This year, Madrid will surprise residents and visitors with an early start to the Christmas festivities. The official celebrations will begin on November 22—a full week earlier than usual. For the first time, the main ceremony for turning on the holiday lights will not take place at the customary Puerta del Sol, but at Plaza de Cibeles, marking a noticeable change for those accustomed to the traditional gathering spot.
The city streets will be decorated with more than 13 million LED lights, stretching across 21 districts of the capital. This year, organizers have prepared 126 glowing cherry trees and over seven thousand garlands, which will appear at 240 different locations around the city. In addition, Madrid will feature 13 giant illuminated Christmas trees, including at iconic squares like Puerta del Sol and Plaza de España. If all the lights were lined up in a row, their length would reach 157 kilometers—that’s about the same distance as from Madrid to Valladolid in a straight line.
For the second year in a row, the main streets will be adorned with light displays created by elementary school students. These will be joined by works from prominent designers, thanks to a collaboration between the city council and the Association of Spanish Fashion Designers. This approach makes the festive decorations not only vibrant but truly unique.
The budget for organizing the light show this year is set at 6.1 million euros, although this amount may be adjusted. All lamps will be exclusively LED, allowing for reduced energy consumption and lower light pollution. According to the contract, electricity costs will be covered by the contractor, which is also important for the city budget.
The name of the person who will symbolically press the button and switch on the lights throughout Madrid this year remains a secret. Organizers promise this will be a special moment, adding magic to the holiday atmosphere. Residents and tourists can only speculate about who will be the main star of the evening, and wait for the city to light up with millions of lights.
