The Málaga Christmas lights for 2026 will be switched on on Friday, November 27. This was confirmed by the Councilor for Festivities, Teresa Porras, to El Español. She also mentioned that Calle Larios will have changes compared to last year, without specifying what they are.
There is no official program yet: the City Council’s press room hasn’t published it, and last year it was presented on November 7. So, this page separates what’s confirmed from what, for now, can only be estimated using the 2025 schedules as a reference. We will update it as soon as the program is released.
In short: get to the center around 6:00 PM, when the sun sets. If the 2025 schedules are repeated, the best combination is the Cathedral mapping at 7:00 PM and Larios at 8:30 PM. In 2025, Paseo del Parque and the Alameda could also be seen by car or bus, except for occasional closures (this is our deduction based on mobility notes); Larios is for pedestrians only.
And you won’t be alone. In December 2025, hotels in Málaga city recorded 284,111 overnight stays, 6.3% more than the previous year, and during Christmas week, hotel occupancy in the province reached 80.8% (87.3% on the night of the 31st). If you’re coming, book early.
Málaga Christmas Lights 2026: What’s confirmed and what’s still missing
| Status as of November 2, 2026 | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Switch-on | Friday, November 27. Time not yet published | Councilor for Festivities, to El Español |
| Calle Larios | With changes compared to 2025, details pending. The poles have green garlands this year | El Español, 10-23-2026 |
| Plaza de la Constitución | 18-meter tree, which you can walk through | Local press (101TV); not yet confirmed by the City Council |
| Botanical Garden | Christmas in the Garden of Oz, from November 27 to January 6 | Show website |
| Last day | January 6, according to local press; unconfirmed | 101TV, 10-22-2026 |
| Larios shows, mapping, and lighting schedule | Awaiting official program | — |
Watch out for the switch-on weekend: according to 101TV, it coincides with Black Friday and falls two days before the general elections on Sunday, November 29. It will be a very busy weekend in the city center.
Christmas light schedules: how they were in 2025
Until the 2026 program is available, this is the reference: the 2025-26 Christmas schedules, according to City Council announcements from November 7 and November 27.
| What | 2025-26 Schedule |
|---|---|
| General lighting | From 6:30 PM to 12:00 AM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays. Until 2:00 AM on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and eves of public holidays. On December 24 and 31, until 6:00 AM |
| Larios Show (“Nativity of Light”) | Shows with music at 6:30 PM, 8:30 PM, and 10:00 PM, until January 4. On December 24, 31, and January 5, lights without music |
| Cathedral Mapping (“The Dream Fisherman”) | At 7:00 PM, 8:30 PM, and 10:00 PM, from November 29 to January 4, except December 24 and 31. On the south tower, Calle Molina Lario. Lasts 8-9 minutes |
| City Council Facade | Continuous projection throughout the lighting hours |
To give you an idea of the scale: in 2025 there were 2.7 million LED light points and 207 arches, with about 500 streets illuminated across the districts and a budget of €1,525,885, VAT included.
How to see Larios and the Cathedral on the same night
This is what almost no one explains: in 2025, the Larios shows and the Cathedral mapping coincided at 8:30 PM and 10:00 PM, so at those times you had to choose one. Other pairings were possible, though the earliest one was tight. With those schedules, these were the options:
- The safe bet: Cathedral at 7:00 PM and Larios at 8:30 PM. There’s an hour and a half between them, and the mapping only lasts 8-9 minutes.
- The earliest: Larios at 6:30 PM and Cathedral at 7:00 PM. This only works if the Larios show lasts less than half an hour, and the City Council didn’t publish its duration.
- To have dinner first: Larios at 8:30 PM and Cathedral at 10:00 PM, or Cathedral at 8:30 PM and Larios at 10:00 PM.
Both are in the pedestrian center, a short distance from each other.
What time to arrive. In Málaga, the sun sets between 6:01 PM and 6:11 PM throughout December, according to the official 2026 sunrise and sunset table from the National Astronomical Observatory. The lights were switched on at 6:30 PM, when it was almost dark. Arriving around 6:00 PM lets you see the city transition from daylight to the glow of the lights.
Two different nights: on December 24 and 31 there was no mapping at the Cathedral, and on those two days plus January 5, Larios was lit without music.
Which streets can be seen by car and which only on foot
Calle Larios is pedestrianized: you reach the main show by walking. However, much of the 2025 lighting was on avenues with traffic. According to the municipal program:
| Area | What was there in 2025 | How it was seen (our deduction) |
|---|---|---|
| Paseo del Parque | 14 arches and 36 illuminated trees | By car or bus, except for occasional closures |
| Alameda Principal | “Forest-style” illuminated ficus trees | By car or bus, except for occasional closures |
| Plaza de la Marina | A 7-meter fir tree, 7 arches, and 6 trees | The edge by car or bus; the square on foot |
| City Council Facade | Continuous projection | From Paseo del Parque |
| Calle Larios and side streets | The light and music show | On foot only |
| Plaza de la Constitución | Christmas concerts (in 2026, also an 18-meter tree, according to the press) | On foot only |
| Cathedral (Calle Molina Lario) | The mapping | On foot; during shows, the exit via Molina Lario was diverted |
| Calle San Juan | Three areas with their own decoration: “Baroque Dream”, “Victorian Nostalgia”, and “Winter Whisper” | Best on foot |
The last column is our deduction based on the City Council’s mobility notes, not an official list. And an important nuance: during the Larios shows, the 2025 municipal plan warned that there could be occasional private traffic closures on the Alameda and Paseo del Parque, depending on the crowds. In 2025, while the mapping was on, the exit via Molina Lario was diverted through Postigo de los Abades.
Switch-on day: Friday, November 27
In 2025, the switch-on was on Friday, November 28: the event started at 6:30 PM, with a DJ from 5:30 PM. That day, according to the mobility note:
- The Alameda, between Puerta del Mar and Cortina del Muelle, and Plaza de la Marina were closed to traffic from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
- Paseo del Parque was closed except for public transport.
- EMT bus stops on the south side of the Alameda were canceled.
If this repeats this year, on Friday the 27th the center should be explored on foot or by public transport. If you’re looking for fewer crowds, avoid that night: it’s the night of the event and, if 2025 is anything to go by, the night of the closures.
Beyond Larios: the Botanical Garden and Nativity Scenes
Christmas in the Garden of Oz, at La Concepción Botanical Garden
This is the other big light show in Málaga, and this one does have 2026 details on its official website:
- Dates: from November 27 to January 6, from 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM, with 8 sessions a day and 200 people per session.
- Price: €15.50 for adults and €11.50 for children; €11.50 and €7.50 during reduced-price time slots; €12.70 for those with reduced mobility.
- 50% off days: November 30, December 9, 14, 21, 28, and January 6, with tickets at €8.50 and €6.50.
- How to get there: take EMT line 2 to Ciudad Jardín, and from there a shuttle every 10 minutes.
Nativity Scenes
In 2025, the municipal nativity scene was set up in the City Council’s Patio de Banderas: free, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, from December 5 to January 6, with over 400 figures in 150 square meters. The City Council also publishes a map of nativity scenes in the city, which featured 73 in 2025.
The Carmen Thyssen Museum also exhibited a Neapolitan nativity scene in 2025. That Christmas, the museum opened Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, free on Sundays from 4:00 PM; on December 24 and 31 it closed at 3:00 PM, and it was closed on December 25, January 1, and January 6. The museum will publish this year’s Christmas hours.
Concerts in Plaza de la Constitución
In Plaza de la Constitución, the 2025 Christmas Music cycle was held from December 20 to 29, with concerts at 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM.
Málaga by day in December
The lights are at night, but the day has plenty to offer. According to AEMET normal values at Málaga airport (1981-2010), in December the average high is 17.5°C and the low is 8.9°C, with 6.6 days of rain and about 160 hours of sunshine in the month.
- Alcazaba and Gibralfaro, best in the morning. Prices and how to get up without the climb are in our Málaga in one day itinerary; winter hours are on the monument’s website.
- Nativity scenes, in the afternoon, before the lights, if the 2025 ones are repeated: the City Council and the Thyssen ones.
- The port, Muelle Uno, and the Palmeral, for the time between lunch and dusk.
- If you arrive by ship, the plan for a few hours is in our article on cruise stopovers in Málaga.
New Year’s Eve and Three Kings
The 2025 countdown in Plaza de la Constitución
In 2025, New Year’s Eve was celebrated in Plaza de la Constitución, with an orchestra and distribution of grapes and party bags from 9:30 PM to 11:45 PM, followed by the countdown, according to the municipal program. That night the lights were on until 6:00 AM.
The Three Kings Parade on January 5
The one on January 5, 2026, left at 7:00 PM from Avenida de Cervantes, an hour later than planned due to the AEMET forecast, according to the City Council. It passed through, among other streets, Paseo del Parque, La Marina, the Alameda, Puente de Tetuán, Hilera, Puente de la Esperanza, Atarazanas, and Puerta del Mar, returning via the Alameda and Cortina del Muelle to the City Council, with 13 floats.
That day, the Paseo del Parque-Alameda axis was closed from 12:00 AM, and the EMT reinforced the service with 20,000 more seats. Parking lots were as follows:
- Affected: Camas, Tejón y Rodríguez, Marina, Alcazaba, Cervantes, and Andalucía.
- Open: Salitre, San Juan de la Cruz, Carlos Haya, El Palo, Pío Baroja, and Cruz de Humilladero.
The 2026-27 program has not yet been published.
Christmas Sweets in Málaga
Look for borrachuelos: the Junta de Andalucía describes them as a sweet filled with angel hair typical of Málaga, made with sweet white wine and coated in sugar or honey. In Málaga they are eaten at Christmas and also during Easter.
And mantecados: the same source notes that their origin is disputed between Antequera, in the province of Málaga, and Estepa, in Seville.
How to save yourself the climbs during the day
This is where we come in. The lights are seen on foot, and that’s how they’re best enjoyed. What’s far during the day are the climbs to Gibralfaro and the walk to Malagueta and El Limonar.
We are not a sightseeing tour company. We are electric tuk-tuk transport with a host driver: we take you from one point to another, point out what you’re seeing, and recommend where to continue on your own.
- 1-hour tour: La Farola and Malagueta, Paseo del Limonar, Gibralfaro, the Bullring, the Park and City Council, and the University and Pompidou area.
- 2-hour tour: the above plus Pedregalejo, Baños del Carmen, the Alcazaba tunnel, and Plaza de la Merced.
- All our tours in Málaga. Ask about available times when booking.
Shall we book it? Check availability in Malaga or call +34 674 62 33 37.
More plans in Málaga and surroundings
- What to see in Málaga in one day: Alcazaba, Cathedral, Picasso, and Gibralfaro, hour by hour.
- What to see in Ronda in one day: the classic excursion from Málaga.
- What to see in Seville in 2 days: if the December long weekend allows for another city.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the Málaga Christmas lights switched on in 2026?
On Friday, November 27, 2026. This was confirmed by the Councilor for Festivities, Teresa Porras, to El Español. The time hasn’t been published yet; in 2025, the switch-on event started at 6:30 PM.
What time is the Calle Larios light show?
In 2025 there were three shows with music, at 6:30 PM, 8:30 PM, and 10:00 PM, until January 4. For 2026, the councilor has mentioned that Larios will have changes; the schedules will be known when the City Council presents the program.
What time is the Málaga Cathedral mapping?
In 2025 it was projected on the south tower, on Calle Molina Lario, at 7:00 PM, 8:30 PM, and 10:00 PM, from November 29 to January 4, except December 24 and 31. Each show lasted between 8 and 9 minutes. The 2026 schedule will be known when the City Council presents the program.
Can you see the Málaga lights by car?
Partially, if the 2025 setup is repeated. That year, much of the lighting was on Paseo del Parque, the Alameda, and the edge of Plaza de la Marina, which are streets with traffic; Calle Larios, Plaza de la Constitución, and the Cathedral mapping were seen on foot. This is our deduction based on the City Council’s mobility notes, which also warned of possible occasional closures on the Alameda and Paseo del Parque during the Larios shows.
How long do the Christmas lights stay up in Málaga?
In Christmas 2025, the Larios show had musical performances until January 4, and on the 5th, the day of the Parade, the lights were on without music. For this Christmas, local press points to January 6 as the last day, but the City Council has not yet confirmed it.
How much does Christmas in the Garden of Oz at the Botanical Garden cost?
The general rate is €15.50 for adults and €11.50 for children, dropping to €11.50 and €7.50 in some time slots. On November 30, December 9, 14, 21, 28, and January 6 there are 50% off prices: €8.50 and €6.50. It opens from November 27 to January 6, from 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM.
Where is the New Year’s Eve countdown in Málaga?
In 2025 it was in Plaza de la Constitución, with an orchestra and distribution of grapes and party bags from 9:30 PM to 11:45 PM, and the lights were on until 6:00 AM. The 2026 program has not yet been published.
What’s the weather like in Málaga in December?
Mild. According to AEMET normal values (Málaga airport, 1981-2010), in December the average high is 17.5°C and the low is 8.9°C, with 6.6 days of rain and about 160 hours of sunshine in the month. It gets chilly at night: bring a jacket for the lights.
Written by Pep Mora, from WalkTuk. 2025 data taken from Málaga City Council announcements; 2026 data from the cited sources, consulted on November 2, 2026. We will update this page when the official program is published. Have you seen any outdated information? Write to us.