In a small Mexican village, a young boy named Miguel dreams of becoming a musician, despite his family's ancestral ban on music. His great-great-grandfather left the family to pursue a career as a musician, which led to a curse being placed on music in his lineage. Miguel idolizes the legendary singer Ernesto de la Cruz and longs to follow in his footsteps, but his family is dead set against it, urging him to join the family shoemaking business instead. On the Day of the Dead, a magical mishap transports Miguel to the vibrant and vivid Land of the Dead, a mystical world where the deceased live on as long as they are remembered by the living.

In the Land of the Dead, Miguel encounters a charming trickster named Hector, who needs help to visit the world of the living. In exchange for his assistance, Hector agrees to help Miguel find Ernesto de la Cruz, whom Miguel believes to be his great-great-grandfather. As Miguel embarks on an extraordinary journey, he discovers the real story behind his family's history. Along the way, he meets a variety of colorful deceased characters and learns about the importance of family, memory, and the unbreakable bonds that connect the living and the dead.