San Sebastián de los Reyes, the town everyone calls Sanse, sits 18 minutes north of Chamartín on the C-4 commuter line, next to the outlet malls and Alcobendas. Its Christmas is a small-town programme rather than a city spectacle: a free nativity scene with 538 figures, a weekend market in Plaza de la Constitución, the Three Kings parade, which left at 5.30pm on 5 January 2026, and a noon New Year countdown with free grapes. In the 2025-26 edition the market opened from 12 to 28 December, Friday to Sunday only, and the square is about 540 m from Reyes Católicos Metro on Line 10.
What is on at Christmas in San Sebastián de los Reyes? San Sebastián de los Reyes runs a free Belén Monumental nativity scene with 538 figures over 145 m², a Christmas market in Plaza de la Constitución on December weekends and a Three Kings parade, at 5.30pm on 5 January 2026. The 2026-27 programme is still pending; the dates below are from the 2025-26 edition.
- Best day: a market Saturday, with stalls from 11am and the nativity from 5pm
- Floats up close: on show free at the Recinto Ferial from 2 to 4 January 2026
- Watch out: the New Year countdown is at noon, and most shows are in Spanish
- Getting there: C-4 from Chamartín in 18 minutes, then about 14 minutes on foot
Is Christmas in Sanse worth the trip from central Madrid?
A Christmas visit to Sanse is worth the trip for families living north of Madrid or already heading to the outlets, and best on a market Saturday: in the 2025-26 edition, between 12 and 28 December, the stalls opened at 11am, the stage had a children’s show at noon and the nativity scene opened at 5pm.
For an adult couple coming from the centre, it is a short plan rather than a day out: the market is small, and the city’s own lights, markets and parade are bigger. The case for Sanse is the floats on show up close before the parade and a large free nativity scene. The wider choice of towns is in Christmas villages near Madrid, and what Sanse offers the rest of the year is in things to do in San Sebastián de los Reyes.
Which Christmas plan in Sanse suits you?
Sanse’s Christmas plans split clearly by age and by day: families with toddlers do best with the Christmas Eve train or the floats on show, older children with the cave tour at the Museo Etnográfico El Caserón, and adults with the New Year concert at the Teatro Auditorio Adolfo Marsillach.
| Plan (2025-26 edition) | Best for | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belén Monumental nativity scene | All ages | 29 Nov 2025 to 6 Jan 2026: weekdays 5.30pm-9pm, weekends 5pm-9pm, 25 Dec, 1 and 6 Jan 6pm-9pm; closed 24 and 31 Dec | Free, no booking |
| Christmas market, Plaza de la Constitución | Families on a weekend | 12-28 Dec 2025: Fri 4pm-10pm, Sat-Sun 11am-2pm and 4pm-10pm | Free entry |
| Christmas Eve train, Tempranales | Small children | 24 Dec 2025, 11am-2pm | Free |
| Caves and Museo Etnográfico El Caserón | Children over 9 with an adult | 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28 Dec 2025, 6pm, about 40 minutes | Free, booking required |
| Children’s theatre, Teatro Auditorio Adolfo Marsillach | Ages 3 or 5 and up | 20 and 28 Dec 2025, 6pm | €8 to €12 |
| Ainhoa Arteta New Year concert | Adults | 2 Jan 2026, 8pm | €18 |
| Floats on show, Recinto Ferial del Parque de La Marina | Toddlers who won’t cope with the parade | 2-4 Jan 2026, 11am-2pm and 5pm-7pm | Free |
The theatre sells tickets in advance, so check when the new programme comes out. The ice-skating trip in the programme is for registered residents aged 14 to 30; for a rink anyone can use, see ice skating in Madrid at Christmas.
Which dates matter at Christmas in Sanse?
Four dates shaped the 2025-26 Christmas programme in Sanse: Nochebuena on 24 December, the noon countdown on 31 December, the Three Kings parade on 5 January 2026 and the 6 January public holiday.
- 24 December: the nativity scene closed and the town programme was a morning train ride and a magician for small children in Tempranales, from 11am to 2pm.
- 31 December: the square did its countdown at 12 noon, not midnight, so families with young children can join in. For the midnight version, see New Year’s Eve at Puerta del Sol.
- 5 January: the parade was the evening event of the season. Town-hall Carteros Reales (royal postmen) collected children’s letters to the Kings at libraries and community centres from 19 December 2025. How it works in the capital is in writing a letter to the Three Kings in Madrid.
- 6 January: a public holiday, with roscón de Reyes, the ring-shaped Kings’ cake, for breakfast.
What is the Sanse nativity scene like?
Sanse’s Belén Monumental is a walk-through nativity scene built by the town’s nativity association, with 538 new handmade figures, 145 m² of scenes and 800 litres of running water in the 2025-26 season. Entry is free.
It is set up in the Edificio Polivalente Francisco Martín, the building that holds the bulls before the town’s summer bull runs, and you walk through it standing, viewing scenes from several angles. No booking is needed. It opened from 29 November 2025 to 6 January 2026 and drew 51,321 visitors in 37 days. Afternoon hours were 5.30pm to 9pm on weekdays and 5pm to 9pm at weekends and on holidays, and 6pm to 9pm on 25 December, 1 January and 6 January; it closed on 24 and 31 December. Morning visits are for booked groups only. For comparison with the city’s free ones, see nativity scenes in Madrid.
When and where is the Christmas market?
Sanse’s Christmas market fills Plaza de la Constitución, in front of the town hall, and in 2025 it ran across three full weekends: 12 to 28 December, Fridays from 4pm to 10pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 2pm and 4pm to 10pm.
The stalls are local shops and small makers selling gifts and Christmas decorations, and the stage holds children’s shows at noon at weekends. Note the Spanish lunch break: between 2pm and 4pm at weekends the market closes. Entry is free, and it is a small market.
How does the Three Kings parade work in Sanse?
Sanse’s Three Kings parade left Calle María Moliner, in the Dehesa Vieja district, at 5.30pm on 5 January 2026 and reached Plaza de la Constitución at about 8.45pm; the 2027 times are not out yet. At 9pm the Kings spoke from the town-hall balcony, and a local brotherhood handed out hot chocolate and roscón in Plaza de la Iglesia while it lasted.
Three hours is a long time with toddlers. The easier option was the floats on show in a marquee at the Recinto Ferial del Parque de La Marina from 2 to 4 January 2026, 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 7pm, free. The 2026 route ran down Avenida de la Dehesa, Avenida de Tenerife and Avenida de Navarrondán, through Plaza de Andrés Caballero and along Avenida de Baunatal, Avenida de Guadarrama and Avenida de Colmenar Viejo, then up Calle Real to the square. Reserved areas for disabled spectators were on Paseo María de Maeztu, beside the CEIP Valvanera school on Avenida de Guadarrama and at the corner of Calle Real and Calle Real Vieja, and the floats switched their music off along Calle Emilia Pardo Bazán.
How do you get to San Sebastián de los Reyes without a car?
From central Madrid, take the Cercanías C-4 commuter train to Alcobendas-San Sebastián de los Reyes: 18 minutes from Chamartín, 25 from Nuevos Ministerios and 30 from Sol, with no change.
From the station to Plaza de la Constitución is 1,050 m, about 14 minutes on foot. On the November 2026 timetable the last C-4 back to Sol leaves Sanse at 11.34pm on weekdays and 11.33pm at weekends; holiday nights can differ, so check on the day. Buy a single ticket at the station machines, and note that Spanish meal times run late: lunch is usually from 2pm, which is when the weekend market takes its break. Metro Line 10 also reaches Sanse but needs a change of train at Tres Olivos; get off at Reyes Católicos for the square or Baunatal for the theatre. Sanse is in fare zone B1, outside the city’s zone A, and the Consorcio sets that zone for every pass, so a monthly Abono Transporte only covers Sanse if it includes B1: Madrid’s transport zones explained and the Cercanías ticket zones cover it.
Where is everything in Sanse?
The Christmas events in San Sebastián de los Reyes are spread across the town: Plaza de la Constitución, the fairground and the Adolfo Marsillach theatre are within 1 km of each other, while Tempranales and the parade start sit at opposite ends.
What might put you off
- Weekday visits miss most of it. The market only opened Friday to Sunday.
- Some events are for residents. The children’s cinema needs local registration, and the ice-rink trip is for registered 14 to 30-year-olds.
- Shows are in Spanish. Theatre, magicians and the Kings’ speech are all in Spanish; the nativity scene and the parade need no language.
- The programme comes late. In Sanse the Ayuntamiento publishes it in early December, so plans made in November rely on the previous edition’s dates.
FAQ about Christmas in San Sebastián de los Reyes
Is the San Sebastián de los Reyes nativity scene free?
Yes. The Belén Monumental in San Sebastián de los Reyes is free, with entry subject to capacity. In the 2025-26 season it had 538 new handmade figures over 145 square metres and opened from 29 November 2025 to 6 January 2026, in the afternoons until 9pm, and closed on 24 and 31 December.
When is the Christmas market in San Sebastián de los Reyes?
In 2025 the San Sebastián de los Reyes Christmas market ran from 12 to 28 December in Plaza de la Constitución, on Fridays from 4pm to 10pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 2pm and 4pm to 10pm. It did not open Monday to Thursday.
What time is the Three Kings parade in San Sebastián de los Reyes?
In 2026 Sanse’s Three Kings parade left Calle María Moliner at 5.30pm on 5 January and reached Plaza de la Constitución at about 8.45pm, via Avenida de Baunatal and Calle Real. At 9pm the Kings spoke from the town-hall balcony. The 2027 times are pending.
How do I get to San Sebastián de los Reyes from central Madrid?
Take the Cercanías C-4 commuter train to Alcobendas-San Sebastián de los Reyes: 18 minutes from Chamartín and 30 from Sol, then about 14 minutes on foot to Plaza de la Constitución. Metro Line 10 to Reyes Católicos leaves you about 540 metres from the square.
Is there a New Year’s Eve countdown in San Sebastián de los Reyes?
Yes, but at midday. On 31 December Plaza de la Constitución holds the preuvas, with DJ Antonio Hueso from 11.30am and the twelve chimes at 12 noon. In 2025 the town hall handed out 1,500 portions of grapes and 500 bags of sweets for children.
Sanse does Christmas at family scale: come on a market Saturday, and leave the big-city spectacle to Madrid.