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Three Kings Parades Marbella and Costa del Sol 2027: Times, Routes and Tips

Where to see the Three Kings parade in Marbella, San Pedro, Nueva Andalucía, Las Chapas, Estepona, Benahavís and Ojén. Start times, routes, a map and the best parades for children. Plus three bigger shows worth the trip, and where the tradition comes from. No town has published its 2027 times yet. Every time here is from the 2025 season. We update each one as the towns confirm.

By The Marbella Directory Team · Published 3 November 2026 · Updated 3 November 2026 · No paid links

Times and routes from each town hall’s 2025 season programme, checked on 3 November 2026.

IN SHORT
  • When: most parades run on the evening of Tuesday 5 January 2027. In the 2025 season they started between 17:00 and 18:00.
  • The main parades: Marbella centre and San Pedro started at 18:00 in the 2025 season. Estepona started at 17:00.
  • Best for small children: the midday parade in Nueva Andalucía.
  • A day early: Las Chapas parades on Monday 4 January.
  • Worth the trip: Málaga city has the biggest parade on the coast. See the extras.
  • About the times: no town has published its 2027 programme yet. Every time on this page is from the 2025 season. We will update it as each town confirms. Get the confirmed times first.
BEST BY TYPE
BEFORE YOU PLAN
Get the confirmed 2027 times

Towns usually publish their times in mid December. Our subscribers get every confirmed time first.

GET THE TIMES FIRST
AT A GLANCE

Seven areas around Marbella, plus three worth the trip

Marbella and the towns around it each hold their own Cabalgata. Most run on the evening of 5 January. Gold pins 01 to 07 are around Marbella, west to east. White pins 08 to 10 are bigger shows further east, worth the trip. Tap a name to jump to its card, with the route, the 2025 season time and a link to our event calendar.

Gold pins mark the parades around Marbella. White pins mark the extras worth the trip. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

  1. Around Marbella
  2. 01EsteponaLetters handed to the Kings on Plaza Antonia Guerrero.
  3. 02BenahavísThe Kings arrive in classic cars.
  4. 03San Pedro AlcántaraA loop round the Boulevard and a royal balcony.
  5. 04Nueva Andalucía and Puerto BanúsA midday parade that suits small children.
  6. 05Marbella centreThe main parade, from El Pirulí to Severo Ochoa.
  7. 06OjénA village parade up to the plaza.
  8. 07Las Chapas and ElviriaA day early, on Monday 4 January.
  1. Worth the trip
  2. 08Mijas Pueblo, Las Lagunas and La CalaThree parades at the same time.
  3. 09FuengirolaThe Kings land by helicopter.
  4. 10Málaga cityThe biggest parade on the coast.

Cabalgata scenes from Roquetas de Mar, Barcelona and Madrid. Expect the same in Marbella: the Kings, their pages, lit floats and sweets.

MARBELLA

The main parade: Marbella centre

Marbella holds four parades. Three are on 5 January. Las Chapas goes a day early. Planning the whole season? See our Christmas in Marbella guide.

King Gaspar's float moving through a packed street under a shower of confetti at a night-time Cabalgata de Reyes
Map 05 · Marbella

Marbella centre

The main parade, from El Pirulí to Severo Ochoa.
  • DayTue 5 Jan
  • Time, 2025 season18:00
  • Starts atEl Pirulí
  • RouteFrom Plaza Monseñor Rodrigo Bocanegra, known as El Pirulí, along Avenida Ricardo Soriano and Avenida Ramón y Cajal. It ends on Avenida Severo Ochoa, by the petrol station.
  • The day beforeThe Kings arrive by sea at the Virgen del Carmen marina in La Bajadilla on 4 January. Their Royal Guard then parades through the old town to Plaza de la Iglesia. The time is not out yet.
  • Worth knowingRain pushed the 2025 season parade back to 19:00. Check on the day.
  • Our parking tipPlan your exit as well as your arrival. With any event, getting out is the hard part. Park further out and enjoy the walk in.
Our event calendarSee in calendar: Marbella paradeSee in calendar: Arrival by sea, 4 January
MORE IN MARBELLA

San Pedro, Nueva Andalucía and Las Chapas

Three more parades in the municipality. Nueva Andalucía goes at midday. Las Chapas goes on the 4th.

King Balthazar on a lit golden float as the crowd reaches for sweets at the Cabalgata de Reyes in Seville
Map 03 · Marbella

San Pedro Alcántara

A loop round the Boulevard and a royal balcony.
  • DayTue 5 Jan
  • Time, 2025 season18:00
  • Starts atCarpa de San Pedro
  • StartThe Carpa de San Pedro, on calle Jorge Guillén.
  • RouteA loop through Avenida Pablo Ruiz Picasso, Avenida Oriental and the Boulevard. The Kings greet children from the Tenencia balcony on Plaza de la Iglesia.
  • Morning of the 5thFrom 11:00 to 13:30 the Kings tour El Salto, El Ingenio, Guadalmina Alta and San Pedro in vintage cars.
  • Before the dayThe Royal Guard parades from calle Doña Juanita to Plaza de la Iglesia. The date and time are not out yet.
  • Worth knowingRain pushed the 2025 season parade back to 19:00. Check on the day.
  • Our parking tipPlan how you will get out, not only how you will get in. Park away from the centre of San Pedro and enjoy the walk to the parade.
Our event calendarSee in calendar: San Pedro paradeSee in calendar: Vintage car tourSee in calendar: Royal Guard parade
Yachts moored in the marina at Puerto Banús
Map 04 · Marbella

Nueva Andalucía and Puerto Banús

A midday parade that suits small children.
  • DayTue 5 Jan
  • Time, 2025 season12:00
  • Starts atThe Polivalente
  • StartThe Nuevo Espacio Polivalente, on calle Quevedo.
  • RouteA loop through Álvaro de la Iglesia, Torrente Ballester, Lope de Vega and Avenida Miguel de Cervantes. A reception follows at the Polivalente.
  • Puerto BanúsThe Kings are welcomed in Puerto Banús on 4 January. A short route and a family afternoon at Hard Rock Hotel Marbella follow. The time is not out yet.
Our event calendarSee in calendar: Nueva Andalucía paradeSee in calendar: Puerto Banús arrival
The coast at Cabopino, east of Marbella
Map 07 · Marbella

Las Chapas and Elviria

A day early, on Monday 4 January.
  • DayMon 4 Jan
  • Time, 2025 season18:00
  • Starts atAvenida de España
  • RouteFrom Avenida de España to Avenida de las Cumbres.
  • Before the paradeA children's party from 16:00 to 18:00 in the Pinar de Elviria car park.
  • Worth knowingThe 2025 season parade was called off after an orange rain warning. Check on the day.
Our event calendarSee in calendar: Las Chapas parade
CONFIRMED TIMES FIRST

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QUICK ANSWER

Every Three Kings parade at a glance

The eight parades around Marbella, west to east, then five worth the trip. Times are 2025 season start times. No town has confirmed its 2027 times yet.

TownDayTime, 2025 seasonStart pointDetails
EsteponaTue 5 Jan17:00Town hall, Avenida Juan Carlos IJump to section
See in calendar
Cancelada (Estepona)Tue 5 Jan17:30
check on the day		Calle MontemayorJump to section
See in calendar
BenahavísTue 5 Jan17:00Municipal football pitchJump to section
See in calendar
San Pedro AlcántaraTue 5 Jan18:00
check on the day		Carpa de San Pedro, calle Jorge GuillénJump to section
See in calendar
Nueva AndalucíaTue 5 Jan12:00Nuevo Espacio Polivalente, calle QuevedoJump to section
See in calendar
Marbella centreTue 5 Jan18:00
check on the day		Plaza Monseñor Rodrigo Bocanegra (El Pirulí)Jump to section
See in calendar
OjénTue 5 Jan17:00
check on the day		Near the petrol stationJump to section
See in calendar
Las Chapas and ElviriaMon 4 Jan18:00
check on the day		Avenida de EspañaJump to section
See in calendar
Worth the trip: bigger shows further east
Mijas PuebloTue 5 Jan17:30
check on the day		Town hallJump to section
See in calendar
Las Lagunas (Mijas)Tue 5 Jan17:30Calle San CristóbalJump to section
See in calendar
La Cala de MijasTue 5 Jan17:30Parque La ButibambaJump to section
See in calendar
FuengirolaTue 5 Jan17:00
check on the day		Calle MallorcaJump to section
See in calendar
Málaga cityTue 5 Jan18:00Town hall, Avenida CervantesJump to section
See in calendar

Times from each town’s 2025 season programme. Rows marked “check on the day” had a clash between sources, or a change for the weather in the 2025 season. Times are usually published in mid December. We update this table as each town confirms.

AROUND MARBELLA

Estepona, Benahavís and Ojén

Estepona holds the biggest parade near Marbella, with a smaller one in Cancelada. Up in the hills, Benahavís and Ojén hold village parades with less of a crowd.

A whitewashed street with flowers in Estepona old town
Map 01 · Estepona

Estepona

Letters handed to the Kings on Plaza Antonia Guerrero.
  • DayTue 5 Jan
  • Time, 2025 season17:00
  • Starts atTown hall
  • Estepona · 17:00The parade leaves the town hall door on Avenida Juan Carlos I. It ends on Plaza Antonia Guerrero, where children hand their letters to the Kings.
  • Cancelada · 17:30A smaller parade from calle Montemayor. Sources gave different times in the 2025 season, so check on the day.
  • Earlier on the 5th · 11:30A children's party with a magic show at the fairground.
  • Worth knowingA public tender confirms Estepona's parade is on 5 January 2027. The times are not out yet.
Our event calendarSee in calendar: Estepona paradeSee in calendar: Cancelada paradeSee in calendar: Children's party
Benahavís village in the green hills above Marbella
Map 02 · Benahavís

Benahavís

The Kings arrive in classic cars.
  • DayTue 5 Jan
  • Time, 2025 season17:00
  • Starts atFootball pitch
  • StartThe Kings arrive in classic cars at the municipal football pitch.
  • RouteThe parade winds through the village to the church. Entry is free.
  • Worth knowingThe 2025 season time came from local press quoting the town hall. Check on the day.
Our event calendarSee in calendar: Benahavís parade
White houses with balconies and flowers on a street in Ojén
Map 06 · Ojén

Ojén

A village parade up to the plaza.
  • DayTue 5 Jan
  • Time, 2025 season17:00
  • Starts atPetrol station
  • RouteFrom near the petrol station up to Plaza de Andalucía, where the gifts are handed out.
  • If it rainsThe Kings hand out sweets in a marquee on the plaza, at the same time.
  • Worth knowingWe could only read the 2025 season time in local press. Check on the day.
Our event calendarSee in calendar: Ojén parade
THE HISTORY

Where the Three Kings come from

The Three Magi, named above their heads, in a mosaic at Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna.

The story starts in the Gospel of Matthew. Wise men from the East follow a star to Bethlehem. They bring the baby Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Gospel does not say how many there were. Western tradition settled on three, one for each gift.

By the 3rd century Christians saw them as kings. Their names appear in a chronicle from about the 8th century. Today Spain knows them as Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar.

The parade itself is much younger. Alcoy, near Alicante, held the first recorded Cabalgata in 1866. It came back for good in 1885 and is still the oldest in Spain. Today almost every town and village holds one on the evening of 5 January.

TIMELINE

From Bethlehem to Marbella

  1. Gospel of MatthewWise men from the East follow a star to Bethlehem with gold, frankincense and myrrh.
  2. 3rd centuryChristians already see the wise men as kings.
  3. About the 8th centuryTheir names appear in a Latin chronicle.
  4. 1866Alcoy holds the first recorded Cabalgata de Reyes in Spain.
  5. 1885The Alcoy parade returns and takes the shape it keeps today.
  6. 2001Spain names the Alcoy Cabalgata a Fiesta of National Tourist Interest.
  7. 5 January 2027Parades in Marbella and along the coast. 6 January is a Wednesday and a holiday in every region of Spain.
THE TRADITIONS

Letters, shoes, sweets and coal

The parade is only half of it. Here is what Spanish families do around the night of 5 January.

  • Letters to the Kings

    Children write to the Kings with their wish list. Royal pages collect the letters in the days before. In Estepona, children hand them to the Kings at the end of the parade.

  • Shoes by the door

    On the night of the 5th, children leave their shoes out. Many leave water or food for the camels too. In the morning, the presents are waiting.

  • Sweets from the floats

    The Kings and their pages throw sweets to the crowd from the floats. Children bring bags to collect them. Some families bring an upturned umbrella.

  • Coal for the naughty

    Children who have been naughty get carbón dulce, a lump of sugar made to look like coal. It is a joke, and usually comes with presents too.

  • The figure and the bean

    A small figure and a dried bean hide in the Roscón de Reyes. Find the figure and you wear the crown. Find the bean and you pay for next year's.

  • Tin cans to wake the Kings

    In Algeciras, children drag tin cans through the streets on the morning of 5 January, so the Kings do not forget the town. Local historians date the custom to 1900.

Our view as expats: for us, the night of the 5th is a normal evening. For Spanish families it is the big night. Children leave their shoes out, and the presents are waiting on the morning of the 6th. Then the family sits down together, with roscón to finish.

FAMILIES

Best Three Kings parades for children

  • Toddlers and babies: pick a midday parade. Nueva Andalucía started at 12:00 in the 2025 season. In San Pedro, the Kings tour the neighbourhoods in vintage cars from 11:00 to 13:30.
  • Meeting the Kings: a reception follows the Nueva Andalucía parade. In Estepona, children hand their letters to the Kings at the end of the route. In San Pedro, the Kings greet children from the Tenencia balcony.
  • A smaller crowd: the village parades in Benahavís and Ojén.
  • A day early: Las Chapas on 4 January, with a children’s party before the parade.
  • The big show: Fuengirola, with 25 floats in the 2025 season, and Málaga city. Both are in Worth the trip.

More ideas for little ones: things to do with young children in Marbella.

THE SWEET SIDE

Roscón de Reyes

The Roscón de Reyes is a ring of sweet bread eaten on 6 January. It is topped with candied fruit and often filled with cream.

A small figure and a dried bean hide inside. Find the figure and you wear the crown. Find the bean and, by tradition, you pay for next year’s roscón.

Order from your local bakery a few days ahead. Queues on the 5th can be long.

PLAN AHEAD

Tips for the Three Kings parades

  • Arrive early. Aim for 45 minutes before the start for a kerbside spot on the main routes.
  • Bring a bag for sweets. An upturned umbrella works too.
  • Park away from the route, and plan your exit. Streets on the route close in the afternoon. Getting out after the parade matters as much as getting in. Park further out and enjoy the walk.
  • Check on the day. Rain changed times in Marbella, San Pedro and Las Chapas in the 2025 season. Look at the town hall’s social media on the morning of the 5th.
  • Have a rain plan. Towns can move the time or the venue. Ojén moves into a marquee on the plaza. Pack a light waterproof.
  • Keep small children back from the floats. Sweets thrown from a height can sting.
  • Plan for 6 January. It is a holiday and many shops close. Do your food shopping on the 5th.
WORTH THE TRIP

Bigger shows further east

Three parades beyond Marbella, if you want a bigger show. Málaga city has the biggest parade on the coast. Fuengirola’s Kings land by helicopter. Mijas holds three parades at once.

The white houses of Mijas Pueblo on the hillside above the coast
Map 08 · Mijas

Mijas Pueblo, Las Lagunas and La Cala

Three parades at the same time.
  • DayTue 5 Jan
  • Time, 2025 season17:30
  • Parades3
  • Mijas Pueblo · 17:30From the town hall to Plaza Virgen de la Peña, with roscón and hot chocolate. Sources gave 17:00 and 17:30, so check on the day.
  • Las Lagunas · 17:30The biggest of the three, with 12 floats in the 2025 season.
  • La Cala · 17:30From Parque La Butibamba to the Bulevar de La Cala.
Our event calendarSee in calendar: Mijas PuebloSee in calendar: Las LagunasSee in calendar: La Cala de Mijas
The seafront promenade in Fuengirola lined with palm trees
Map 09 · Fuengirola

Fuengirola

The Kings land by helicopter.
  • DayTue 5 Jan
  • Time, 2025 season17:00
  • Starts atCalle Mallorca
  • Arrival · 16:00The Kings land by helicopter at the Elola sports complex.
  • Parade · 17:00From calle Mallorca through Los Boliches to Plaza Pedro Cuevas Martín. In the 2025 season it had 25 floats and live bands.
  • Worth knowingAn awarded contract confirms the parade is on 5 January 2027. Weather delayed both events in the 2025 season, so check on the day.
Our event calendarSee in calendar: Fuengirola paradeSee in calendar: Helicopter arrival
Christmas light arches over a street in central Málaga at night
Map 10 · Málaga

Málaga city

The biggest parade on the coast.
  • DayTue 5 Jan
  • Time, 2025 season18:00
  • Starts atTown hall
  • Arrival · 17:30The Kings arrive at the town hall half an hour before the parade.
  • RouteFrom the town hall on Avenida Cervantes along Paseo del Parque and the Alameda, across to El Perchel, then back to the Cortina del Muelle.
  • AfterwardsA living Epiphany scene on the Cathedral steps.
Our event calendarSee in calendar: Málaga paradeSee in calendar: Arrival at the town hall
FAQ

Three Kings parades: your questions answered

Marbella’s main parade is on the evening of Tuesday 5 January 2027. In the 2025 season it was planned for 18:00 from El Pirulí, and rain pushed it to 19:00. The town hall has not published its 2027 times yet. We will update this page when it does.

Yes. In the 2025 season it left the town hall on Avenida Juan Carlos I at 17:00 and ended on Plaza Antonia Guerrero. A public tender confirms the 2027 parade is on 5 January. Cancelada, also in Estepona, holds a smaller one.

Pick a midday parade. Nueva Andalucía started at 12:00 in the 2025 season, with a reception afterwards. In San Pedro the Kings tour the neighbourhoods in vintage cars from 11:00 to 13:30. Las Chapas goes a day early, with a children’s party first.

In the 2025 season the Málaga parade left the town hall at 18:00, after the Kings arrived there at 17:30. It ran along Paseo del Parque and the Alameda. The city has not published its 2027 times yet, so check before you go.

Towns move times or change plans. In the 2025 season Storm Francis moved parades in Marbella, San Pedro and Fuengirola, and Las Chapas was called off. Check the town hall’s social media on the day before you set off.

Yes. 6 January is Epiphany, the Día de Reyes, and a holiday in every region of Spain. In 2027 it falls on a Wednesday. Children open their main presents that morning. Many shops close, so do your food shopping on the 5th.

Yes. Sweets are thrown from the floats along the whole route. Bring a bag to collect them, or an upturned umbrella. Keep small children back from the floats, as sweets thrown from a height can sting.

Sources: 2025 season programmes and notices from marbella.es, estepona.es, fuengirola.es, malaga.eu, mijas.es and Mijas Comunicación. Benahavís and Ojén from local press (Little Family Hub, Área Costa del Sol, Diario Sur). 2027 dates for Estepona and Fuengirola from public contracts. History from Encyclopaedia Britannica and the BOE (Alcoy Cabalgata, 2001 and 2011). Tin cans from Europa Sur (Algeciras). 2027 holidays from the BOE. All checked on 3 November 2026. Times are 2025 season times until each town confirms.