Madrid Carnival 2027: dates, parade and Burial of the Sardine

Updated on October 26, 2026

Madrid Carnival 2027 runs from Saturday 6 to Wednesday 10 February, according to the official esmadrid site. It opens with the pregón (opening speech) and a costume parade, and ends on Ash Wednesday with the Burial of the Sardine, a free procession of giants and "cabezudos" (big-head figures). The 2027 programme is not published yet: the times below come from the 2026 edition and must be confirmed.

The programme, day by day

Date	What	Good to know
Sat 6 February	Pregón (opening speech) and Carnival parade	Free; place and time to be confirmed
7-9 February	Shows, dances and costume contests	Varies by district
Wed 10 February	Burial of the Sardine	Free procession

On Ash Wednesday, based on the 2026 edition: a morning procession (11:00-15:00) ending at Plaza Mayor with a reading of the pregón, then a big afternoon procession (18:00-21:00) with giants and cabezudos, from the San Antonio de la Florida chapel along the Manzanares to the Casa de Campo.

How to spend your day

Madrid is not Cádiz or Tenerife: its Carnival is more local and shorter. Treat it as a street event to add to a winter stay. In the morning, visit the San Antonio de la Florida chapel; the Goya painting shown above hangs in the San Fernando Academy. For other ideas that month, see Madrid in February.

Tips

Dress warmly: the afternoon procession is outdoors and February is cool in Madrid.
Central hotels fill up little: book with free cancellation and confirm the dates on esmadrid.com in January.
Be there 30 minutes before the procession starts to see the giants up close.

See in this guide

See these 3 places on the map

San Antonio de la Florida Chapel: Goya's frescoes and tomb (free entry) The Chapel of San Antonio de la Florida (Real Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida) is a...

Plaza Mayor, Madrid: history, arcades and what to see on the square The Plaza Mayor is the great arcaded square of old Madrid, in the Madrid de los...

Real Academia de San Fernando Madrid: Goya museum, hours and tickets The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, founded in 1752, occupies the...

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