquez (31453422) | A marimba orquesta and a tropical cumbia group | Q85,000 |
| Champerico, Retalhuleu (31432115) | Marimba orquesta for a community event | Q80,000 |
| Barillas, Huehuetenango (31840639) | Independence festivities, marimba | Q65,000 |
| La Democracia, Huehuetenango (29477832) | Lent-season patron fair, a marimba orquesta and a tropical group | Q65,000 |
| San Ildefonso Ixtahuacán, Huehuetenango (30251540) | Marimbas autóctonas for the town’s women’s groups | Q64,400 |
Nine of the 2026 awards on this page came in between Q87,950 and Q90,000. Two of those also pay for a second music group, so check what a contract bundles before you use it as a benchmark.
What a Guatemalan marimba quote covers
- Format sets the price. The Sololá list prices a marimba sencilla, a marimba doble and a marimba orquesta separately: Q3,000, Q3,500 and Q7,000.
- Sound. That list says con sonido for the sencilla and doble, and con sonido aéreo for the orquesta.
- Production is extra unless written in. The Santiago Sacatepéquez contract made the group bring a stage, lights, LED screens, a generator, transport and meals, and the Chajul contract lighting, a generator, a screen, audio, a stage and transport.
- Season. The 2026 contracts above follow the calendar of patron-saint fairs (ferias titulares), Independence Day in September and town events. Book early if your date falls on a local fair.
- Invoice and tax. The Pastores records list the group’s invoice (factura) number and date. If you need a factura, ask whether the price includes IVA, which is 12% under Decreto 27-92, Article 10.
What to ask before you book
- How many hours or sets does the price cover?
- Is sound included, and what kind?
- Travel and meals: are they in the price?
- Space and power: how much floor space, and do they need an outlet or bring a generator?
- Repertoire: traditional sones, dance music (cumbias), or both?
- Booking and receipt: what deposit holds the date, and will you get a factura with IVA?
Related pages
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- Service prices hub
Sources
- Sistema de Información Cultural (Ministry of Culture and Sports): Marimba Perlas de Mi Tierra, listing updated October 8, 2026, checked October 21, 2026
- Guatecompras contract records, checked October 21, 2026 (NOG): Santa Eulalia 29132916; Magdalena Milpas Altas 30736935 and 31655882; Zacualpa 30182050; Pastores 31405320 and 32197543; San Rafael Petzal 32272359 and 32271530; INGUAT 32145969; San Gaspar Ixchil 31939813; San Miguel Dueñas 30878969; San Ildefonso Ixtahuacán 29052947 and 30251540; Jacaltenango 31867790; San Juan Ixcoy 30652170; Chajul 30849810; La Democracia 29477832
- Guatecompras contract records, read September 26, 2026 (NOG): Antigua Guatemala 30957915; Barillas 31840639; Santiago Sacatepéquez 31250092; Champerico 31432115; Jocotenango 31453422
- IVA rate: Decreto 27-92, Ley del Impuesto al Valor Agregado, Article 10, as published by SAT
- USD conversion: Banguat reference exchange rate, Q7.63916 per US dollar on October 21, 2026
Prices are as the group and the buyers published them; a group’s price for your date and place may differ, so get it in writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marimba in Guatemala?
Marimba Perlas de Mi Tierra, from Santa María Visitación, Sololá, lists three prices on the Ministry of Culture’s Sistema de Información Cultural (checked October 21, 2026): Q3,000 for a marimba sencilla con sonido (about US$393), Q3,500 for a marimba doble con sonido (about US$458) and Q7,000 for a marimba orquesta con sonido aéreo (about US$916). The listing does not say how many hours each price covers or whether travel is included.
How much does a marimba cost per hour in Guatemala?
Three towns’ 2026 records state the hours. The town of Pastores, Sacatepéquez, paid Q90,000 in August 2026 for two marimba orquesta shows of five hours each (7 pm to midnight and 6 pm to 11 pm), and Q90,000 again in October for two more five-hour shows. That is Q45,000 a show and Q9,000 an hour (about US$1,178) for a marimba orquesta the contract describes as a national group with international recognition. Santa Eulalia, Huehuetenango, paid Q86,016 for 56 hours of marimba regional autóctona at its patron fair, Q1,536 an hour (about US$201). Chajul, Quiché, paid Q87,950 for an 8-hour show (5 hours live, 3 hours disco) by a 36-musician group that also had to bring lighting, generator, screen, audio, stage and transport. The Sololá group’s private-event list gives no hours.
How much do towns pay for a marimba at a fiesta?
The single-event and fair contracts on this page, from Guatecompras, the state procurement system, run from Q44,800 to Q90,000. Antigua Guatemala paid Q7,390 per presentation (Q66,510 for nine); San Rafael Petzal paid Q60,000 for a marimba pura on the five days of its October fair; nine of the contracts on this page came in between Q87,950 and Q90,000 each. Contracts for several marimbas and music groups across many concerts run far higher: Magdalena Milpas Altas paid Q482,400 and Q528,100, and Zacualpa Q552,193.60 for marimba orquesta performances at its May 22-24 patron fair.
Does a marimba price in Guatemala include sound?
It depends on the format. The Sololá group lists its sencilla and doble prices con sonido and its marimba orquesta price con sonido aéreo. Santiago Sacatepéquez’s Q74,800 contract went further and made the provider bring a 9 x 6 m stage, lighting, LED screens and a 150 KVA generator. Ask what is in the price before you compare.
What should I ask a marimba group before booking?
How many hours or sets the price covers, whether sound and lighting are included, whether travel and meals for the musicians are in the price, how much space and power they need, which repertoire they play, and whether the price includes IVA (12% under Decreto 27-92) if you need a factura.
