Christmas in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 2026: a practical guide

What is confirmed for Christmas 2026?

• Christmas market and funfair: in September the City Council opened applications for stalls. The wooden cabins will be at the back of Santa Catalina park, on Plaza de Canarias, and the funfair in the El Refugio area (City Council). Dates and hours to be announced.
• 15th Popular New Year Concert: 26 and 27 December at the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, according to the Gran Canaria tourism calendar.
• San Silvestre race: 31 December, on the same calendar.
• Public holidays in the Canary Islands: 8 and 25 December 2026 and 1 and 6 January 2027. Note that 7 December is not a holiday in the Canaries (BOC, 2026 calendar; Canary Islands Government, 2027 calendar).

The full programme is published on laspalmasgc.es and on the city's cultural calendar lpacultura.com. Once announced, each event will show up on our Las Palmas events calendar.

The sand nativity scene at Las Canteras

This is the big Christmas draw in the city: a nativity scene of sand sculptures on Las Canteras beach itself, free to enter, with donations going to the city's soup kitchens. The 2026 opening date has not been announced yet, and it changes from year to year:

• 2025 (20th edition): opened on 15 December and closed on 8 January 2026. It stood in the La Puntilla area, level with Plaza de Saulo Torón, with about 1,500 cubic metres of sand shaped by around ten international sculptors over some 1,500 m². It drew more than 125,000 visitors (City Council, opening; closing).
• 2024 (19th edition): opened on 29 November and closed on 7 January 2025. It was open every day from 10:00 to 22:00, except 24 and 31 December and 5 January, 10:00 to 20:00 (City Council).

To get there by bus from Triana or Vegueta, see our guide what to see in Las Palmas in 1, 2 or 3 days.

Christmas lights and light shows

The 2026 switch-on date is still pending. The last two:

• 2025: general switch-on on 4 December, with a show on Plaza de Santa Ana and the opening of the Santa Catalina Christmas area. From 26 November the district squares had been lit one by one (City Council).
• 2024: switch-on on 28 November in Santa Ana, together with Mesa y López. Triana lit up on the 29th and the Las Canteras area on 2 December (City Council).

Light and sound shows (2025): in Santa Ana, Triana and La Puntilla, daily at 19:30, with a second show at 20:30 Friday to Sunday. From 18 to 20 December there was also projection mapping on the façade of Santa Ana Cathedral at 20:30.

Christmas market and Christmas City in Santa Catalina

In 2025 the back of Santa Catalina park became the Ciudad de la Navidad (Christmas City): market stalls, an ice rink, a funfair, a Christmas House and a stage with concerts almost every day. It opened on 4 December with these stall hours (City Council):

There were also children's workshops on Saturdays from 17:30 to 19:30 and Sundays from 11:00 to 13:00. In 2026 the market returns to the same spot; hours to be announced.

Nativity scenes around the city

Besides the sand one, in 2025 the City Council highlighted:

• San Telmo nativity scene, in the park of the same name at the end of Calle Mayor de Triana. In 2025 it opened on 16 December, a day later than planned because of storm Emilia (City Council).
• Canarian nativity scene by the Lo Divino association of Canarian nativity makers, at the Espacio Cultural Jesús Arencibia, from 12 December.

If you would like to see the old town with someone who can tell you its story, there are guided tours of Vegueta and Triana.

New Year's Eve and the San Silvestre race

• New Year's Eve party (2025): the City Council saw in 2026 at the Santa Catalina Christmas area, from 22:00 to 5:30, with concerts and fireworks (City Council). The 2026 programme is pending.
• Las Canteras: the 2025 security operation included special policing of the beach on the night of the 31st (City Council).
• San Silvestre: in 2025 it started at 15:00 on 31 December, with roads closed through the afternoon on León y Castillo, Triana, San Telmo and Avenida Rafael Cabrera. If you need to cross the city that day, plan ahead.

The nights of the 31st and 5 January are among the most sought after: if you are going then, book as soon as possible.

Three Kings: arrival by sea and the parade

5 January is the big day. This is how it went in 2026 (City Council):

• Arrival of the Three Kings: at 11:30, at the Base Naval, aboard three tugboats. Gates opened at 9:30 with children's workshops.
• Parade (Cabalgata): it left the Castillo de La Luz at 16:30 and went along Juan Rejón, Albareda, Santa Catalina park, Presidente Alvear, León y Castillo and Muelle Las Palmas to San Telmo park. There was a quiet section for people sensitive to noise, between the Julio Luengo tunnels and Hospital Santa Catalina.
• Kings' Night in Triana: concerts from 19:00 to midnight on Plaza de San Bernardo and Alameda de Colón, plus another stage in Santa Catalina. Guaguas Municipales added extra night buses (City Council).

In 2027, 5 January falls on a Tuesday. Times and route are pending: in 2026 the City Council presented them on 2 January.

What opens and closes over Christmas

• CAAM: closed on 24 and 31 December and on public holidays (official website).
• Casa de Colón: closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 and 6 January (official website).
• Museo Canario: closed on 25 December and 1 January (official website).
• Taxis: according to Aena, on 24 and 31 December and 5 January, from 22:00 to midnight, the flag fall rises to €6.54.

Flying in? Buses and taxis are in our airport to Las Palmas guide.

What is the weather like at Christmas?

Mild. According to AEMET's climate normals (1981-2010) for the Gran Canaria airport station, about 24 metres above sea level and outside the city (AEMET):

Beach days are possible, but bring a jacket for the evenings. According to the City Council, the water at Las Canteras averages around 20 °C over the year (City Council).