In Madrid, the festive season runs from late November to 6 January: the Plaza Mayor Christmas market, illuminated streets, free nativity scenes, the twelve grapes of 31 December at the Puerta del Sol and the Three Kings parade on 5 January. Not all the 2026-2027 dates have been published by the city yet: the dates given here are those announced for 2026 where they exist, otherwise those of the 2025-2026 season, as a guide. Most of it happens in the historic centre, between the Plaza Mayor, the Puerta del Sol, Calle de Alcalá, the Gran Vía and Plaza de Cibeles, which are easy to explore on foot in the evening. Most events are free; the Naviluz bus is the exception.
Highlights
The Plaza Mayor Christmas market
This market, more than a hundred years old, whose origins go back to the 17th century on the nearby Plaza de Santa Cruz, brings together 104 stalls selling nativity figures, decorations, toys and joke items. The Madrid tourist office lists it from late November to 31 December 2026, with no exact opening day so far (it opened on 27 November in 2025), Sunday to Thursday from 10am to 9pm, and Fridays, Saturdays and the eves of public holidays from 10am to 10pm. Entry is free (see [Plaza Mayor, Madrid](/fr/attractions/plaza-mayor-madrid)).
The Christmas lights
In 2025, the city switched on its decorations on Saturday 22 November at Plaza de Cibeles, covering more than 240 locations across the 21 districts until 6 January. They are lit Sunday to Thursday from 6pm to midnight, Fridays and Saturdays from 6pm to 1am, on 24 December and 5 January until 3am and on 31 December until 6am. The most photographed streets are Calle de Alcalá, the Gran Vía, the shopping streets of Preciados, del Carmen and Montera, Calle Mayor and Calle del Arenal. The 2026 switch-on date will be announced by the city in November.
The Naviluz bus
This open-top double-decker, run by the operator of the Madrid City Tour sightseeing buses, tours the illuminated streets in about 50 minutes, departing from Calle Felipe IV, near the Goya statue at the Prado Museum. In 2025-2026, it ran from 23 November to 6 January (except 24 and 31 December and 5 January), with a departure every 15 minutes from 6pm to 10pm; tickets cost 15 € for ages 12 to 64 and 7.50 € for ages 7 to 11 and 65 and over, free under 7 but a booking is required. Tickets are sold online on the Naviluz website and sell out quickly at weekends.
Nativity scenes (belenes)
The nativity scene is Madrid's Christmas decoration par excellence. In 2025, the city's nativity scene, set up in the Palacio de Cibeles (CentroCentro), was free with a booked time slot (0.50 € online booking fee), Tuesday to Sunday from 10.30am to 7pm (last entry). The one run by the Community of Madrid, in the Real Casa de Correos on the Puerta del Sol, was free with no booking, generally from 10am to 10pm, closed on 25 December and 1 January.
New Year's Eve and the twelve grapes at Puerta del Sol
On 31 December at midnight, Spaniards eat one grape on each of the twelve strokes of the Real Casa de Correos clock, broadcast live on television from the [Puerta del Sol](/fr/attractions/puerta-del-sol). In recent years, the square has been cleared in the evening and then reopened through police-filtered entrances (Calle Mayor, Calle del Arenal, Calle de Alcalá and Carrera de San Jerónimo), with a capacity of 15,000 people; glass bottles and fireworks are banned. The day before, on 30 December, the "preúvas" rehearse the twelve strokes at midnight in the same atmosphere.
The Three Kings parade (Cabalgata de Reyes)
On the evening of 5 January, the Three Wise Men parade with floats, musicians and sweets thrown to the crowd. In 2026, the procession set off at 6pm from Nuevos Ministerios and went down the Paseo de la Castellana via Plaza de Colón and the Paseo de Recoletos to Plaza de Cibeles, arriving around 9pm; stands were set up between the Glorieta de Emilio Castelar and Colón. On 6 January, a public holiday, families share the roscón de Reyes, a ring-shaped sweet bread.
The Christmas lottery (El Gordo)
The Christmas lottery draw takes place every 22 December at the Teatro Real: children from the San Ildefonso school sing out the winning numbers, live on television. In the days before, long queues form outside the best-known lottery offices in the centre.
Infos pratiques
Tips
The Plaza Mayor market and the Puerta del Sol are very crowded in December and pickpockets are active: keep your bag closed and in front of you (see [scams and safety in Madrid](/fr/articles/arnaques-a-eviter-madrid)). Book the Naviluz bus and the Cibeles nativity scene time slots as soon as sales open. For New Year's Eve at the Puerta del Sol, arrive early in the evening and be ready to stand for several hours; with children, the "preúvas" on 30 December are a slightly less crowded alternative. 25 December, 1 January and 6 January are public holidays: many museums and shops are closed or open shorter hours on those days. The dates of the 2026-2027 season are published gradually by Madrid City Council on its Christmas website from mid-November.
How to get there
Plaza Mayor, 28012 Madrid, and Puerta del Sol, 28013 Madrid, a 5-minute walk from each other. Metro Sol (lines 1, 2 and 3), Ópera (lines 2 and 5 and Ramal) or Tirso de Molina (line 1); Cercanías commuter train, Sol station (lines C3 and C4). Plaza de Cibeles and the Naviluz departure point: metro Banco de España (line 2). On the busiest evenings (31 December, 5 January), some exits of Sol station may be closed: get off at a nearby station.
Opening hours
Nearby
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