Christmas always comes earlier in Madrid. The switching on of the lights in the streets of the city, which brings together thousands and thousands of people, will take place next Saturday, November 22, a week earlier than last year. As Mayor José Luis Martínez Almeida promised, this already “traditional” event will not save: 13 million light bulbs distributed in more than 240 places in the 21 neighborhoods of the capital. To ignite the magic of Christmas, which will have its epicenter in Cibeles, will be the car driver Carlos Sainz, two-time world rally champion and four-time winner of the Paris-Dakar. And at the last minute, the Municipality pulled out several tricks up its sleeve, such as placing a giant nativity scene in the Plaza de Las Cortes in front of the Congress of Deputies, a 22 meter tall fir tree in front of the Metrópolis building or a huge candle in the Nuevos Ministerios.
The lights of Madrid this year translate into 126 bright cherry trees and 7,134 chains, for a total of 157 kilometers of decorations if they were placed side by side, or, which is the same, the route between Madrid and Toledo there and back. Added to these are 13 illuminated fir trees and some other surprise Christmas motifs.
This year, for the second time, there will be light panels with drawings made by first and second grade children for the school drawing competition organized by the Municipality, which will be located in the Plaza Mayor. Panels that other small groups designed last year will also be removed to illuminate the city, in this case they will be placed around Pez Street. Added to these creations are those of prestigious designers and specialists from the Association of Fashion Creators of Spain (ACME), who have once again created a group of lights for this edition which will be distributed in different streets of the capital.
The lighting will be carried out daily at the following times:
- From Sunday to Thursday: from 18:00 to 24:00.
- Friday and Saturday: 6pm to 6pm. to 1:00
- December 5, 6, 7 and 8: 6pm to 1am
- December 24th and January 5th: 6pm to 6pm. to 3:00
- December 31st: from 6pm to 6am
To illuminate Madrid until the next Three Kings Day, the Municipality has invested more than six million euros. To save money, the city has indicated that all light bulbs will be LED to save energy and reduce light pollution. Furthermore, according to the agreement with the winning company, it is established that it is responsible for the costs resulting from energy consumption.
Surprise nativity scenes and light installations
The Municipality of Madrid has gradually revealed its surprises for Christmas 2025-2026. One of the novelties this year will be the large Christmas fir tree which will be placed in one of the busiest corners of Madrid, at the confluence of the Gran Vía and Alcalá streets, emulating the height of the Metrópolis building which will be located just behind. It is a 22 meter high tree with a tinsel-like structure, 654 blue balls, 125,000 points of warm white light with a flash effect and a bright star that crowns it: a spectacle in itself.
This will be one of the 13 large Christmas trees that will be in the city, which this year will also have the most famous of all, that of the Sol, although this place will no longer be the epicenter of the switching on of the lights, and that of the Plaza de España.
Another of the new installations is the enormous luminous candle, 12 meters high and with 14,000 LED light points, which will be installed in the Nuevos Ministerios area. It will be located at the intersection of Paseo de la Castellana and Hermanos Pinzón street and you will be able to go inside to take photos and enjoy a bath of lights.
The giant nativity scene in front of the Congress will be added to the list of new features. It will be 12 meters high and 5.5 meters wide and will have the image of the Virgin Mary, Baby Jesus and Saint Joseph. The panel with the Nativity that was installed every year on the Ventas bridge, however, on this occasion will become a large Baby Jesus.
The list of surprise light installations is completed by three large angels which will be placed in the Atocha roundabout, surrounded by luminous trees.
Christmas markets
Christmas isn’t Christmas without the Christmas markets. The busiest in Madrid, the one in Plaza Mayor, will also be open this year from 27 November to 31 December with a total of 104 stands with the most diverse products: from decorations to food. But this won’t be the only one. Other markets will be in Plaza de Juan Goytisolo, which is located next to the Reina Sofía Museum, in Plaza de Isabel II and in Plaza de España, which in this case will be open until January 6 and will have an ice rink.
Furthermore, on the stretch of the Recoletos seafront, between Colón and Cibeles, the Community of Madrid Craft Market Fair will be opened, in which 150 artisans from all over the country will participate and where you will be able to find “unique Christmas gifts, from jewellery, costume jewellery, toys, millinery and bookbinding, through to ceramics, leather goods, majolica and textiles”, according to the Municipality.
In Madrid Rio, behind the Casa del Reloj and next to the Matadero there will be another market with around twenty stalls and very close there, towards Puente del Rey, there will be a kind of Christmas fair which will also have attractions such as a sleigh track and an ice skating rink.
On the outskirts of El Corte Inglés de la Castellana, its colorful Christmas market has already been set up on November 13 and will be open until January 5, 2026.
