The season at a glance
| What | Where | When (2025-26 edition) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lights switch-on | Plaza del Carmen | 29 November, 20:00 | Free |
| Light and carol show | Plaza del Carmen | Daily, 19:00, 20:00 and 21:00 | Free |
| Crafts market | Puerta Real | December | Free |
| Nativity and convent-sweets markets | Plaza Bib-Rambla | December | Free |
| Inverland Christmas village | Paseo del Salón and Paseo del Violón | Until 7 January | Rides extra |
| Big wheel | Palacio de Congresos esplanade | December – January | Paid |
| City nativity scene | City Hall, Plaza del Carmen | From early December | Free |
| Ski season | Sierra Nevada | Opened 29 November | Lift pass |
| New Year's Eve chimes | Plaza del Carmen | 31 December | Free |
| Día de la Toma | City Hall, Royal Chapel, Alcazaba | 2 January | Free |
| Three Kings Parade | Constitución – Gran Vía – City Hall | 5 January, 17:00 | Free |
These are the 2025-26 dates. The city presents its programme in late November; we'll update this guide when it's out.
Lights, markets and the Plaza del Carmen show
In 2025 the lights went on on Saturday 29 November: a dance show with Granada carols at 20:00 and the switch-on at 20:30, with choirs dotted around Bib-Rambla, Puerta Real, Zacatín and the Fuente de las Batallas. The lights stayed up until 7 January.
- Light and carol show: every day at 19:00, 20:00 and 21:00 on Plaza del Carmen, in front of City Hall.
- Lighting hours in the centre: 18:30 to 1:00; until 3:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and the eve of holidays; until 5:00 on the 24th and 31st.
- Markets: crafts at Puerta Real and nativity figures on Bib-Rambla, which in 2025 also hosted a convent-sweets market for the first time.
- Inverland: the Christmas village along Paseo del Salón and Paseo del Violón, with an ice rink and a sledge slide; next to it, the big wheel on the Palacio de Congresos esplanade.
A December evening, done right
- 16:30, the Albaicín at sunset: the sun sets early in December; head up in good time to the Mirador de San Nicolás to see the Alhambra light up.
- 18:30, down the Carrera del Darro to Plaza Nueva.
- 19:00, Plaza del Carmen: the first light show.
- 19:30, Bib-Rambla and Puerta Real: markets, nativity figures and convent sweets.
- 20:30, tapas: in Granada a free tapa comes with every drink.
- 22:00, flamenco in a Sacromonte cave.
The guided sunset walk through the Albaicín and Sacromonte costs from €15 and reaches San Nicolás at the right moment. There's also a private version.
To eat without elbowing for bar space on a December Saturday, the private tapas tour takes two and a half hours.
The Alhambra in winter and on holidays
| Date | Alhambra (daytime) | Nasrid Palaces night visit |
|---|---|---|
| 24 December | Open | Only if it falls on a Friday or Saturday |
| 25 December | Closed | Closed |
| 31 December | Open | Only if it falls on a Friday or Saturday |
| 1 January | Closed | Closed |
| 2 January | Open; Alcazaba free | Fridays and Saturdays |
| 6 January | Open | Only if it falls on a Friday or Saturday |
- Winter hours (15 October to 31 March): 8:30 to 18:00. General ticket €22.27.
- Nasrid Palaces at night: Fridays and Saturdays, 20:00 to 21:30, €12.73. With so little daylight in December, it's the most atmospheric way to see them.
- In 2026, 24 and 31 December fall on a Thursday, and 2 January 2027 on a Saturday.
Official tickets for the December bank holidays and Christmas sell out. A guided night visit or the private tour with hotel transfer has its own allocation.
With kids
- Inverland, with its ice rink and sledge slide, plus the big wheel.
- The light show on Plaza del Carmen is short and free.
- The Royal Postman collects letters in the City Hall courtyard.
- Sierra Nevada: the Mirlo Blanco area has sledging, and there are beginner slopes at Borreguiles.
Sierra Nevada: skiing or a day in the snow
The resort is about 30 km from Granada. In 2025-26 it opened on 29 November, with runs at Borreguiles and snow cannons, and that season the lighting on the El Río runs was renewed for Saturday night skiing. For 2026-27 the resort has announced new snow machines to open the beginners' area earlier, but no date. The December bank holidays and the week between Christmas and Epiphany are the busiest days.
If you don't ski, the Alpujarra in winter, with wood fires lit and snow on the peaks, makes a quieter day trip.
New Year's Eve, the Toma and Three Kings
- Midnight chimes: on Plaza del Carmen, in front of City Hall.
- 2 January, Día de la Toma: a local holiday. A civic ceremony with the waving of the royal banner at City Hall and a service at the Royal Chapel, where the Catholic Monarchs are buried. That day the Alhambra's Alcazaba is free from 8:30 to 18:00 so you can ring the bell of the Torre de la Vela: tradition says single women who ring it will marry within the year.
- Three Kings Parade (5 January): at 17:00 from Avenida de la Constitución along Gran Vía, Reyes Católicos and Acera del Darro; around 19:30 there's a drone show at Puente Blanco, and it ends with the Kings on the City Hall balcony. With kids, find a spot on Gran Vía near the start.
Flamenco in the Sacromonte
The Sacromonte caves are the night out in Granada. Cueva La Rocío has a 90-minute show from €35; book ahead in December, and bring a coat for the walk up and back.
Common mistakes
- Trying the Alhambra on 25 December or 1 January: it's closed.
- Buying Alhambra tickets at the last minute: at Christmas they sell out weeks ahead.
- Heading up to the Albaicín at 18:30: in December the sun sets around 18:00. For sunset light on the Alhambra, go up around 17:00.
- Driving up to Sierra Nevada without chains or checking the DGT traffic site: after snowfall the road may require them.
- Assuming 2 January is a working day: in Granada it's a holiday and many shops close.
Frequently asked questions
When do the Granada Christmas lights go on in 2026?
The 2026 date isn't official yet. In 2025 the switch-on was on Saturday 29 November on Plaza del Carmen, with a show at 20:00 and the lights going on at 20:30. In the centre they come on at 18:30 and go off at 1:00, at 3:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and the eve of holidays, and at 5:00 on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
Is the Alhambra open at Christmas?
Yes, every day except 25 December and 1 January. In winter it's open 8:30 to 18:00, and the night visit to the Nasrid Palaces runs on Fridays and Saturdays from 20:00 to 21:30. Tickets go on sale up to three months ahead and those for the December bank holidays and Christmas sell out early: if there are none left, a guided tour with its own allocation is the way in.
What happens in Granada on 2 January?
It's the Día de la Toma, a local holiday marking the Catholic Monarchs' entry into the city in 1492. There's a civic ceremony at City Hall and the Royal Chapel, with the waving of the royal banner. That day the Alhambra trust opens the Alcazaba for free from 8:30 to 18:00 so people can ring the Torre de la Vela bell; the rest of the monument needs a ticket.
Can you ski in Sierra Nevada at Christmas?
Usually, yes, though it depends on the snow. In 2025-26 the resort opened on Saturday 29 November with runs in the Borreguiles area, helped by snow cannons. The 2026-27 opening date hasn't been announced; check the piste report on sierranevada.es before you go up.
What time is the Three Kings Parade in Granada?
On 5 January at 17:00. In 2026 it set off from Avenida de la Constitución by the Jardines del Triunfo, came down Gran Vía, Reyes Católicos and Acera del Darro, stopped around 19:30 at Puente Blanco for a drone show and ended with the Kings arriving at City Hall. There were 25 floats.
