Christmas in Valencia 2026: a practical guide

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

City Council, 2026 date: not announced. In 2025 the lights came on on Friday 21 November at 19:30 in Plaza del Ayuntamiento, with live music and a fireworks-and-music show (Valencia City Council). That was two weeks earlier than in 2024, when the switch-on was on 4 December (7 Televalència).

Regional government tree in Plaza de la Virgen: according to its tender documents, a 15-metre tree will stand in Plaza de la Virgen from 17 November to 6 January, with the lighting initially planned for 21 November 2026. From 22 December to 5 January there will be wooden huts with children's activities (7 Televalència). This is a Generalitat event, separate from the city's switch-on.

Best streets for lights

2025 figures, the latest season with full details: €1.1 million, 45 trees and 274 light arches across the city (Valencia City Council).

• Plaza del Ayuntamiento: a 25-metre tree, a decorated façade and seven giant stars towards calle de Sant Vicent.
• Colón and nearby streets: newly designed arches.
• Calle de la Paz: 60 arches with glitter drops that sparkle by day too.
• Avenida del Reino de Valencia: 22 walk-through arches down to the Turia Gardens.
• Zigzag garlands on Juan de Austria, Sant Vicent, Caballeros, Bolsería and Paseo de Russafa, among others.
• Light figures: a giant comet on the Serranos bridge, a 3D reindeer by the City of Arts and Sciences and a bell in Plaza del Patriarca.

Walking route: Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Sant Vicent, Plaza de la Reina, calle de la Paz and Colón.

Light and fireworks shows

In the 2025-2026 season there were fireworks-and-music shows every Saturday at 18:30 in Plaza del Ayuntamiento: about three minutes of music and nearly 50 kg of fireworks. They began with the switch-on and ended on 5 January (Visit València). The 2026 programme is not out yet.

Christmas markets

Christmas Crafts Fair, Plaza de la Reina. This is the main market in the old town. In 2025-2026 it ran from 29 November to 6 January with 30 stalls by Valencian craftspeople (ceramics, textiles, toys, glass). Hours were 10:30 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 21:00; mornings only on 24 and 31 December, and until 22:30 on 5 January (El Español). 2026 dates are unconfirmed.

City Hall nativity and other nativity scenes

Saló de Cristall nativity (confirmed for 2026). Valencia's nativity association builds a scene of almost 40 m² inside City Hall. It opens on 1 December 2026 and is free to visit from 2 December through Christmas and Epiphany. This year it includes scenes from the Corpus Christi festival, now 700 years old, the Degolla and a tribute to the painter José Vergara (Valencia City Council). 2026 opening hours are not published.

The 2024-2025 scene drew more than 41,000 visitors (Valencia Plaza), so expect queues on peak days. In 2025 there was also a light nativity scene on calle del Hospital.

New Year's Eve in Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Plaza del Ayuntamiento hosts the official countdown. The 2025 programme for reference (Visit València):

• Children's countdown: 11:00 to 12:30, with the countdown at noon.
• Party: 22:30 to 01:45. The square closed at 20:30 and reopened at 22:00 through five entrances (Marqués de Sotelo, Russafa, Correos, Barcas and María Cristina). No glass allowed.
• Fireworks: a display in the square after the chimes and another at the City of Arts and Sciences.

The 2026 programme has not been announced.

Three Kings Parade 2027

It will be on the afternoon of Tuesday 5 January 2027. Time and route are not published. 2026 for reference (Valencia City Council):

• 16:30: the Kings arrive by boat at the Marina and go to Plaza de la Sal (Marina Norte), with grandstands to watch them land.
• 17:30: the parade leaves from the Puente de las Flores.
• Route: Porta de la Mar, General Tovar, calle de la Pau, Plaza de la Reina, San Vicente Mártir and Plaza del Ayuntamiento.
• Finale: Adoration of the Child, a fireworks show and a greeting from the City Hall balcony.
• Seats: 2,500 chairs at €4 each, plus reduced-mobility areas at Porta de la Mar and Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

Practical tips

• Shops: in the Valencia region the authorised Sunday and holiday opening days at the end of 2026 are 29 November and 13, 20 and 27 December; each town may add local holidays (Ministry of Trade). 25 December and 1 January are not on the list.
• Parade day: in 2025 the EMT bus company reinforced 33 lines and parking was banned on the Alameda, Navarro Reverter and around Plaza del Ayuntamiento from two days before (Valencia City Council). Use public transport.
• New Year's Eve: arrive before 22:00 if you want to get into the square. In previous years Metrovalencia ran trains and trams all night from the 31st to the 1st (Valencia Plaza, 2022); check the 2026 service.