# What happens on Three Kings Day in Spain and when is the Madrid Cabalgata de Reyes 2027? > Madrid's Cabalgata de Reyes is Tuesday 5 January 2027 from 18:00, Castellana to Cibeles. Plus roscón de reyes, 6 January closures and when the sales start. - Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/three-kings-day-2027-spain-madrid-cabalgata-roscon - Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries) - Published: 2026-10-20 - Last updated: 2026-10-29 **In Spain the Three Kings, not Santa, are the big gift-bringers, and the night before is the main event: Madrid's Cabalgata de Reyes parade is listed by the city's tourism office for Tuesday 5 January 2027 from 18:00, running down the Castellana to Plaza de Cibeles. Wednesday 6 January is a national public holiday, so plan for short museum hours and closed shops, then the January sales from the 7th.** The 2027 route had not been published when we checked, so the details below are from the January 2026 parade. We spent 4 days in Madrid at the start of our Spain route in late June 2022, not in January, so this guide relies on esmadrid.com, Madrid City Council and the official 2027 holiday calendar. ## 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](https://clevertourists.com/resources/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](https://clevertourists.com/resources/whats-open-on-christmas-day-abroad-europe-asia) 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](https://clevertourists.com/resources/best-time-to-visit-spain). For neighbourhoods, see [where to stay in Madrid](https://clevertourists.com/resources/where-to-stay-in-madrid): Salamanca and Chamberí put you near the parade route. [How many days in Madrid](https://clevertourists.com/resources/how-many-days-in-madrid) helps if you are combining it with day trips, and our [Madrid guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/madrid) covers the city. If you are already thinking about the spring, our [Semana Santa 2027 guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/semana-santa-2027-spain-seville-malaga-dates-guide) covers Holy Week. ## Frequently asked questions ### When is the Madrid Three Kings parade in 2027? Tuesday 5 January 2027 from 18:00, according to esmadrid.com, from Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz to Plaza de Cibeles via the Castellana and Recoletos. In 2026 the Kings reached Cibeles around 21:00. Confirm the 2027 programme in December. ### Is 6 January a holiday in Spain? Yes. Epiphany, Wednesday 6 January 2027, is on the national holiday list published in the BOE in October 2026. Expect closed shops and reduced museum hours. ### Is the Prado open on 6 January? Yes, with reduced hours from 10:00 to 14:00. The free late-afternoon slot does not run that day. ### When do the January sales start in Spain? By custom on 7 January in stores, though there is no fixed legal date. In 2026, Zara started online on the evening of the 6th and in stores on the 7th.