Three Kings parade 2027 in the Basque Country: where and when

Why children here get presents twice

In the rest of Spain the Three Kings are the event of a child's Christmas. In the Basque Country they coexist with Olentzero, the charcoal burner who comes down from the mountain on Christmas Eve, and neither has displaced the other. The practical upshot, which surprises every newcomer: in many households children get presents on 25 December and again on 6 January.

The parade is the evening before, on 5 January. It is the big street event: the Kings ride on floats, sweets are thrown by the handful, and there are pages, music and animals. That same night they visit the houses.

One detail worth knowing if your children ask: anyone who has misbehaved gets no presents, they get sweet coal — a hard black candy sold in every pastry shop at that time of year. It is a joke, not a punishment: almost every child ends up with a little of it alongside the presents.

Where to see it in the three capitals

What follows is how each city usually does it, according to the Basque Government's Euskadi Tourism Agenda. The specific 2027 programme — exact times, route and road closures — is published by each city council in the days beforehand, and will appear at the top of this page as soon as it is out.

Bilbao. The parade sets off at 18:00 with around 300 participants. It goes up the Gran Vía to the city hall, where the Kings receive children in the Arab Room. It is the busiest of the three: with small children, note that the Gran Vía around Moyúa fills up well before the start.

Vitoria-Gasteiz. This one has the best arrival of the three: the Kings arrive by train at the Renfe station in the morning, walk down Calle Dato to Plaza Nueva and greet the crowd from the city hall balcony. The afternoon parade starts at Plaza Bilbao at 19:00.

San Sebastián. It leaves from the Boulevard and crosses the centre. It is the most theatrical of the three: torchbearers, animals and music, and sweets everywhere.

Practical advice

• Get there early. In all three cities people claim a spot between half an hour and an hour ahead. With children the best spot is not the start of the route but the middle: at the start the float has not begun throwing sweets yet.
• Bring a bag for the sweets. This is not an exaggeration: they are thrown by the kilo.
• Transport is disrupted. All three cities close streets and divert buses and the tram during the parade. If you drive, park far away and walk.
• On 6 January almost everything is closed — it is a public holiday across Spain. Shop the day before.

What comes next

The parade closes the cycle that begins with Olentzero on 23 and 24 December and takes in the Tamborrada in San Sebastián on 20 January, the next big date on the Basque calendar. If you have just arrived, those are the other two not to miss.