The season at a glance
| What | Where | When | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas lights | City centre and all 21 districts | Late November – 6 January | Free |
| Nativity scene at the Real Casa de Correos | Puerta del Sol | Late November – 6 January | Free |
| Christmas market | Plaza Mayor | Late November – 31 December | Free |
| Cortylandia | El Corte Inglés, Calle Preciados | Late November – 5 January | Free |
| Naviluz (lights bus) | Calle Felipe IV, by the Prado | Late November – 6 January | About €12 (€6 children) |
| La Navideña and ice rink | Plaza de España | Late November – early January | Rink is paid |
| Crafts fair | Paseo de Recoletos | 1 – 30 December | Free |
| El Gordo lottery draw | Teatro Real | 22 December, morning | Free, with ticket |
| Preúvas (rehearsal) | Puerta del Sol | 30 December, at midnight | Free, capacity-limited |
| New Year's Eve chimes | Puerta del Sol | 31 December | Free, capacity-limited |
| Three Kings Parade | Castellana – Cibeles | 5 January, from 18:00 | Free |
The city confirms the exact dates in November; any that aren't official yet are from the last edition. We'll update this guide as soon as the 2026 dates are out.
Seeing the lights
This year there are more than 250 lit-up spots and 14 million LEDs, including light designs drawn by Madrid schoolchildren.
- On foot: Sol, Preciados, Gran Vía and Calle Alcalá down to Cibeles, then Serrano. About two hours at an easy pace.
- Naviluz: an open-top bus, about 50 minutes, leaving every hour from 18:00 to 22:00, and cheaper from 21:00. Book at naviluz.es; tickets can't be changed or cancelled, not even if it rains. No service on 24 and 31 December or 5 January.
- By private tuk-tuk: an hour and a half for up to 4 people, with no queuing in the cold. It's open-air, so wrap up.
A December evening, done right
- 17:30, Plaza Mayor: the market in the last of the daylight, before it fills up.
- 18:15, Puerta del Sol: the nativity scene at the Real Casa de Correos (there's a queue, but it moves) and the tree.
- 19:00, Preciados: Cortylandia, then on to Gran Vía once it's dark, when the lights look their best.
- 20:00, chocolate and churros at San Ginés, in the Pasadizo de San Ginés by Sol. It has been open since 1894 and runs 24 hours from Thursday to Sunday and on the eve of public holidays.
- 21:00, dinner: tapas in the centre or a flamenco show.
If you'd rather not walk that much in the cold, the night panoramic bus covers the route for you, with a guide.
Three traditions you won't see on postcards
- The Christmas lottery draw (22 December): it takes place at the Teatro Real and the public gets in free, with a numbered ticket collected at the box office on showing ID. Some people queue from the night before: in recent editions, arriving after 4 a.m. meant missing out.
- The preúvas (30 December): the dress rehearsal for the New Year chimes, with the same grapes and far fewer people than on the 31st. It's free, with a capacity of about 15,000; at the last edition the square closed at 21:00 and reopened at 22:00.
- The Doña Manolita queue: Madrid's most famous lottery shop, with queues that last hours in December. If you just want the photo, go first thing on a weekday.
With kids
- Cortylandia is plan number one: free and right by Sol. Go on a weekday afternoon.
- Naviluz is half price for children aged 7 to 11, and under-7s ride free, though they still need a ticket.
- The ice rink at Plaza de España works in time slots: buy your ticket in advance on its website.
Museums and monuments on public holidays
The Prado is closed on 25 December and 1 January, and on 24 and 31 December and 6 January it opens only from 10:00 to 14:00. In the last two hours of each day the collection is free, subject to capacity. December is a good month for the Royal Palace and the museums, with shorter queues than in spring.
If you have a free day, a trip to Toledo and Segovia with the Alcázar is the classic getaway, and in winter you do it without the heat.
New Year's Eve and Three Kings
- Midnight chimes in Sol: access closes once the square is full. Arrive before 21:00 and bring your twelve grapes peeled.
- Three Kings Parade: starts at 18:00 at Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz, comes down the Castellana and Recoletos and ends at Cibeles around 21:00. Get a spot on the Castellana: at Cibeles the crowds block the view.
Common mistakes
- Going on a December Saturday afternoon: Sol and Preciados are gridlocked. Go on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
- Leaving Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve dinner to the last minute: many restaurants close or only serve a set menu. Book in November.
- Booking Naviluz for a rainy day: there are no refunds. If the forecast is doubtful, pick a plan you can cancel.
