On the evening of 5 January the Three Kings Parade leaves Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz at 6pm and reaches Plaza de Cibeles just before 9pm, so where you stand decides how late your night runs. The start suits small children, Doctor Marañón puts the Metro 90 metres away, Plaza de Colón has two wheelchair areas and Cibeles is the only place to hear Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar speak. The 2026 edition, according to Madrid City Council, brought 15 floats, about 2,100 performers and 1,200 kg of sweets down the Paseo de la Castellana.
The Cabalgata de Reyes de Madrid is the free city parade, held every 5 January along the Castellana and Recoletos, and nobody needs a ticket to watch it from the pavement.
When and where is the Three Kings Parade in Madrid? The Three Kings Parade in Madrid runs on 5 January, leaving Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz at 6pm and reaching Plaza de Cibeles just before 9pm, about 3 km down the Castellana and Paseo de Recoletos. Entry is free. Cibeles has the Kings’ speech and fireworks but none of the 5 step-free areas.
Why is 5 January the big night in Spain?
Spanish children get their presents on the morning of 6 January, from the Three Kings rather than on 25 December, so the parade the evening before is the family event of the season. The 6th is a national holiday and many shops and offices close, as set out in what opens on Madrid’s public holidays. If you need anything that day, buy it on the 5th, before the parade.
Where should you stand to watch the parade?
| Spot | Best for | Nearest station on foot | Step-free area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaza de Cibeles | The speech, circus show and fireworks | Banco de España, 240 m, may close | None |
| Plaza de Colón | Wheelchair users | Colón, 250 m | Two, either side of Calle Génova |
| Glorieta de Emilio Castelar | Just seeing the floats | Gregorio Marañón, 370 m | Yes |
| Plaza del Doctor Marañón | A quick way home | Gregorio Marañón, 90 m | Yes |
| Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz | Small children, the 6pm start | Gregorio Marañón, 580 m | Yes |
Distances are walked along the streets from the middle of each square to the station.
Is it worth waiting for the finish at Cibeles?
Only if your children can last until after 9.30pm and you are happy to stand for three hours. Cibeles is where the Kings speak from the Cibeles Palace, and in 2026 the finale added circus, magic and dance by the Teatro Circo Price, then fireworks set to music. The trade-off is the biggest crowd on the route, no step-free area and a Metro station that may shut.
Grandstands will not rescue a visitor who arrives late. For 2026 Madrid City Council set out more than 8,000 grandstand seats along the route and 2,200 at Cibeles, and the ones in front of the Palace went by invitation to social organisations for children in hospital, children in foster care and disabled people. Everyone else watches standing, for free.
Madrid eats late, so a 9.30pm table is a normal dinner time here, not a late one. If you want to eat near the route after the finale, book ahead. Service is included in Spanish bills; rounding up or leaving a euro or two is a kind gesture, not an obligation.
Can you watch the parade from a wheelchair?
Madrid City Council marks out five step-free areas, always on the parade’s right-hand side, which heading south towards Cibeles is the western pavement. In 2026 they were at San Juan de la Cruz by Calle Ríos Rosas, Doctor Marañón by José Abascal, Emilio Castelar by General Martínez Campos, and two at Colón, one each side of Calle Génova.
Each disabled person may bring two companions, a disability card or equivalent may be requested, and audio description, a hearing loop, amplified sound and vibrating backpacks are handed out first come, first served. More for families is in Madrid with kids.
How do you get to the parade and back by Metro?
The Castellana, Recoletos and Cibeles close to traffic and dozens of EMT bus lines are rerouted, so a taxi or bus will have to go round the route. The Metro and Cercanías are the way in. A single ticket costs €1.50 to €2.00 depending on the number of stations, and a 10-trip ticket at €7.30 brings each ride down to €0.73, as covered in Madrid Metro ticket prices.
Pick your exit before the parade starts. Banco de España, the station for Cibeles, may close for a while if the crowd builds, according to Madrid City Council, so plan on Recoletos Cercanías, about 390 metres from Cibeles, or Colón. Late trains and night buses are in Madrid Metro closing time.
Landing at Barajas that afternoon? Head to your hotel first: the Metro adds a €3 airport supplement on single tickets, explained in the airport Metro supplement, and nobody wants to join a crowd of families with a suitcase. In a crowd this dense, keep phones and wallets in a front pocket or a zipped bag.
Frequently asked questions about the Three Kings Parade in Madrid
What time is the Three Kings Parade in Madrid?
It leaves Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz at 6pm on 5 January. In 2026 the royal floats reached Cibeles just before 9pm, the Kings spoke at 9pm and fireworks set to music followed. No passing times are published for the points in between.
Do you need tickets for the Three Kings Parade in Madrid?
No. Standing on the pavement is free along the whole route. The grandstand seats in front of the Cibeles Palace went to social organisations by invitation in 2026, so most visitors watch standing.
Where is the best place to watch the Three Kings Parade with kids?
The start at Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz, where the parade passes from 6pm and you can be back at your hotel early. Doctor Marañón is the alternative if you want the Metro 90 metres away.
Is anything open in Madrid on 6 January?
6 January, Epiphany, is a national public holiday in Spain, so many shops and offices close. It is also the day Spanish children open presents brought by the Three Kings, which makes the evening of the 5th the family night out.
Watch the start with small children, save Cibeles for those who can stand until 9pm, and shop on the 5th.