Anyone who wants to get into the holiday spirit as soon as possible should travel to Malaga on 29 November. That is when the city council will turn on the spectacular Christmas lights to kick off a festive period. But the famous show in Calle Larios is not the only light show.
Anyone spending these days in the southern Spanish city will have already seen the preparations. Employees of the company that installs the Christmas lights are already busy. Next week during the evening hours they will install the lights in the main street Calle Larios. There, on Friday, November 29 the festive season will officially kick off with the much-anticipated lighting ceremony. Once again, Larios Street will be the heart of the celebrations, transformed into a magical forest filled with elves, as the city repeats last year’s successful decoration theme.
While the details of the Historic Centre decorations remain under wraps, the popular video mapping show near the Cathedral is expected to return, along with a drone display near the Port. What is confirmed is that Alameda Principal will be lit up with a forest of lights.
Botanical garden light show
The historic La Concepción Botanical Garden will once again host its own Christmas spectacle. Titled ‘Ilusión. Christmas Has Many Faces but One Heart’, the show will open on November 29. Tickets are available on the website lucesdelaconcepcion.es, with prices set at €15.50 for adults and €11.50 for children.
The event will run until January 6, with time slots available from 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm, with new entries every 30 minutes to ensure a safe and comfortable environment. A maximum of 400 people are allowed per time slot. The garden will remain closed on December 24 and 31.
New addition: A lantarn festival
One of this year’s major novelties is the Lantern Festival, inspired by Chinese New Year. This colourful event will take place in the central area of Parque del Oeste from November 30 to February 15, coinciding with the Christmas season. Tickets are already on sale at festivaldelaslinternasmalaga.es, ranging from €15 to €20 depending on the day and crowd size. Currently, there is a promotional price of €14.
The festival will cover three hectares around the park’s central pond and feature 600 lanterns and 4,000 light points. The event will also include traditional Chinese activities, such as a New Year parade, a wish wall, lantern-making workshops, calligraphy sessions, and performances of traditional Chinese theatre, music, and dance.