What happens on Three Kings Day in Spain and when is the Madrid Cabalgata de Reyes 2027?

Día de Reyes: what it is

6 January is the feast of the Epiphany, when the Church remembers the Magi, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar, reaching the infant Jesus with gifts. In Spain it is the day children get their main presents. On the evening of the 5th, the Kings parade through towns in a cabalgata, throwing sweets; children leave shoes out overnight, and in the morning the gifts are there. Families then share a roscón de reyes at breakfast or lunch.

It is a Catholic feast and a family holiday at the same time. Many families go to Mass on the 6th; the parade on the 5th is for everyone.

Madrid's Cabalgata de Reyes 2027

The city's tourism site esmadrid.com lists the parade for Tuesday 5 January 2027, from 18:00, free, from Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz to Plaza de Cibeles via Paseo de la Castellana and Paseo de Recoletos. The descriptive text on the listing was still for an earlier edition when we checked, so treat the route as the usual one until Madrid City Council publishes the 2027 programme, normally in December.

How it went on 5 January 2026, as reported from the council's plan:

• 18:00: start at Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz, by Nuevos Ministerios.

• Route: Paseo de la Castellana, Plaza del Doctor Marañón, Glorieta de Emilio Castelar, Plaza de Colón, Paseo de Recoletos.

• Around 21:00: the Kings reach Plaza de Cibeles, where they speak from the Palacio de Cibeles, followed by fireworks.

Esmadrid's listing mentions more than 8,000 grandstand seats along the route and 2,500 in Plaza de Cibeles, five signposted reserved areas for wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility, and accessibility services including sign language, audio description and hearing loops.

Where to stand: the best spots near the start (around Nuevos Ministerios and the upper Castellana) are less packed than Cibeles, which is the finale and the most crowded. Families arrive hours early with stepladders and stools. If you are not with children, standing on the Castellana between Colón and Doctor Marañón gives a good view and an easier exit.

Getting there: take the Metro. In 2026, closures on the Castellana began at 9:30 near Nuevos Ministerios, Plaza de Cibeles closed progressively from midday, and the whole Castellana, Recoletos and Prado axis was shut to traffic for the parade. Bring something to catch sweets in, keep an eye on bags, and expect the Metro to be packed straight after.

Roscón de reyes: what to eat

The roscón is a ring of sweet, orange-blossom-scented dough topped with candied fruit and sugar, often split and filled with cream. Inside are two surprises: a small figurine, which brings luck, and a dried bean (haba); in many families whoever gets the bean pays for next year's roscón.

Bakeries sell them from December, with the peak on 5 and 6 January, when queues form outside the best-known pastry shops. Order ahead if you want one from a particular bakery on the 6th. On the morning of 5 January 2025, the city gave out free roscón and hot chocolate in Puerta del Sol, 10,000 portions from 12:00, according to esmadrid; check whether it repeats for 2027.

For the rest of Madrid's food, see what to eat in Madrid.

6 January closures and the start of the sales

Wednesday 6 January 2027 is a national public holiday. The 2027 working calendar published in Spain's Official State Gazette (BOE) on 13 October 2026 lists it as one of nine holidays common to the whole country.

• Museums: the Prado opens reduced hours, 10:00 to 14:00, on 6 January (as on 24 and 31 December), and the free evening slot does not apply. It is closed on 1 January and 25 December. Check other museums individually.

• Shops: most small shops close; big stores and malls may open, and many announce holiday hours in late December.

• Restaurants: many open for lunch, which is the family meal. Book.

• Transport: Metro and buses run on a holiday timetable.

The January sales (rebajas) have no fixed national date since 2012, but by custom the big chains start on 7 January in stores. In 2026, Zara opened its online sale on the evening of the 6th and in stores on the 7th, and Mango and El Corte Inglés started in stores on the 7th. Expect a similar pattern in 2027, with sales running to late January.

Our what's open on Christmas Day abroad covers the 24 to 26 December closures in Spain and elsewhere.

Planning a Reyes trip to Madrid

Arrive by 4 January to settle in and see the lights, do the Cabalgata on the 5th, and treat the 6th as a slow day: morning at the Prado before 14:00, a long lunch, a walk in the Retiro. Shopping is better on the 7th. January in Madrid is cold and dry, with cold evenings, so dress warmly for a three-hour parade; see best time to visit Spain.

For neighbourhoods, see where to stay in Madrid: Salamanca and Chamberí put you near the parade route. How many days in Madrid helps if you are combining it with day trips, and our Madrid guide covers the city. If you are already thinking about the spring, our Semana Santa 2027 guide covers Holy Week.

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