In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Plaza Mayor Christmas market runs from late November to 31 December 2026: 104 stalls of Nativity figures, decorations and gag gifts, free, open 10:00 to 21:00 (to 22:00 on Friday, Saturday and holiday eves). The lights burn from late November to 6 January 2027; the council has not yet announced the switch-on date, and the programme is due at the end of November. The Christmas lottery draw is at the Teatro Real on 22 December, free, from 08:00. Naviluz, the lights bus, is €15 and sold only online. Or book an evening: the Big Bus Panoramic Night Tourad is from €23.40 for 70 minutes.
⚠️ The Royal Palace and the Reina Sofía shut early or all day over Christmas. The Palace is closed on 25 December and from 15:00 on 24 and 31 December. The Reina Sofía is closed on 24, 25 and 31 December.
Dates and entry
Only the dates the city has published are printed as 2026 dates. The lights and Naviluz show their 2025 pattern, and the 2026 details follow in November.
| Event | Where | Dates | Hours | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plaza Mayor Christmas market | Plaza Mayor | Late November to 31 December 2026 | Sun to Thu 10:00 to 21:00; Fri, Sat and holiday eves 10:00 to 22:00 | Free |
| Christmas lights | Streets, squares and buildings across the city | Late November to 6 January 2027; switch-on date to be announced | In 2025: Sun to Thu 18:00 to 00:00; Fri and Sat 18:00 to 01:00 | Free |
| Christmas lottery draw | Teatro Real | 22 December 2026 | Doors from 08:00 | Free, in order of arrival |
| Naviluz | Calle Felipe IV, beside the Prado | 2026 services to be confirmed; in 2025, 23 November to 6 January | Last sitting 22:00 | €15; €7.50 reduced |
| Three Kings parade | Castellana, Recoletos and Cibeles | Tuesday 5 January 2027 | 18:00 to 21:00 | Free |
The Plaza Mayor market
Plaza Mayor · Metro Sol · late November to 31 December 2026 · esmadrid.com
A market of 104 stalls in the arcaded square, each run by an individual vendor, selling figures for Nativity scenes, Christmas decorations, musical instruments, toys and gag gifts. The Plaza Mayor Christmas Market Association organises it, and esMadrid calls it a hundred-year-old fair. It includes an exhibition of an artisan Nativity scene. A vintage carousel stands in the nearby Plaza de Santa Cruz and runs until the beginning of January. In 2025 the market opened on 27 November and closed on 31 December.
The Christmas market stalls in the Plaza Mayor. Photo: Emilio J. Rodríguez Posada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Other markets
esMadrid lists the markets that came back in 2025 and tells readers to confirm each one’s dates with its organiser:
- Plaza de Juan Goytisolo, beside the Reina Sofía, and the Plaza de Isabel II usually carry traditional Christmas stalls.
- Plaza de España normally hosts La Navideña, a market with an ice rink, which ran from 25 November to 11 January in 2025.
- Paseo de Recoletos, between Colón and Cibeles, held the Comunidad de Madrid’s craft fair from 1 to 30 December 2025, with more than 150 artisans from across Spain.
- Madrid Río, behind the Casa del Reloj next to Matadero, has about twenty stalls of food, Christmas goods and crafts.
The lights
The city’s lights ran from 22 November 2025 to 6 January 2026 across more than 240 sites in all 21 districts, all LED, with more than 13 million bulbs. The rally driver Carlos Sainz switched them on at 19:30 on 22 November in the Plaza de Cibeles, after a light-and-sound show projected onto the Palacio de Cibeles. They burned from 18:00 each evening until midnight from Sunday to Thursday, until 01:00 on Friday and Saturday, until 03:00 on 24 December and 5 January, and until 06:00 on 31 December.
The Palacio de Cibeles at night, with blue Christmas lights along its façade. Photo: Javier Perez Montes, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The 2026-27 switch-on date has not been announced. esMadrid says the programme is published at the end of November.
A heart of red lights over Calle de Preciados, with the Puerta del Sol behind. Photo: Javier Perez Montes, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Naviluz, the lights bus
Departs Calle Felipe IV, beside the Prado · about 50 minutes · naviluz.es
Alsa runs a bus tour of the lights. Its FAQ prices a ticket at €15, or €7.50 for over-65s, children aged 7 to 11, some disabled passengers and anyone who cannot climb to the upper deck. Children aged 0 to 6 go free but need a ticket. Every seat is on the upper deck, with the seat number on the ticket. Tickets are sold only at naviluz.es, for one date and one sitting, with no changes or refunds, and the last sitting is at 22:00. The bus arrives at the Plaza Cánovas del Castillo. In 2025 it ran from 23 November to 6 January, except 24 and 31 December and 5 January. Alsa’s page now lists the services for Christmas 2026 as still to be confirmed.
The lottery draw
The Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad, the Christmas lottery, is drawn at the Teatro Real on the morning of 22 December 2026. Anyone can watch: entry is free, the doors open at 08:00 and seats go in order of arrival, with room for 600 in 2026 according to esMadrid.
The rest of the calendar
- Teatro Circo Price stages its Christmas show from late November to 6 January 2027.
- The Corte Inglés on Preciados and Callao puts on its musical show with animated figures from November 2026 to January 2027.
- San Silvestre Vallecana, a 10 km run from the Bernabéu to the Vallecas stadium, holds its 62nd edition on 31 December 2026.
- The Three Kings parade is on the evening of Tuesday 5 January 2027: see the Three Kings parade in Madrid.
- New Year’s Eve in the Puerta del Sol has its own page: New Year’s Eve in Madrid.
What is shut over Christmas
From the operators’ pages:
- Royal Palace: closed on 25 December, and from 15:00 on 24 and 31 December. See Royal Palace tickets.
- Reina Sofía: closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 and 6 January. See the Reina Sofía and Guernica.
- Thyssen-Bornemisza: closed on 25 December and 1 January, and open from 10:00 to 15:00 on 24 and 31 December. See the Thyssen.
- The Prado: its hours for 24, 25 and 31 December are on the Prado page.
Planning the day
- Daylight and weather. The sun sets at about 17:51 on 21 December. AEMET’s Retiro normals for 1981 to 2010 give December a mean daily high of 10.0°C and a low of 3.6°C, with rain on 6.8 days. The other months are in the best time to visit Madrid.
- Getting there. Sol and Ópera are the Metro stations for the Plaza Mayor, and Banco de España and Atocha are the stations on the Paseo del Prado. Fares and passes are in Madrid public transport.
- Eating. The bars round the Plaza Mayor are in Madrid tapas and where to eat in Madrid.
Where to stay
The links go to the hotel on Hotels.com. Where to stay in Madrid compares the areas, and hotels near the Puerta del Sol lists the ones beside the lights.
Pestana Collection Plaza Mayor
Calle Imperial 8 · 90 rooms · Michelin Selected · about 340 m from the Puerta del Sol · Hotels.comad
In a baroque building by the Plaza Mayor, with an inner patio, a library, a terrace on the square and a rooftop bar with a seasonal pool, according to the hotel. The spa on the lower floor has an indoor pool.
Petit Palace Plaza Mayor
Calle Mayor 46 · about 450 m from the Puerta del Sol · Hotels.comad
A boutique hotel that says it faces the Mercado de San Miguel and the Plaza Mayor. It has rooms for two, three and four people, and some rooms have a terrace.
Catalonia Las Cortes
Calle del Prado 6 · Michelin Selected · about 470 m from the Puerta del Sol · Hotels.comad
A four-star hotel in an 18th-century palace that belonged to the Duke of Noblejas, in the Barrio de las Letras. The hotel puts the Prado a five-minute walk away, and Naviluz leaves from the street beside the museum.
Next
For the night of 31 December, see New Year’s Eve in Madrid, and for 5 January, the Three Kings parade. Madrid in one or two days fits the sights round the closures, and where to stay in Madrid compares the areas. The markets in Seville and Barcelona have their own guides.
Common questions
When is the Plaza Mayor Christmas market in 2026?
From late November to 31 December 2026, according to esMadrid, the city's tourism site. The opening day has not been announced; in 2025 the market ran from 27 November. It has 104 stalls selling Nativity figures, decorations and gag gifts. Entry is free, and it is open Sunday to Thursday from 10:00 to 21:00 and on Friday, Saturday and the eve of a holiday from 10:00 to 22:00.
When do the Christmas lights go on in Madrid in 2026?
The council has not announced the 2026 switch-on date. esMadrid says the lights burn from late November to 6 January 2027, and that the 2026-27 programme is published at the end of November. In 2025 the lights ran from 22 November to 6 January and were switched on at 19:30 in the Plaza de Cibeles.
Can you watch the Christmas lottery draw in Madrid?
Yes. The Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad is held at the Teatro Real on the morning of 22 December 2026. Entry is free, the doors open at 08:00 and seats go in order of arrival; esMadrid says the hall holds 600 people in 2026.
How much is the Naviluz Christmas lights bus?
Naviluz's own FAQ gives €15 for an adult and €7.50 for over-65s, children aged 7 to 11 and some disabled passengers. Children aged 0 to 6 travel free but need a ticket. Tickets are sold only at naviluz.es, cannot be changed or refunded, and every seat is on the upper deck. Alsa lists the services for Christmas 2026 as still to be confirmed.
What is closed in Madrid on Christmas Day?
The Royal Palace is closed all day on 25 December and closes at 15:00 on 24 and 31 December. The Reina Sofía is closed on 24, 25 and 31 December, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza is closed on 25 December and open from 10:00 to 15:00 on 24 and 31 December.
How cold is Madrid in December?
AEMET's Retiro normals for 1981 to 2010 give a mean daily high of 10.0°C and a low of 3.6°C, with rain on 6.8 days. On 21 December the sun rises at about 08:34 and sets at about 17:51.
