Spanish Festivals in January

5 festivals take place across Spain in January, spread over Basque Country, Canary Islands, Madrid, Extremadura. Each entry below has exact dates, the nearest city, and what to expect.

January

Religious

Día de los Reyes Magos

Madrid, Madrid

Día de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day) is the most important gift-giving day in Spain — bigger than Christmas Day. On the evening of 5 January, spectacular parades (cabalgatas) wind through every city and town as the Three Kings — Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar — arrive to deliver gifts to children.

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January

Carnival

Carnaval de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

The Carnaval de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is one of Spain's most spectacular, famous for its iconic Drag Queen Gala, massive street parades, and a carnival queen election that rivals Miss Universe in production values. Three weeks of non-stop festivities under the Canarian sun.

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January

Traditional

Tamborrada de San Sebastián

San Sebastián, Basque Country

At the stroke of midnight on 20 January, the entire city of San Sebastián erupts into drums. The Tamborrada is one of Spain's most extraordinary traditions: for exactly 24 hours, over 15,000 drummers in more than 100 companies parade through the streets, playing without pause until midnight strikes again. Dressed as soldiers and cooks, they honour their patron saint — San Sebastián — in a thunderous celebration that defines Basque identity and civic pride.

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January

Religious

Fiesta de San Antón

Madrid, Madrid

Every January 17th, thousands of Madrileños queue outside the Church of San Antón in Chueca to have their pets blessed by a priest. Dogs, cats, turtles, hamsters, and even horses line up for the benediction in one of Madrid's most charming and quirky winter traditions.

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January

Traditional

Jarramplas (Piornal)

Plasencia, Extremadura

Jarramplas is a traditional winter festival in Piornal (Extremadura), typically around 19–20 January, where a masked character is pelted with turnips in a ritual tied to local identity and devotion to San Sebastián.

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