Semana Santa in Spain 2027: dates, Málaga processions and tips

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Updated: October 2026

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is one of the biggest events of the Spanish year, especially in Andalusia. If you have just moved here, it helps to know when it falls, which days are public holidays and how to enjoy the processions without getting stuck in the crowds. This guide covers the 2027 dates, the Málaga processions in detail and the other cities worth knowing about.

Semana Santa 2027 dates

Easter moves every year. In 2027, Easter Sunday is 28 March, so Holy Week runs from Palm Sunday on 21 March to Easter Sunday on 28 March. (For comparison, Easter Sunday in 2026 was 5 April.)

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Andalusia has already approved both Maundy Thursday and Good Friday as holidays for 2027, and the Basque Country has approved Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Monday. Each region publishes its own calendar, so check yours before booking time off. School holidays around Easter are also set regionally.

What happens during Holy Week

The processions are organised by religious brotherhoods called cofradías or hermandades. Each one leaves its church, walks a set route through the streets and returns, sometimes many hours later. Most carry two floats: one with a scene of Christ’s Passion and one with the Virgin Mary under a canopy.

• Nazarenos: robed penitents, often in pointed hoods, walking ahead of the floats with candles or crosses. The hoods are religious and have nothing to do with their use elsewhere in the world.
• Pasos and tronos: the floats. In Seville they are carried from underneath by costaleros; in Málaga the bigger tronos are carried on long poles by hombres de trono.
• Saetas: short, unaccompanied flamenco-style songs sung from a balcony as a float stops. The street goes silent while they are sung.
• Bands: brass bands and drums play processional marches behind the floats.

Semana Santa in Málaga

Málaga’s Holy Week is declared of international tourist interest and is known for its huge, ornate tronos, some needing well over a hundred bearers. Processions run every day from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, and most pass through the official route (recorrido oficial) in the city centre, including the Alameda Principal, Calle Larios and Plaza de la Constitución, where paid seating is set up.

Highlights not to miss

• Holy Monday – El Cautivo: the procession from the Trinidad neighbourhood draws some of the biggest crowds of the week and returns home in the early hours.
• Holy Wednesday – El Rico: by long tradition, this brotherhood asks for the release of a prisoner, who then walks with the procession.
• Maundy Thursday – the Legion: in the morning, soldiers of the Spanish Legion arrive at the port and carry the Cristo de la Buena Muerte (Mena brotherhood) through the streets, singing their anthem. The evening procession is one of the most watched.
• Easter Sunday: the week closes with the Resurrection procession, a more joyful end after the solemn Good Friday.

Practical tips for Málaga

1. Download the daily itineraries and timetables published by the Agrupación de Cofradías and local media before you go out.
2. Watch a float leave or return to its church in the neighbourhood. It is often more moving, and less crowded, than the official route.
3. Never cut through a procession. Wait for a gap or use the marked crossing points.
4. Expect road closures and diverted buses in the centre all week, and book accommodation and restaurants early.
5. Bring water and comfortable shoes, and agree a meeting point if you are with children.

Other cities with famous processions

• Seville: dozens of brotherhoods and the famous Madrugá, the night between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, when La Macarena and Jesús del Gran Poder go out.
• Granada: processions against the backdrop of the Alhambra, including those climbing through the Albaicín and Sacromonte.
• Valladolid: known for its life-size polychrome wooden sculptures from the 16th and 17th centuries.
• Zamora: austere, silent night processions with a medieval feel.
• Cartagena and Lorca (Murcia): very theatrical processions with biblical costumes, horses and chariots.

Food and customs during Holy Week

Many families avoid meat on Good Friday, so you will see salt cod (bacalao) dishes and chickpea stews such as potaje de vigilia. The classic sweet is torrijas, bread soaked in milk or wine, fried and coated with honey or sugar. Shops and offices close on the public holidays, while bars and restaurants on the processional routes stay very busy.

Useful links

• National holidays in Spain 2026 and 2027
• Best Spanish festivals and how expats can join in
• Málaga city guide for newcomers
• Flamenco: where to see it and how it began

FAQ: Semana Santa

Disclaimer: This article is general information only. Procession times, routes and regional holidays can change – always check the official programme and your regional calendar before you plan.