Malaga Christmas Lights

What’s Christmas in Malaga like? What will be open? What can we see and do? When do the Christmas lights go on? It’s one of the biggest Malaga events and one we get lots of questions on. To answer them, we thought the best thing was to create a Christmas in Malaga FAQs blog post. If the answer to your question isn’t here, let us know and we’ll add it in!

Read more on: https://www.guidetomalaga.com/events-in-malaga/christmas-in-malaga/all-you-need-to-know-about-christmas-in-malaga/

In 2024, the Malaga Christmas lights switch-on will probably be Friday November 22 or Saturday November 23 at 7pm, but this date has yet to be confirmed.

What do the lights in Calle Larios look like?

The 2023 display repeated 2022’s, 16 celestial angels on 32 columns stretched along the entire length of the street. We love this one, particularly as it looks just as good during the day.

Watch this space for 2024’s design!

What about the lights in other parts of Malaga at Christmas?

The Alameda Principal also takes center stage with a ton of LED lights (270,000 to be exact!) in the ficus trees, which will be on all day and all night. Plus, there are two brightly-lit almond trees.

Apart from Calle Larios, almost 2 million LED bulbs light up Malaga this Christmas – Calle San Juan (parallel to Calle Nueva) has got extra festive this year with golden lighting and an ‘Enchanted Cave’. Christmas chandeliers are also hanging in Calle Molina Lario and the 11 side streets off Calle Larios. Look out for 5 giant trees:

Video mapping

This cool technique projects 3D imagery onto buildings accompanied by light and sound and this year, Malaga Cathedral’s provides the façade again. You can see Angel of Light on the south tower of the Cathedral.

The display will take place three times every evening at 6.45, 8 and 10pm from December 1 to January 4 (no shows on 24th and 31st December).

Christmas lights in the Botanical Gardens

The Christmas garden returns to the lovely botanical gardens for another year. The 2022 edition is called Stela, A Journey to the East, based on the Wise Men’s journey through Persia, Babylonia and then to Bethlehem. All lighting is LED this year in keeping with the national push to save energy, but expect a stunning show combining the gardens, its monuments and lights.

Cirque du Soleil on ice

When are the lights on?

The lights are switched on every evening over the Christmas period between 6.30pm and midnight (2am Friday to Sunday, 24th and 31st December and 5th January. They’re turned off on January 6, 2025 at midnight, the day after the Three Kings parade. .

Many thanks, Follow Guide to Malaga and stay tuned! https://www.facebook.com/GuidetoMalaga

Which days are public holidays in Malaga over Christmas 2024?

Monday, January 6 (Epiphany/ Three Kings)

Wednesday, December 25 (Christmas Day).

Wednesday, January 1 (New Year’s Day).

What will be closed on these days?

All shops, museums and attractions in Malaga. Most bars and restaurants tend to close on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, but many open for Three Kings.

Shops usually close early (e.g. between 3 and 5pm) on Christmas Eve (December 24) and New Year’s Eve (December 31)

Will any restaurants be open on Christmas Day?

Some larger restaurants and those in hotels will be open, but check in advance and book to be sure of a table.

We’re compiling a list of venues open – scroll down to read it.

Virgin of Carmen

On July 16, the Maritime Procession is celebrated by land and sea in honor of Our Lady of Carmen, patron saint of Estepona. The procession, one of the most deeply rooted traditions in Estepona, starts from the church of Our Lady of Carmen and continues along the Paseo Marítimo, where two crowds wait, one of tourists and devout Esteponeros on the coast. And another of all the boats sizes decorated for the occasion, coming to receive the Virgin, all in an atmosphere of joy and celebration. The head of the procession enters the water until the bearers of the statue feel their bodies and clothes under the sea while singing “La Salve Marinera.” Then they lift the Virgin and put her on a boat. The Lady of Carmen continues her procession by sea, followed by all the ships full of people and sailors, who, under cheers and sirens, come to accompany their patron on her journey through the waters of Estepona. Once back on land, he continues his journey along the Paseo Marítimo until he settles back in his hermitage, waiting for the July 16 arrival of the following year to walk among the people again.

San Juan

Between June 23 and 24, the mustaches of San Juan (de júas) are burned, dolls created by various local associations that ridicule well-known local and national characters, destined to be burned at the stake. On the night of the 23rd, the contest is held and only the winner is saved from being burned, only until the following night. The people of Estepona gather on the beach at midnight to get their feet wet and touch the water, which tradition says brings good luck all year long.

Feria: Fiestas & Festivals in Malaga province 2020

3 Kings is the 1st big party of the year in Estepona with parade in the center.

Herewith the following celebrations for Estepona:

February or March – Carnival Estepona

March or April – Semana Santa (Easter).

Semana Santa : the traditional week of Easter festivities: From Thursday to Easter Sunday, processions and feasts take place.

May 15 – San Isidro Labrador (“Romeria”= pilgrimage).

June 23-June 24 – San Juan

First week of July -Feria of Estepona party week (Salida 155 Estepona.)

July 16 – Virgen del Carmen

Virgen del Carmen

Weekend in July – Medieval Market in Estepona (old town).

Feria Estepona 2020

All celebrations in Malaga province 2020: Download PDF

INTERNATIONAL MURAL COMPETITION OF ESTEPONA

2nd INTERNATIONAL MURALS COMPETITION of Estepona … if you are interested in participating, please review the contest rules in this link: https://bit.ly/39Tv25I

2nd ESTEPONA INTERNATIONAL MURALISSES CONTEST COMPETITION RULES

  1. This contest was created for young artists between the ages of 16 and 25, who may participate with individual or collective proposals.
  2. The mural proposals must be original, unpublished and not awarded in any other contest. Projects must be submitted by sealed bid to protect the artist’s anonymity Envelope must include the following information: name, DNI, NIF or passport, mailing address, e-mail address and phone number of the artist or artistic collective.
  3. Proposals received by e-mail will not be accepted. They are accepted only from Monday to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., from Jan. 2 to Jan. 31, 2020, in person or by mail to the following address: II CONCURSO INTERNACIONAL DE MURALES DE ESTEPONA Ayuntamiento de Estepona. Alcaldía Calle del Puerto, 2. Edificio Puertosol 29680 Estepona. Malaga
  4. The artist will freely present a theme, argument or plastic composition. The project or mural proposal must include the following information:
  • Artistic project including sketch and design according to the final result (measures will be maximum 297 mm x 420 mm).
  • Technical report including name and quantity of materials required for a standard measure (mural of 162 square meters, height 18 m and width 9 m).
  1. Estepona Townhall covers engineering costs, materials and personnel needed for project selected and must be done in the following month after the competition decision.
  2. The selection of proposals, from the works presented, will be carried out by a jury formed by relevant personalities from our cultural life and will be published on Feb. 14, 2020. 7.The selected artist must perform their work from March 1 to March 10, 2020. The price is awarded with 4,000 euros. The judges will announce the winner on March 11, 2020. The jury decision does not apply and the prize is indivisible and will not be invalidated.
  3. Estepona Townhall may publish the selected prize-winning mural as considered and whose image rights will become property of the municipality after the election.
  4. Unexpected facts or cases will be resolved by the organization and the jury. The submission of works to this contest imply the acceptnace on behalf of the author of these rules with contractual value.

Art in Estepona

On Monday, Dec. 16, the art exhibition “Habbility” begins at the Exhibition and Congress Palace in Estepona. This exhibition, which will remain open to the public until Jan. 3, will feature recognized artists internationally.

Among the creators who will participate in the exhibition stands out graffiti artist Miguel Ángel Belinchón , better known as“Belin,” who is considered one of the most important in international urban art. This artist in urban art works with hyper-realistic technique executed with spray on large surfaces and without using stencils, projectors or grids.

The “Habbility” exhibition will consist of a total of 25 works with different themes and styles, including from realistic marinas to hyper-realistic works.

In addition to “Belin,” artists Robles de la Cruz, a maritime specialist, who will paint a work live; Antonio Castello, artist in hyperrealism; Javier Arizabalo, who also belongs to the school of hyperrealism, the visual artist Jesús Inglés; and the portrait painter Laura Cameo, among others, will also participate.

In this exhibition, which is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the afternoon and from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., you can also enjoy works by Juan Pineda, the artist who founded the project “Habbility” ‘ whose goal is to offer high-quality training adapted to current times. Admission is free and interested parties can purchase the works on display.

Los Álamos Beach Festival – EDM Music in Estepona

Los Alamos Beach Festival is an electronic music festival at the Spanish Arts in the town of Estepona. Over the past six years, the festival grew into an impressive large-scale event with lineups to match. Previous editions saw rap and reggaeton stars and more in addition to the biggest dance names.

You can also see the growth over the past half decade in the staging, production, light shows and special effects that transform the seaside venue into a colorful extravaganza complete with big beats.

With stages for dance mainstream and underground, as well as a poolside stage, carnival rides, food stands and more, ravers won’t be short of anything here. Not continued in 2020 and 2021 (corona)

we are waiting for info for 2022 – Los Álamos Beach Festival

Retrospective 2019:

CARTEL FINAL LOS ALAMOS 2019 V04