It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and there’s no better place to be than the Costa del Sol! With temperatures of up to 25°C, Málaga still boasts fairly pleasant weather in December. But don’t let the climate fool you into thinking the city doesn’t have any festive cheer, writes TLR Family member Kelly O’Brien. Here’s her rundown of what’s on this Christmas in Málaga.
As somewhat of a haven for expats, the vibrant TLR coworking space in the Soho area of Málaga attracts its fair share of members from abroad.
For many of you, this will be your very first Costa Christmas and, as such, you might not yet realise everything the city and surrounding area has to offer this season.
A sea of lights
Let’s start with the most obvious entry – the famed Christmas lights!
This year, Calle Larios has a brand new music and light show – a host of heavenly angels spanning the length of the entire street. Arrive any time after 6:30pm and you will get to see these lights in all their glory.
If you arrive for 7pm, 8:30pm, or 10pm you will get to see the sound and light show. This takes place every evening from now until January 6 (apart from December 24 and 31).
There are also very beautiful lights (including some chandeliers!) hanging in the other streets of central Málaga, and some really lovely Christmas trees. My favourite is the one in Plaza de la Constitution which is truly huge and great for photos.
Christmas flamenco is a thing!
A flamenco show should be on every expat’s list of cultural experiences when living in Spain, but there’s also an extra special flamenco show that takes place at Christmas.
Called ‘A Christmas Story’, the show combines dance and song from the Farrucos family (legends in the flamenco world).
This special show takes place on December 20 at 8pm. Tickets, available here, start at €15.
Cathedral projections
Another extremely well-known and popular show during Christmas in Málaga is the 3D video projection mapping at Málaga Cathedral.
Like the sound and light show along Calle Larios, this also lasts for around ten minutes. It features festive scenes projected onto the south tower of the Cathedral (the tower closest to Alameda Principal).
This takes place three times every evening also, at 7pm, 8:30pm, and 10pm, from now until January 6 (apart from December 24 and 31).
Carol Singing
While you might come across carol singers in the city or along Muelle Uno, there will also be a dedicated Christmas carol concert at St George’s Church in the English Cemetery (near the bullring along Paseo de Reding) on December 16 at 7pm.
We hear there will be mince pies and mulled wine afterwards.
Festive drones
Drone shows are cropping up more and more these days in Málaga – there was an extremely well-attended drone show on Malagueta Beach this year to mark the start of the Feria in August.
Now, they are back again – 120 drones will appear in the skies over the port area at 8pm on December 6 and 7, at 8:30pm on December 9, and at 8pm on December 23. They will fly in formation to create images like Santa Claus, festive hearts, and various texts.
The best places to view the show are from the Palmeral de las Sorpresas, Plaza de la Marina, Muelle Uno, and from the Gibralfaro Mirador (for more of a bird’s eye view).
Ice skating
Yes, you read that correctly – you can ice skate on the Costa del Sol.
The rink is a small one, and it’s indoors of course, but it’s a fun and festive way to spend a day or an evening. The rink is located outside the distinctive El Corte Inglés department store and costs €8 (including skate rental) for one hour of skating.
The area also features a few nice market stalls and a few food trucks.
Cirque du Soleil on ice
Speaking of ice skating, there’s also an entire acrobatic ice skating show to behold this Christmas in Málaga, created by the world-famous circus group Cirque du Soleil.
The area at the Martin Carpena Sports Stadium has been transformed into an ice rink for 9
days especially for the show, which runs from December 11 to 18. Tickets start at €35 and are available here.
Arabic Baths
Ok so this isn’t strictly a Christmas thing, but one of my favourite yuletide activities is going to the Hamam al Andalus to take a dip in the thermal pools. The baths are open all year round, but to me it feels very Christmassy!
And the best part? TLR Family members get a discount! (Check out all the other amazing TLR Family discounts here.)
For more information about the Hamam, go to their website here.
Beauty at the botanical gardens
It’s outside the centre of the city, but Málaga’s botanical gardens are well worth a visit this December.
While the gardens are pleasant all year round, at Christmas the grounds are decked with festive lights and displays. This year the display is called ‘Stela, A Journey to the East’ and is based on the wise men’s journey.
The event runs until January 8 and tickets cost between €10 and €14. Tickets and further information and photos can be found here.
This video is from last year’s display at the gardens, but gives you an idea of what to expect: https://youtu.be/fxQUWQjLVTQ
Markets
There’s no shortage of markets this Christmas in Málaga. Here are the details of a few of them:
Muelle Uno – located on the square near the entrance to the Pompidou and is open daily from 10am to 6pm from now until January 10.
Paseo del Parque – lots of stalls selling Christmas gifts, fireworks, and food from noon to 8pm every day during the Christmas period.
Sabor a Málaga – a market showcasing typical food produce from Málaga province on Paseo del Parque from now until December 11. It’s open between 10am and 9pm.
Plaza de la Merced – December 11 between 11am and 7pm.
Soho – stalls selling arts and crafts on Calle Tomas Heredia on December 8 from 11am to 7pm.
New Year’s Eve
Any expat staying in Málaga for New Year’s Eve needs to know about the tradition of the 12 grapes.
Google it if you want an exhaustive explanation of how this tradition came to be, but basically you have to eat 12 grapes when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve. If you manage to eat them all before all 12 chimes of the midnight bells, you will have good luck for the coming year.
If you can’t find a houseparty to join, head to Plaza de la Constitutión from 10pm or earlier. But be prepared for crowds!
Three Kings
One of the biggest cultural events of the year in Málaga takes place at the start of January, and effectively rounds off the festive period.
While in a lot of other countries it is Santa who brings gifts to children during the Christmas period, in Spain the gifts are actually brought by the three kings who, in the Bible, brought gifts for the newborn baby Jesus.
This is a huge deal for locals, and thousands of people flock to the streets every year on January 5 for the Three Kings Parade. Don’t miss it!
About Kelly
With professional and educational backgrounds rooted in journalism, Kelly works as a freelance writer – crafting tech content, marketing pieces, social media texts, and newspaper articles. Originally from Kilkenny, Ireland but currently living in Málaga, Kelly runs her own company called Kelly Mary Media OU. When she’s not knee deep in work, Kelly is off trotting around the globe, documenting her many weird and wonderful (and sometimes cat-accompanied) adventures on Facebook and Instagram.
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One Response
Cheers