To the last corner of the capital like a wave of light and color, as Marisol sang. The one with the Christmas lighting with the mayor, J, and a group of children, although the lights had already been illuminated for a moment before without anyone having pressed the button. The Madrid City Council inaugurated with great fanfare the season of nativity scenes, nougats and Christmas carols from a Plaza de Cibeles packed with around 90,000 people, according to the councilor. During the event, Almeida showed his most conciliatory and emotional side, appealing to the unity and closeness of all Madrid residents during the holidays: “All of us who are in this city are the ones who make it special. We get up every day to move our lives forward and we do so knowing that it is a city that always has open arms.”
At the start of the capital’s 46 days of festivities, there has been no shortage of fireworks or musical accompaniment. the song Everything is possible at Christmas by David Bisbal managed to make the thousands of attendees who gathered on the banks of the emblematic Cibeles fountain sing and dance.
The event started from the top with a video mappingan immersive light and sound show that uses virtual reality to project images on any construction, in this case, the Cibeles Palace. Thus, the town hall building has altered the color of its walls to the rhythm of the colossal soundtrack of Interstellarby renowned London director Cristopher Nolan. All under the watchful eye of thousands of Madrid residents who have immortalized the moment through their mobile phones.
While the images on the façade of Cibeles were happening, a voice in off reproduced a message full of sensitivity and, above all, Madrid pride: “We are a city with a lot of light, and we don’t say it just because of the sun, we say it because of that blessed habit of making room. One extra chair at the table, one more story before going to sleep, a stay that acts as a hinge between two winters.”
Emotion has made its way into the heart of Madrid thanks to the performance of the Crescendo group, from the Teatro Real. The young musicians Lucía Iglesias, Andrea Rey, Marcelo Solís and Belén Castillo have performed the classic to the applause of thousands of people Be faithfula Christian hymn written in Latin.
Surrounded by that atmosphere of celebration and excitement, the singer and composer Pablo López showed off the best live performance he is used to with some of his best-known songs, such as The Courtyard y your enemy. “I really want to press the button,” he joked. extriunfito before the warmth of the attendees.
Christmas lighting fever
The tradition of decorating public spaces with Christmas motifs was established decades ago, although originally the lighting was much more modest. Those times when Christmas lighting was reduced to little more than a mass of wire and bulbs are long gone. Surprising citizens with Christmas lights has become increasingly difficult and has been climbing the agenda of city councils to become a priority for mayors of all political stripes. In the case of Madrid, the City Council. A generous amount that has been allocated to the installation of 7,134 chains, 126 luminous cherry trees, 13 large fir trees and more than 13 million highly energy efficient LED light bulbs distributed among the 21 districts of the capital.
As usual, some novelties that have been distributed throughout some of the most emblematic points of the city. Gran Vía, for example, has launched 31 new light bulb arches that recreate snowflakes of different sizes with cold and warm sparkles. On the same avenue, at the confluence with Alcalá Street, a new 22.2 meter high fir tree has been installed that stands out for its 125,000 points of light and its 654 blue balls.
The color note has been provided this year by the Goya neighborhood, in the Salamanca district, which has opted to simulate a sunrise through 25 arches that range from warm white to orange, an original theme that moves away from Christmas motifs but shows that Christmas decoration has also become a true pole of innovation.
In addition, Christmas lovers and the most curious will also be able to visit three exclusive Christmas decoration designs, which have arrived this year on the Madrid street thanks to the fashion brands Oteyza, Isabel Sanchís and Pablo Erroz, three collaborations that are part of the agreement between the Madrid City Council and the Association of Fashion Creators of Spain (ACME). Since 2020, brands such as Andrés Sardá, Juana Martín or Roberto Verino have joined, among many others.
Aside from the news, this year you will be able to see the famous luminous birth again, which changes location every year. In 2024 it was at the intersection of Alcalá with Gran Vía, and before that in Colón. This year it is the Plaza de Castilla. Other classics also return, such as the luminous menina on the Paseo del Prado, the large Christmas wreath of Cardenal Cisneros, the angel of Madrid in Colón and the figurative nativity scenes at the historic gates of Alcalá, Toledo and San Vicente, as well as the Segovia viaduct.
The lights of Madrid have been turned on just a week after Vigo (Pontevedra), the city “where Christmas lives”. The socialist councilor inaugurated the Christmas lighting on November 15, including a small technical failure that forced the lighting ceremony to be repeated a second time after a few minutes. This year, the Olive City exhibits about 12 LED light bulbs distributed among 460 streets and squares in the city, 40 more than last year. In total, there are more than 7,000 ornamental elements spread throughout the Galician town.
Other large capitals like Barcelona have also welcomed Christmas this Saturday. The Catalan capital offers a unique route with 126 kilometers of illuminated spaces that connect neighborhoods, businesses and heritage, “which turns each walk into a visual experience.” The total budget allocated by the City Council this year has reached 3.8 million euros. Not even the king of this celebration, the English writer Charles Dickens, could have guessed in his Christmas story —published in 1843— that the battle to be the most Christmassy and most illuminated city would be more alive than ever two centuries later.
