Twelve things to do this Christmas, from the light switch-on to the Three Kings parade. Every 2026 date we list is either confirmed by an official source or clearly marked to be confirmed.
By The Marbella Directory Team · Published 2 November 2026 · Updated 2 November 2026 · Commission-earning links are labelled
Christmas in Marbella runs from the light switch-on in late November to the Three Kings parade on 5 January. The big night is Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) on 24 December. Days are usually mild and sunny. Do not miss the old town lights, the Christmas markets and a day out to the Málaga lights.
Key dates.
A tapas and wine walk through the old town, the part of Marbella that feels most like Christmas. It starts in Plaza de los Naranjos. It works well on a December evening before the lights.
Affiliate link. 4.9 out of 5 from 182 reviews on Viator. From €110 per person. Price and rating shown on Viator when checked on 28 October 2026. Prices change, so check the live price before you book.
Marbella does Christmas the Andalusian way. Streets fill with lights. Nativity scenes go up in churches and squares. Families eat together late on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day many people walk along the sea in the sun.
This guide covers Marbella town, San Pedro Alcántara and Nueva Andalucía. It adds the best day out for the season: Málaga for lights, shopping and tapas. For a calm alternative, see our best day trips from Marbella.
Each card has the same five facts, so you can compare at a glance. Full details follow further down the page.
When: 2026 date to be confirmed. In 2025: Saturday 29 November, 20:00.
When: 2026 date to be confirmed. In 2025: Friday 28 November, 20:00.
When: Fuengirola confirmed: 26 November to 20 December 2026. Marbella and Puerto Banús: to be confirmed.
When: 2026 programme to be confirmed. In 2025: Papá Noel on 17 December, Parque Mágico 29 December to 4 January.
When: 24 and 25 December. Book in November or early December.
When: Switch-on Friday 27 November 2026. Light show planned until 4 January 2027. Show times to be confirmed.
When: Book your date on Viator. 3 hours.
Affiliate link. Price and rating shown on Viator when checked on 28 October 2026. Prices change, so check the live price before you book.
When: Most days. Allow 10 to 12 hours.
When: Through December. Most shops close on 25 December.
When: 25 December.
When: 31 December. 2026 plans to be confirmed.
When: Evening of 5 January 2027. Times to be confirmed.
The 2026 switch-on date is to be confirmed. Marbella Council usually publishes its Christmas programme in November. The 2026 lighting contract has been awarded, and the lights are going up now.
In 2025 the switch-on was on Saturday 29 November at 20:00 on Avenida Ramón y Cajal, with the stage by the Fuente del Caballo. A street parade started at 18:30 from Plaza Santo Cristo and wound through the old town. A flamenco zambomba from Jerez followed the switch-on. In 2024 the switch-on was a week earlier, on 23 November.
Source for 2025: Ayuntamiento de Marbella.
The lights go up through the autumn and are switched on once they are all in place. Our team says they are usually all up by November. The old town and Avenida Ricardo Soriano are the classic walk.
Nueva Andalucía switched on the same weekend in 2025, in Parque Miguel de Cervantes. 2026 timing is to be confirmed.
Photo: The boulevard, San Pedro Alcántara. Bulevar San Pedro Alcántara (Flickr), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
San Pedro Alcántara deserves its own evening. Lights run along the high street, the church square and the boulevard. Our local tip is to look at the boulevard from the bridge, where you see the lights in one long line.
2026 switch-on: to be confirmed. In 2025 it was Friday 28 November at 20:00 on Avenida Marqués del Duero. A street parade left Plaza de la Iglesia in the early evening, and a concert by Pitingo followed.
Source for 2025: Ayuntamiento de Marbella.
What San Pedro ran in 2025 (2026 programme to be confirmed):
AI-generated illustration of a typical Costa del Sol Christmas market.
2026 dates: to be confirmed. In 2025 the market ran on Avenida del Mar from 28 November 2025 to 5 January 2026, 12:00 to 22:00. It had more than 30 stalls and free shows on its stage. It sits between the old town and the sea, so it pairs well with a walk.
Source for 2025: Ayuntamiento de Marbella.
2026 dates and location: to be confirmed. In 2025 Puerto Banús held its first Christmas market, from 6 December 2025 to 6 January 2026. Published sources disagree on the exact spot in the port, so check before you go. It was closed on 25 December and 1 January.
Confirmed for 2026. Plaza de la Constitución, Thursday 26 November to Sunday 20 December 2026. There are 17 wooden cabins. Opening hours are 10:30 to 14:30 and 17:00 to 21:00.
Source: Ayuntamiento de Fuengirola, announced 26 October 2026.
The markets are one of our team’s favourite parts of the season. Do Marbella and Banús on separate evenings. Fuengirola is the one to combine with a lunch on the coast.
Families have three highlights. Santa (Papá Noel) visits. There is an ice rink over the holidays. Religious parades and nativity scenes fill the town. All dates below are from 2025. The 2026 programme is to be confirmed.
Sources: Parque Mágico 2025 and 2025 programme, Ayuntamiento de Marbella. More ideas: activities for young children.
Photo: A traditional belén (nativity scene), Seville. Xemenendura, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) on the 24th is the main family meal in Spain. Christmas Day lunch is the big one for many visitors. Hotels, beach clubs, golf clubs and restaurants all run special menus.
Book in November or early December and you should get a table. Leave it later and some places will be full. Others can be surprisingly quiet, so it is still worth calling.
AI-generated illustration.
Golden Mile, Marbella
A long-running Christmas tradition on the Golden Mile, with a Christmas Eve gala and Christmas Day lunch. 2026 details are to be confirmed, as the hotel’s Christmas page mixes years.
Golf resort restaurant
A golf resort option. Its El Olivo restaurant lists a Christmas Lunch on 25 December 2026 from 13:30 to 17:00. Check the menu and price on the resort’s page.
Puerto Banús, Nueva Andalucía
Christmas group menus from 20 November to 20 December 2026, and a Christmas Day dinner on 25 December. Group menus are €59 (Standard) or €79 (Premium) per person. Christmas Day prices are not published yet.
Puerto Banús, Nueva Andalucía
Christmas 2026 bookings are open for festive lunches and dinners with live music. The 2026 brochure lists Christmas Day at €130 per person, with 50% off for under 10s and a 10% service charge.
Listings are chosen by our editorial team. They are not paid links. We do not show prices unless the venue publishes them. Details checked on 29 October 2026. For dinner with entertainment, see our dinner show restaurants guide.
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The Marbella Directory Team
If you do one trip out of Marbella this Christmas, make it Málaga. It is our team’s favourite day of the season. Shop in the afternoon. Watch the Calle Larios lights at dusk. Finish with tapas in the old streets around it.
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph of the 2026 lights.
Switch-on: Friday 27 November 2026. The Calle Larios light and sound show is planned from 27 November 2026 to 4 January 2027.
Show times for 2026 are to be confirmed. Published sources give different times, so check close to your visit. In past years the music did not play on some holiday evenings.
Sources: 101TV Málaga and our Calle Larios light show event page.
How to plan it. Arrive after lunch and shop on Calle Larios and the streets around it. Stay for the first light show. Then go for tapas before heading back. Weekends in December are busy, so go on a weekday if you can.
Our full planner is coming soon: Málaga Christmas lights from Marbella.
AI-generated illustration.
December is a good month for day trips. It is cool enough for walking and the cities are lit up. These are the experiences that pass our quality bar on rating, reviews and suitability from Marbella.
AI-generated illustration, not a photo of the tour.
3 hours · Small group · Starts in Plaza de los Naranjos
Three hours of tapas and wine in Marbella old town with a local guide. It starts in Plaza de los Naranjos. Do it on a December evening and you walk under the old town lights between stops.
Affiliate link. 4.9 out of 5 from 182 reviews on Viator. Price and rating shown on Viator when checked on 28 October 2026. Prices change, so check the live price before you book.
Photo: Plaza de España, Seville. Mihael Grmek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
10 hours · Group, up to 55 · Costa del Sol meeting points, check Marbella on the booking page
A guided day in Seville by coach. Cooler December days suit the city’s walking. 2026 dates for Seville’s Christmas markets are to be confirmed. Our Seville planner is coming soon: Seville day trip from Marbella.
Affiliate link. 4.6 out of 5 from 190 reviews on GetYourGuide. Price and rating shown on GetYourGuide when checked on 28 October 2026. Prices change, so check the live price before you book.
Photo: The Alhambra, Granada. Jebulon, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
10 to 12 hours · Group, up to 55 · Several Costa del Sol starting points
The best-reviewed budget way to see the Alhambra from the coast, with more than a thousand reviews. It is a long day. For a private day with pickup in Marbella, see the private Alhambra tour below. Planner coming soon: Granada day trip from Marbella.
Affiliate link. 4.4 out of 5 from 1,241 reviews on GetYourGuide. Price and rating shown on GetYourGuide when checked on 28 October 2026. Prices change, so check the live price before you book.
More bookable options. Marbella Old Town group tour with a True Local: From €25 per person, 1.5 hours, 4.9 out of 5 from 148 reviews. Marbella: Flamenco Show with a Drink: €39 per person, 1 hour, 4.7 out of 5 from 420 reviews. Alhambra Private Tour with pickup in Marbella or Malaga: From €528 per person, 4.8 out of 5 from 29 reviews.
Affiliate links. Price and rating shown on Viator or GetYourGuide when checked on 28 October 2026. Prices change, so check the live price before you book.
We do not use operator or platform photos. Photos are free-licence images credited under each one, or AI illustrations labelled as such.
Locals do their Christmas shopping in the usual places. La Cañada is the big shopping centre in Marbella. Puerto Banús has the designer boutiques. Our team rates the El Corte Inglés in Marbella above the ones in Madrid or Seville for its Christmas displays.
Looking for something special? Our luxury gift guide is coming soon: luxury Christmas gifts in Marbella.
AI-generated illustration.
25 December is a public holiday in Andalucía. Expect most shops, offices and markets to be closed. In 2025 the Puerto Banús Christmas market closed on 25 December and 1 January.
Many hotels, beach clubs and restaurants open for Christmas lunch. Book ahead and check each venue’s own hours. 8 December is also a public holiday in 2026, and 6 December moves to Monday 7 December.
In Spain the 24th matters most. Nochebuena is the big family dinner. Our team’s favourite way to mark it is a Christmas Eve drink in a bar in town before dinner. Bars get lively in the early evening. The Three Kings come after New Year, on 5 and 6 January, and that is when many Spanish children open presents.
Candlelight concerts run at Salón Linares in Anantara Villa Padierna Palace, Benahavís, over the season. See Candlelight Christmas Classics and Candlelight Christmas Soundtracks for dates and tickets.
Mild. The nearest official climate station is Málaga Airport. Its December averages for 1981 to 2010 are 13.2°C overall, 17.5°C for highs and 8.9°C for lows.
Our local team says Christmas Day is almost always sunny. Rain is more likely in January. Pack layers and a light jacket for the evenings.
Photo: Marbella beach, photographed on 24 December 2010. Peter and Michelle S, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
AI-generated illustration.
New Year’s Eve. In 2025 Marbella’s public celebration was in Parque de la Represa and San Pedro’s was in Plaza de la Iglesia. 2026 plans are to be confirmed. Our guide is coming soon: New Year’s Eve in Marbella.
AI-generated illustration.
Three Kings (Cabalgata de Reyes). The parade is on the evening of 5 January. 2027 times are to be confirmed. In 2026 Marbella’s parade started at 19:00, an hour later than planned because rain was forecast. It ran along Ricardo Soriano and Ramón y Cajal. Guide coming soon: Three Kings parade in Marbella.
Source: Europa Press, 5 January 2026.
| Thing to do | Best for | Area | When | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Marbella lights switch-on | First-time visitors | Marbella centre | Late November, 2026 date TBC | Free | Jump to section → |
| 2. San Pedro lights | A quieter local evening | San Pedro Alcántara | Late November, 2026 date TBC | Free | Jump to section → |
| 3. Christmas markets | An evening browse | Marbella, Puerto Banús, Fuengirola | Fuengirola 26 Nov to 20 Dec. Others TBC | Free to browse | Jump to section → |
| 4. Papá Noel and Parque Mágico | Young children | Marbella and San Pedro | Mid December to early January, TBC | TBC | Jump to section → |
| 5. Christmas dinner or lunch | A festive meal out | Golden Mile, Puerto Banús, golf resorts | 24 and 25 December | From €59 to €130 pp. Others not published | Jump to section → |
| 6. Málaga Calle Larios lights | The best day out | Málaga | From Friday 27 November | Free | Jump to section → |
| 7. Old town tapas and wine tour | A festive evening with a local | Marbella old town | Most evenings, 3 hours | From €110 per person | Check dates → |
| 8. Seville or Granada day trip | A full day of sightseeing | Seville or Granada | Most days, 10 to 12 hours | From €35 (group) to €528 (private) | Jump to section → |
| 9. Christmas shopping | Gift hunters | La Cañada, Puerto Banús, El Corte Inglés | Through December | Varies | Jump to section → |
| 10. Christmas Day walk by the sea | A calm Christmas Day | Marbella seafront | 25 December | Free | Jump to section → |
| 11. New Year's Eve | A public party | Marbella and San Pedro | 31 December | Free (2025) | Jump to section → |
| 12. Three Kings parade | Families | Marbella centre | Evening of 5 January | Free | Jump to section → |
Booking buttons in this table are affiliate links. Other buttons jump to the details on this page. TBC means the 2026 detail is not published yet.
Pick: the Marbella lights switch-on, then a walk through the old town. Jump to section.
Pick: Papá Noel and the Parque Mágico skating rink. Jump to section.
Pick: Málaga for the Calle Larios lights, shopping and tapas. Jump to section.
Pick: the old town tapas and wine tour, from €110 per person. Check dates on Viator (affiliate link).
The 2026 date is to be confirmed. Marbella Council usually publishes its Christmas programme in November. In 2025 the switch-on was on Saturday 29 November at 20:00, and San Pedro switched on the night before.
In 2025 it ran on Avenida del Mar from 28 November to 5 January, from 12:00 to 22:00. The 2026 dates are to be confirmed. Fuengirola’s 2026 market is confirmed for 26 November to 20 December.
Mild and often sunny. At Málaga Airport, the nearest official AEMET station, December highs average 17.5°C and lows 8.9°C (1981 to 2010). Bring a light jacket for the evenings.
25 December is a public holiday in Andalucía, so most shops, offices and markets close. Many hotels and restaurants open for Christmas lunch. Book in November or early December and check each venue’s hours.
On the evening of 5 January. The 2027 times are to be confirmed. In 2026 Marbella’s parade started at 19:00 and ran along Ricardo Soriano and Ramón y Cajal. San Pedro and Nueva Andalucía hold their own.
Our top pick for the season. Or compare all 12 things in the table above.
Affiliate link. From €110 per person on Viator. Price and rating shown on Viator when checked on 28 October 2026. Prices change, so check the live price before you book.
Also coming soon: Málaga Christmas lights from Marbella · Things to do in Marbella in winter · Cooking classes in Marbella · Gibraltar day trip from Marbella.
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