Christmas in San Sebastián 2026: a practical guide

When do San Sebastián's Christmas lights come on in 2026?

2026 date: not announced. 2025 for reference (Basque Government; San Sebastián Tourism):

• Switch-on: Friday 28 November at 19:30 on the City Hall terrace, with a concert by Izaro, the 'Donostia Ametsetan' show with 500 drones, and journalist Iñaki Gabilondo pressing the button.
• Lights: over 500 features on nearly 100 streets, including 169 arches and 227 decorated trees, from 28 November to 6 January.

Streets, trees and light shows

The 2025 highlights, from the city programme as published by the Basque Government:

• Alderdi Eder: an illuminated forest with an 18-metre pine and the 32-metre big wheel with 24 cabins, open from 14 November to 31 January.
• Christmas Ball on Avenida de la Zurriola, with light-and-sound shows from 17:45 to 23:00.
• Avenida de la Libertad: a shower of stars. La Bretxa market's façade was lit up too.
• Miramar Magikoa: a 700-metre light trail around the grounds of Miramar Palace, 4 December to 5 January, 18:00 to 22:00, ticketed.

Christmas market and ice rink

• 2026: the San Sebastián Tourism listing already gives 1 December 2026 to 6 January 2027, on Paseo del Urumea and Plaza Ramón Labayen, 10:30 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:30. The council has not yet presented its programme.
• 2025 for reference: it opened on 28 November with 71 stalls between Paseo de Francia and Plaza Ramón Labayen, plus 13 food stalls. Minimum hours: 11:30 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 20:00, longer at weekends (Basque Government).
• Natural ice rink on Paseo de Francia in 2025.

Santo Tomás fair: 21 December

The big farm fair of San Sebastián's Christmas: stalls run by baserritarras (Basque farmers), contests and txistorra (a thin spicy sausage). It is held every 21 December; in 2026 that is a Monday. The 2026 programme is not out.

2025 for reference (Sunday 21, Onda Vasca):

• Stalls: 163 in eight spots across the centre and the Old Town, with Plaza de la Constitución as the hub. That is where the fair's sow, Poxpolin, a Duroc, was on show.
• Contests: 10:00 to 20:00, for scarecrows, honey, txistorra and farmer's costume.
• Closures: streets next to Plaza de Gipuzkoa from 9:00 to 21:00 and Paseo Nuevo from 7:30 to 14:00.

In 2024 the txistorra stalls opened from 10:00 to 20:00 (Blog Euskaltel).

Olentzero and Mari Domingi on 24 December

Olentzero, the Basque charcoal burner who brings presents, and Mari Domingi tour the city on Christmas Eve, a Thursday in 2026. The 2026 programme is not out. 2025 for reference (Kulturklik):

• 12:00: arrival at Plaza de la Constitución and a greeting from the balcony. Then a ride in a vintage car followed by children on bikes (aged 6 and up) towards Amara, Loiola and Intxaurrondo.
• 15:30 to 17:30: letters collected in the City Hall council chamber. The queue forms on the Alderdi Eder terrace and closes at 17:10.
• 18:00: parade from Calle Ijentea through the centre, with about 500 people and figures from Basque mythology such as Mari, Tartalo, lamias and sorginas (witches).

Nativity scene in Plaza de Gipuzkoa

The city's nativity scene since 1957, made by artists Rafael Munoa and José Luis Usabiaga with the Gipuzkoa Nativity Association, in Plaza de Gipuzkoa (San Sebastián Tourism). 2026 dates are not out.

New Year's Eve in San Sebastián

We have not found an official countdown. Basque TV (EITB) broadcast the 2025 chimes from Vitoria-Gasteiz (EITB).

What does happen on the 31st is the San Silvestre Donostiarra race: in 2025 it started at 14:00, over 7.9 km, with advance registration (San Sebastián Tourism).

Three Kings Parade 2027

It will be on Tuesday 5 January 2027. Time and route are not published. 2026 for reference (Blog Euskaltel):

Usual route: Boulevard, Hernani, Libertad, Urbieta, Prim, Bergara, Idiakez, Plaza de Gipuzkoa, Legazpi and Boulevard.

The Tamborrada on 20 January, the city's big day

Christmas ends with San Sebastián's biggest festival. At midnight between 19 and 20 January the city flag goes up in Plaza de la Constitución and 24 hours of drumming begin, to Raimundo Sarriegui's marches; at midnight on the 20th, the Unión Artesana company lowers the flag. More than 147 companies take part (San Sebastián Tourism).

In 2027 the flag goes up on the night of Tuesday 19 to Wednesday 20. 20 January was a local public holiday in 2026 (Basque Government open data).

Practical tips

• Public holidays: in the Basque Country, Tuesday 8 and Friday 25 December 2026; the 6th falls on a Sunday and Monday 7 is not a holiday (Basque Government).
• Shops: the Basque Country does not set a calendar of Sunday and holiday opening days (Ministry of Trade). On the 25th and the 1st expect most places to be shut.
• Santo Tomás: go early, on foot or by bus; streets are closed from 9:00.