Christmas in Granada 2026: a practical guide

When do Granada's Christmas lights come on in 2026?

2026 date: not announced. In 2025 the date was released in early November, so this year's should be out around then.

2025 for reference:

• Switch-on: Saturday 29 November at 20:30, after a dance and carol show from 20:00 (Ahora Granada).
• Venue: Plaza del Carmen, in front of City Hall, with choirs around Bib-Rambla, Puerta Real, Zacatín and Fuente de las Batallas (Granada Digital).
• Hours in the centre: 18:30 to 01:00; until 03:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and the eve of public holidays, and until 05:00 on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. In the neighbourhoods, 18:30 to midnight, until 01:00 at weekends and 03:00 on 24 and 31 December (Granada Digital).
• Lights on until 6 January (Ahora Granada).

Best streets for lights and light shows

Plaza del Carmen: in 2025 there was a daily light and carol show at 19:00, 20:00 and 21:00 (Granada Digital).

Other 2025 additions: a 16.8-metre 3D fir tree in Plaza Nueva, laser lights in the trees of Paseo del Salón and a large nativity scene made of lights on Paseo del Violón (Granada Digital).

Projection mapping on the Zaida building, opposite Fuente de las Batallas, by the Fundación Caja Rural: in 2025 it ran from 29 November to 6 January, with shows at 19:00, 20:00, 21:00 and 22:00 (Granada Digital).

Suggested walk, based on the 2024 lights map: Puerta Real, Reyes Católicos, Plaza del Carmen, Bib-Rambla, Gran Vía and Recogidas, with Carrera de la Virgen and Plaza Isabel la Católica close by (Ahora Granada).

Christmas markets

2025-2026 dates for reference (Ahora Granada):

• Hours: 11:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 21:00 for the first three; the Sabor Granada fair, 11:00 to 21:00.
• Closures: stalls could close on the afternoons of 24 and 31 December, and on 25 December and 1 January.

2026 dates have not been published.

Nativity scenes

• Belén Municipal: in the City Hall courtyard, built by the Granada nativity association. In 2025 it was open from 3 December to 4 January, 11:00 to 14:00 and 17:30 to 21:00, with shorter hours on 24 and 31 December and from 1 to 3 January (Ahora Granada). The Royal Postman collects children's letters to the Three Kings there.
• Traditional nativity scene on Paseo del Violón: in 2025, from 29 November to 6 January, 11:00 to 22:00 (Ahora Granada).

Day trip to Sierra Nevada

The opening of the resort's 2026-2027 season has not been announced; Cetursa sets it according to the snow. For reference, the 2025-2026 season opened on Saturday 29 November with 7 km of slopes in Borreguiles (Sierra Nevada). Season and multi-day passes are 20% off in the advance sale until 15 October (Sierra Nevada).

Without a car: a regular bus line leaves from Granada bus station and also stops at the transport hub by the Palacio de Congresos; the Transport Consortium publishes the timetable (Sierra Nevada).

New Year's Eve in Plaza del Carmen

The City Council holds a countdown party in front of City Hall every year. There is no 2026 programme yet. 2025 for reference (Granada Digital):

• Capacity of 3,500 people.
• Only two entrances, on Reyes Católicos: from Puerta Real and from Plaza Isabel la Católica.
• Square cleared at 21:00, entry and road closure at 22:00, free grapes handed out from 22:30 to 23:30, chimes and fireworks at 23:59, and the party ends at 02:00.

Three Kings Parade 2027: date, time and route

It will be on the evening of Tuesday 5 January 2027, but the time and route have not been published.

2026 for reference: the council planned a 17:00 start from Avenida de la Constitución at Gran Vía, then Reyes Católicos, Acera del Darro and Camino de la Zubia to Puente Blanco, with a drone show around 19:30 and a finish at City Hall. (Granada Digital). Because rain was forecast, it moved to the morning, 11:00 to 14:00, on a short route: Triunfo, Gran Vía, Reyes Católicos and Plaza del Carmen (Granada Digital).

Practical tips

• Public holidays: in Andalusia, Monday 7 (Constitution Day, moved from Sunday) and Tuesday 8 December 2026 (Junta de Andalucía). In Granada, 2 January (Día de la Toma) is a local holiday; the 2027 local calendar is not out yet.
• Shops: in Granada city they may open on Sunday 29 November and on 7, 13, 20 and 27 December 2026 (Ministry of Trade). 8 December is not an authorised day: Granada's only swap moved 2 August to 2 January (BOJA 4 Dec 2025).
• Metro: it does not enter the old town; the handiest stop is Recogidas, a short walk from Puerta Real (Metro de Granada).
• City buses: run by Transportes Rober, part of the Alsa group (Alsa). Reyes Católicos closes on New Year's Eve and for the parade: check diversions.