A family Christmas in Madrid is mostly free street events that peak in early January, because Spanish children get their presents from the Three Kings on 6 January. In the centre, Cortylandia ran 8 shows a day in 2025 on Calle de Preciados, the Comunidad opened the nativity scene in the Real Casa de Correos from 10am to 10pm, and the lights come on at 6pm. In 2025, Matadero brought artificial snow to its plaza every evening from 6pm to 8pm, 20 December to 4 January.
What can you do with kids in Madrid at Christmas? With kids in Madrid at Christmas, the free plans are Cortylandia, eight shows a day on Calle de Preciados, the Real Casa de Correos nativity on Puerta del Sol, the lights from 6pm and the Plaza Matadero snow from 6pm to 8pm. The paid extras cost €3.50 to €15 a head, and 25 December and 1 January close almost everything.
Santa or the Three Kings?
Both now appear, but the Three Kings are the main event. Children write to them, the city stages the Three Kings parade on 5 January from 6pm, and presents arrive on the morning of the 6th. If you travel between Christmas and early January, that parade is the one evening worth building the trip around.
Which Christmas plans for kids are free?
Around Puerta del Sol, four free things sit within 450 metres of each other.
The Cortylandia show on the front of El Corte Inglés, about 15 minutes per show (times in Cortylandia show times); the Real Casa de Correos nativity, no booking; the Plaza Mayor Christmas market; and, in 2025, the Wishing Forest in Plaza de Pontejos from 4 December. The scenes that need a timed pass, like CentroCentro’s, are in nativity scenes in Madrid.
Out of the centre, Matadero Madrid, next to Legazpi Metro, gathers the city’s family programme indoors and on a big open plaza. In 2025 it ran from 11.30am to 8.30pm, with a free theatrical exhibition for children aged 5 and over from 21 to 29 December, with staged shows at 12.30pm and 5pm.
How much do the paid extras cost?
The cheapest is the family film cycle at Matadero’s Cineteca, €3.50 a ticket in 2025. The ice rinks charge by the 30-minute slot: the City of Madrid charges €6.50 at the Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles and €7.50 at Matadero, skates included, with compulsory gloves at €1.60 and a skating aid at €2. The Naviluz lights bus cost €12 to €15 per adult in 2025-26 and takes about 50 minutes.
On public transport, children under 4 ride free with no ticket. From 4 to 14, free travel sits on a residents’ card from the Consorcio Regional de Transportes, so a visiting child aged 4 or over needs a ticket; how to buy them is in Madrid public transport tickets.
Which dates close the children’s Christmas?
On 24 and 31 December, Cortylandia runs only its midday shows and Matadero is shut. On 25 December and 1 January there is no Cortylandia, the Sol nativity scene closes and so does Matadero: the lights and a walk are what is left. Museums and shops follow their own rules, set out in what’s open in Madrid on Christmas Day.
How to plan a Christmas day with children
Start at 12pm with Cortylandia and the Sol nativity, have lunch late in the Spanish way, from about 2pm, rest, and head to Matadero for the snow at 6pm, or to an ice rink. In Spain dinner starts late, around 9pm, which is past bedtime for many small children, so an early tapas stop works better; ideas are in eating out with kids in Madrid.
Around Sol, keep bags zipped and phones in a front pocket, as the area is busy on December evenings; the advice is in pickpockets in Madrid. The rest of the year’s ideas are in Madrid with kids.
Most of a Madrid Christmas for children costs nothing; choosing the date is the real decision.
Christmas with kids questions from visitors
What is free for children at Christmas in Madrid?
The Cortylandia show on Calle de Preciados, the nativity scene in the Real Casa de Correos on Puerta del Sol, the city lights from 6pm, the artificial snow on Plaza Matadero from 6pm to 8pm in 2025, and the Three Kings parade on 5 January. None needs a ticket.
Do children pay on the Madrid Metro?
Children under 4 ride free with no ticket. From 4 to 14, free travel needs a personal card from the Consorcio Regional de Transportes that asks for residence in the Comunidad de Madrid, so visiting children aged 4 and over need a ticket.
Is there an ice rink in Madrid at Christmas?
Yes. In 2025-26 the rink in the Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles charged €6.50 for 30 minutes, and the Matadero rink €7.50, skates included. Gloves are compulsory at €1.60, and a skating aid for small children costs €2.
When do Spanish children get Christmas presents?
On 6 January, from the Three Kings, after the parade on the evening of the 5th. Santa Claus has crept in, but the Kings are the big night, so the children’s Christmas in Madrid peaks in early January.
Is Matadero Madrid good for kids at Christmas?
Yes, if you want something indoors. In 2025 its family programme ran from 20 December to 4 January, 11.30am to 8.30pm, with films at €3.50, workshops, an ice rink and free artificial snow on the plaza from 6pm to 8pm. It was shut on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January.