Malaga Three Kings Parade 2027: a practical guide

What is the Three Kings Parade?

In Spain, Christmas presents are brought by the Three Wise Men on the night of 5 to 6 January, not by Father Christmas. On the eve, Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar ride through the city on floats while their entourage throws sweets to the crowd: it is the big night for children, and the streets fill with families.

When is the Malaga Three Kings Parade 2027?

On Tuesday 5 January 2027, in the afternoon. The 2027 time and route have not been published: in 2026 the council announced them on 2 January, three days before. We will update this guide as soon as the official notice is out.

2026 for reference (Monday 5 January):

• 18:00: the Kings leave the Alcazaba and walk down to City Hall along Travesía Pintor Nogales. The councillors welcome them on the steps with the Municipal Band, and the children's mayor reads the children's letter from the balcony.
• 19:00: the parade sets off from Avenida de Cervantes.
• At the end: the Kings walk up Calle Molina Lario to the Cathedral, where they make their offering to the Child at a living nativity scene, with a concert by the Orfeón Universitario children's choir.

The planned start was 17:00, but it was put back an hour because the Aemet weather agency forecast less chance of rain after 18:00 (City Council). There were 13 floats (the three royal ones and ten more) with street performers and bands, and about a thousand participants handed out some 20,000 kilos of sweets.

Malaga parade route, street by street

The 2027 route is still pending. The 2026 route, the same as in 2025 (City Council, 2025), was (City Council, 2026):

1. Avenida de Cervantes (start, next to City Hall)
2. Plaza del General Torrijos
3. Paseo del Parque
4. Plaza de la Marina
5. Alameda Principal
6. Puente de Tetuán (across the Guadalmedina river)
7. Nazareno del Paso
8. Hilera
9. Puente de la Esperanza (back across the river)
10. Prim
11. Atarazanas
12. Puerta del Mar
13. Alameda Principal
14. Plaza de la Marina
15. Cortina del Muelle
16. City Hall and, on foot, Calle Molina Lario up to the Cathedral

The council did not publish times for each section or a finishing time.

Where to watch the parade

The council plans the route along wide open spaces to avoid crowding (City Council). Based on the 2026 route:

• Paseo del Parque and Alameda Principal: the widest sections, and the parade passes the Alameda and Plaza de la Marina twice, on the way out and on the way back.
• Avenida de Cervantes and City Hall: you see the Kings arrive at 18:00 and the parade set off, but this is where crowds are thickest.
• Across the river (Nazareno del Paso, Hilera, Prim): narrower streets, in the Perchel and Trinidad neighbourhoods.
• Calle Molina Lario and the Cathedral: the finale, with the Kings on foot.

Neighbourhood parades

Besides the main parade, the city districts hold their own parades, processions and Three Kings parties between 3 and 5 January. The 2027 ones have not been announced. In 2026 rain forced several to move; this is how they ended up (City Council):

• Carretera de Cádiz: Saturday 3, at 16:30, from CEIP Eduardo Ocón school to Calle Unión Mercantil, finishing around 20:00. Besides the three royal floats, 27 local groups and about 1,300 people took part.
• Cruz del Humilladero: Saturday 3 at 17:00 (planned for Sunday 4), from CEIP Doctor Fleming school on Calle Fernández Fermina.
• Teatinos-Universidad: Saturday 3, 11:00 to 13:30 (planned for Sunday 4), from Avenida Plutarco to the Christmas fairground on Calle Decano Agustín Moreno.
• Puerto de la Torre: Saturday 3 at 10:30, from Calle Lope de Rueda to Avenida Pintor Manuel Barbadillo.
• Bailén-Miraflores: Sunday 4, starting and finishing at Gibraljaire school.
• Churriana: Monday 5 at 17:00, from the open area opposite the municipal market to Paseo Grice Hutchinson, with roscón cake for the children at 19:30.
• Campanillas: Monday 5 at 17:00, from CEIP Francisco de Quevedo school to the district office (Calle Ramírez Arcas, 2), where children handed their letters to the Kings.
• Este: the big eastern parade, planned for Sunday 4, was cancelled and replaced by a Three Kings party in a sports hall. Its usual route, as in 2025, is five kilometres: it leaves at 17:30 from the city works depot (Carretera de Olías, 76) via Carretera de Olías, Calle Almería, Avenida Juan Sebastián Elcano, Avenida Pintor Sorolla, Paseo Miramar and San Vicente de Paúl, arriving around 20:30 at San Miguel de Miramar church (City Council).

Road closures and parking

The 2027 closures will be published a few days before. In 2026 (City Council):

• From midnight on 4 to 5 January: the Paseo del Parque-Alameda Principal axis was closed. Traffic could still cross from Calle Córdoba to Puerta del Mar and from Puente de Tetuán to Alameda de Colón.
• From 12:00 on the 5th: Cortina del Muelle and Boquete del Muelle closed.
• From 15:00: Calle Córdoba, Alameda de Colón, Plaza del General Torrijos, Calle Molina Lario and Puente de la Misericordia closed.
• During the parade: short closures on nearby streets. Everything reopened gradually until midnight on 5 to 6 January.
• Parking: entry and exit at the city-run car parks of Camas, Tejón y Rodríguez, Plaza de la Marina, Alcazaba, Cervantes and Avenida de Andalucía depended on the closures. Those at Salitre, San Juan de la Cruz, Carlos Haya, El Palo, Pío Baroja and Cruz de Humilladero worked as normal.

The council advises against driving into the centre and recommends the ring roads for crossing the city from east to west.

Bus, metro and local trains on parade day

• Bus (EMT): in 2026 it added 20,000 extra seats that day and ran almost every line until midnight, except lines 15, 18, 22, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 35, 36, 40, C5, 73, 75 and C6, which kept their normal hours. Stops on Paseo del Parque and the Alameda moved to Paseo de los Curas and Muelle de Heredia, and those at Atarazanas (lines 2, 17, 30 and 20) moved to Puente de la Aurora (City Council). Maps with the stops for each line are posted on the EMT website and app.
• Metro: Line 1 runs to Atarazanas, on Alameda Principal, right by the route. We found no official notice of special metro hours for the parade.
• Cercanías local trains: the C-1 (Fuengirola and the Airport) and the C-2 (Álora) end at Málaga-Centro Alameda, on the west bank of the Guadalmedina, the side of the Nazareno del Paso and Hilera section. There is no official notice of extra trains either.

Tips for the parade

• Arrive early: the Kings leave the Alcazaba at 18:00 and the parade at 19:00 (2026 times). At the start and along the Alameda, get there in good time.
• Children: in 2026 Civil Protection handed out QR-code wristbands so that the family of a lost child can be traced. Agree on an easy meeting point, such as a specific corner of the Alameda.
• Sweets: bring a bag. Thousands of kilos are thrown along the whole route.
• Rain: times can change at very short notice. In 2026 the parade was put back an hour, and in 2025 it moved to the morning because rain was forecast: the Kings left the Alcazaba at 11:30 and the parade at about 12:30 (City Council). Neighbourhood parades changed days too. Check the council website on 5 January itself.
• Afterwards: many bars and restaurants in the centre fill up when the parade ends; if you want dinner nearby, book.
• Staying nearby: if you are visiting and want to walk back, look for a place to stay in the centre, near the Alameda.

6 January: what is open and what is closed

Wednesday 6 January 2027 is a public holiday across Andalusia (Epiphany) (Junta de Andalucía). It is the day children open their presents and many families have lunch together, with roscón de Reyes, a ring-shaped sweet bread, for dessert.

• Monuments: the Alcazaba's winter hours are 9:00 to 18:00, and its website does not announce a closure on 6 January (Alcazaba and Gibralfaro). Check before you go.
• Shops: 6 January is not one of the authorised Sunday and holiday shopping days in Andalusia in 2027 (in January, those are Sundays 3 and 10) (Junta de Andalucía). Expect many shops to be closed, except those allowed to set their own hours.
• Museums and restaurants: each has its own holiday hours. Check their websites; we have not found official 2027 hours.
• What's on: see the Malaga events guide for 5 and 6 January.

Coming earlier? Our guide to the Malaga Christmas lights covers the Calle Larios lights, nativity scenes and New Year's Eve.