In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Three Kings parade (the Cabalgata de Reyes) is on the evening of Tuesday 5 January 2027, from 18:00 to 21:00 according to esMadrid. It runs from the Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz down the Paseo de la Castellana and the Paseo de Recoletos to the Plaza de Cibeles, where the Kings give their address shortly before 21:00. It is free. The city cuts the road axis progressively from early afternoon and closes Cibeles from midday, and recommends the Metro. Wednesday 6 January is a holiday. Or book an evening before it: the Big Bus Panoramic Night Tourad is from €23.40 for 70 minutes.
⚠️ Cibeles closes from midday and the Castellana, Recoletos and Prado axis closes progressively from early afternoon. That was the 2026 plan; the city published the 2026 road cuts and Metro plan three days before the parade, on 2 January.
The day at a glance
| Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Roscón de Reyes handed out free, with music from 11:00 and portions from 12:00 (2025 pattern) | Puerta del Sol |
| From midday | Cibeles and its surroundings start to close (2026 pattern) | Plaza de Cibeles |
| Early afternoon | Progressive closures on the Castellana, Recoletos and Prado axis (2026 pattern) | Castellana to Prado |
| 18:00 | The parade sets off | Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz |
| Shortly before 21:00 | The Kings reach the Palacio de Cibeles and give their address; fireworks follow | Plaza de Cibeles |
The parade
Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz to the Plaza de Cibeles · 5 January 2027, 18:00 to 21:00 · free · esmadrid.com
Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar, the Three Kings, travel the route on three royal floats with their pages, followed by other floats and street-theatre companies that hand out sweets. esMadrid puts the procession at more than 1,500 people. In the 2026 edition the city counted fifteen floats, seven Spanish and three international companies, about 2,100 people in the procession and more than 250 royal pages, and 1,200 kg of sweets handed out along the route. At Cibeles the stage at the Palacio de Cibeles carries music and other acts until the floats arrive and the Kings speak, and a firework display with music closes the evening.
The city expected more than 200,000 people along the route in 2026.
A Three Kings parade float in the Patio de Operaciones of the Palacio de Cibeles. Photo: Diario de Madrid, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Road closures and the Metro
For the 2026 parade the city council set up a special mobility and security operation between 18:00 and 21:00. From early afternoon it closed the Paseo de la Castellana, the Paseo de Recoletos and the Paseo del Prado progressively, with the streets across them, and from midday it began closing the Plaza de Cibeles and its surroundings, which could widen with the crowd. It recommended the Metro, with extra services on several lines and stations near the route. For the 2027 plan, check the council’s Diario de Madrid in the days before 5 January. Fares and passes are in Madrid public transport.
Grandstands and accessibility
At the 2025 parade there were grandstands with more than 8,000 seats along the route and another 2,500 at Cibeles. Five marked zones were reserved for wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility who could not reach the other seats.
The roscón and the district parades
The roscón de Reyes is the ring-shaped sweet bread eaten on 6 January. On the morning of 5 January in 2025 the charity Aldeas Infantiles SOS gave out 10,000 portions free, with hot chocolate, in the Puerta del Sol from 12:00, with music from 11:00.
A roscón de Reyes, topped with candied fruit. Photo: Juan Emilio Prades Bel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Madrid’s districts hold their own parades between 2 and 5 January, most at 17:30 or 18:00, and the 2026 list gave each district’s route in the council’s Diario de Madrid. The Teatro Real also holds a charity concert on 5 January 2027, according to esMadrid.
What is shut
6 January is a public holiday in the Comunidad de Madrid, and Wednesday 6 January 2027 follows the parade. From the operators’ pages:
- Reina Sofía: closed on 1 and 6 January. See the Reina Sofía and Guernica.
- The Prado, the Royal Palace and the Thyssen: their hours for 6 January are on the Prado page, Royal Palace tickets and the Thyssen page.
- The lights: the Christmas lights burn until 6 January, and until 03:00 on 5 January in the 2025-26 pattern: see Christmas in Madrid 2026.
Where to stay
The links go to the hotel on Hotels.com. Where to stay in Madrid compares the areas.
Rosewood Villa Magna
Paseo de la Castellana 22 · 150 rooms · two Michelin Keys · Hotels.comad
On the Paseo de la Castellana, the avenue the parade comes down. The hotel has the Sense spa and rooftop houses with views over Madrid.
Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
Plaza de la Lealtad 5 · 153 rooms · three Michelin Keys · Hotels.comad
A Belle Époque palace between the Prado and the Retiro, 0.25 km from the Prado. For the 2026 parade the city closed the Paseo del Prado progressively.
Hospes Puerta de Alcalá
Plaza de la Independencia 3 · 41 rooms · Michelin Selected · Hotels.comad
In an 1883 residence facing the Puerta de Alcalá, with the Retiro across the road.
Next
For the nights before, see Christmas in Madrid 2026 and New Year’s Eve in Madrid. The best time to visit Madrid gives the weather by month, Madrid in one or two days fits the sights round the closures, and where to stay in Madrid compares the areas. For another city’s Epiphany, see Christmas in Barcelona.
Common questions
When is the Three Kings parade in Madrid in 2027?
On the evening of Tuesday 5 January 2027. esMadrid gives the hours as 18:00 to 21:00 and the route as the Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz to the Plaza de Cibeles, by the Paseo de la Castellana and the Paseo de Recoletos. In the 2026 edition the Kings reached the Palacio de Cibeles shortly before 21:00 for their address.
Is the Three Kings parade in Madrid free?
Yes. The parade runs along public streets. esMadrid says the 2025 edition had grandstands with more than 8,000 seats along the route and 2,500 at Cibeles, and five marked zones for wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility.
Which roads close for the Madrid Three Kings parade?
For the 2026 parade the city cut the Castellana, Recoletos and Prado axis and the streets across it progressively from early afternoon, and closed the Plaza de Cibeles and its surroundings from midday. The 2027 plan has not been published. The city advised the Metro, with extra services on several lines.
What is the roscón de Reyes?
A ring-shaped sweet bread eaten on 6 January. On the morning of 5 January in 2025 the charity Aldeas Infantiles SOS gave out 10,000 free portions with hot chocolate in the Puerta del Sol from 12:00, with music from 11:00.
Is 6 January a holiday in Madrid?
Yes. Epiphany, Wednesday 6 January 2027, is a public holiday in the Comunidad de Madrid. The Reina Sofía is closed on 1 and 6 January.
Are there parades outside the centre?
Yes. In 2026 each district ran its own parade between 2 and 5 January, most at 17:30 or 18:00, with routes listed by the city council. The big parade is the one on the Castellana.
