Seville 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.

Seville's parade has been organised since 1918 by the Ateneo de Sevilla, a private cultural institution, with support from the City Council (Ateneo).

Seville parade 2027: what we know so far

• Date: Tuesday 5 January 2027, in the afternoon.
• The Three Kings: Melchior will be José Luis Vera, Caspar, Miguel Ángel Jurado, and Balthazar, José Luis López "El Turronero". They are joined by the Star of Hope (Laura Pulido), Pallas Athena, the Grand Vizier and the Wizard of Fantasy. The Royal Herald will be Celestino Vidal (Ateneo).
• New floats: eleven, presented in October 2026. Three are dedicated to the Generation of '27 poets; others to the Nativity (inspired by the San Esteban brotherhood), the Setas de Sevilla and the Spanish Space Agency. The Herald gets a new palanquin to collect children's letters (Ateneo).
• Children on the floats: places for children aged 7 to 14 are drawn before a notary on 22 October 2026; registration closed on 15 October (Ateneo).
• Still to come: start time, route and passing times. We will update this guide as soon as the Ateneo or the City Council publish them.

Start time and route (2026 for reference)

In 2026 the parade set off on Monday 5 January from the University of Seville (the old Royal Tobacco Factory, Calle Palos de la Frontera) and returned to the same point. The Ateneo and the council adjusted the route because of roadworks; this was the official route (Ateneo):

1. Start: University (Palos de la Frontera), Glorieta de San Diego, Avenida del Cid, Plaza Don Juan de Austria.
2. North along the ring road: Menéndez y Pelayo, Recaredo, María Auxiliadora, Ronda de Capuchinos, Muñoz León, Resolana.
3. City centre: Feria, Correduría, Plaza de Europa, Trajano, Plaza del Duque, Plaza de la Campana, O'Donnell, Plaza de la Magdalena, Murillo, San Pablo, Reyes Católicos.
4. Triana: Isabel II bridge (Triana bridge), Plaza del Altozano, San Jacinto, Esperanza de Triana, República Argentina.
5. Los Remedios and back: Plaza de Cuba, Asunción, Virgen de Luján, Glorieta de las Cigarreras, Los Remedios bridge, Glorieta de los Marineros Voluntarios, Paseo de las Delicias, Avenida de Roma and Palos de la Frontera.

Timing: the Ateneo's notice gave no times. According to the press, the parade left at 16:15, reached Plaza de Cuba around 20:15 and was due back around 22:00, about six hours in all (OKDiario). Treat these as a guide: we have not found official passing times for each section.

Where to watch the Seville parade

• Reduced-mobility area: in 2026 a reserved area opened for the first time on Calle Palos de la Frontera, at the start of the route (City Council).
• Quiet zone: the stretch between Glorieta de los Marineros Voluntarios and the San Telmo Palace was adapted for autistic people and others with special needs, with less noise and no crowding (same source).
• Wide avenues: Menéndez y Pelayo, the ring road (María Auxiliadora, Capuchinos), República Argentina and Paseo de las Delicias give you more room than the centre.
• Narrow streets in the centre: Feria, Correduría, Trajano, Campana and San Pablo have the best atmosphere, but they are also the most crowded.
• Near the end: on Paseo de las Delicias and Avenida de Roma the parade comes through after dark, with the floats lit up.

The Royal Herald, the day before

On the 4th the Royal Herald goes out ahead of the Kings to ask the mayor for the keys to the city and to collect children's letters. In 2027 that will be Monday 4 January; the time has not been published yet.

In 2026 the Herald left Calle Orfila on Sunday 4 at 17:00, received the keys at City Hall and was due back at 20:30. Route: Orfila, Javier Lasso de la Vega, Tarifa, Santa María de Gracia, Campana, Sierpes, Sagasta, Plaza del Salvador, Álvarez Quintero, Manuel Cortina, Francisco Bruna, Plaza de San Francisco, Hernando Colón, Alemanes, Placentines, Plaza Virgen de los Reyes, Plaza del Triunfo, Fray Ceferino González, Avenida de la Constitución and City Hall; back via Plaza Nueva, Méndez Núñez, Magdalena, O'Donnell, Campana, Santa María de Gracia, Tarifa, Javier Lasso de la Vega and Orfila (Ateneo).

For children or wheelchair users, the council recommended the open squares in 2026: Plaza del Salvador, Plaza de San Francisco, Plaza Virgen de los Reyes, Plaza del Triunfo, Avenida de la Constitución and Plaza Nueva. Police marked the procession's path on the road and spectators had to wait on either side (City Council).

Neighbourhood parades: Triana and others, on 6 January

Besides the Ateneo parade, the city districts hold their own parades. Many go out on 6 January, Epiphany, so if you arrive in Seville late you can still catch one:

• Triana: in 2026 it went out on the afternoon of 6 January, with its own Herald on the 5th. Two of its Kings are appointed and the third, Caspar, is drawn by lot among local residents (City Council). The 2027 time and route have not been published.
• Polígono Sur: it will go out on the morning of 6 January 2027, with four floats lent by the Ateneo (City Council, Distrito Sur).
• Other neighbourhoods: on 6 January 2026 the city cleaning company cleaned the routes of the various neighbourhood parades (City Council), but we have not found an official list with times and routes.

Free buses, tram and metro on 5 January

• Free Tussam buses: in 2026 all city buses were free on 5 January from 15:00 to midnight, except the special Airport line. It was the second year running, after 2025 (Tussam).
• Extra buses: 80 more vehicles from 15:30 until the end of service. Lines 12, 13, 27 and 32 ran every four minutes, and the other radial lines and cross-town lines 2, 3 and 5 every 6 to 12 minutes.
• Diversions: most lines were cut short or diverted depending on when the parade passed, managed in real time.
• Tram (Metrocentro): five trams, every seven minutes.
• Seville Metro: we found no official notice of extra trains for the parade.

Whether the free service will be repeated in 2027 is yet to be confirmed.

Road closures

We have not found the official 2026 traffic plan. According to the press, roads were closed progressively from early afternoon around the University, the Prado, Menéndez y Pelayo, the historic ring road and the approaches to Triana and Los Remedios, with the Isabel II and Los Remedios bridges closed as the parade passed (OKDiario). With free buses, there is no point driving into the centre that afternoon.

Tips for the parade

• Get there early: the parade lasts about six hours; pick a section and a time and find your spot with time to spare, especially in the centre.
• Sweets: bring a bag.
• Children: agree on an easy meeting point where you stand. If a child is autistic or finds noise hard, the 2026 quiet zone was between Marineros Voluntarios and San Telmo.
• Rain: the Ateneo announces changes on its website and social media (Ateneo). In 2025 the parade was brought forward to Saturday 4 January at 16:15 because rain was forecast (El Debate).
• Staying nearby: if you are visiting, staying in the centre, Triana or Los Remedios lets you walk there and back. Look for a place to stay near the route.

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.

• Real Alcázar: closed on 1 and 6 January (Real Alcázar). If you want to see it, go on the 5th or the 7th (winter hours 9:30 to 17:00).
• Museo de Bellas Artes: closed on 1 and 6 January (Museos de Andalucía).
• Cathedral and Giralda: the website gives no special hours for 6 January and warns that hours may change for religious services. Usual hours are 10:45 to 19:00 Monday to Saturday (Seville Cathedral). 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.
• What's on: see the Seville events guide for 5 and 6 January.

Coming earlier? Our guide to Christmas in Seville covers the lights, nativity scenes and markets.