Event Details
Welcome to Semana Santa 2027 in Spain
Semana Santa 2027 runs from 21 to 28 March 2027, opening on Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos) on 21 March and closing on Easter Sunday (Domingo de Resurrección) on 28 March. Declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest, Holy Week in Spain is one of the most profound religious and cultural experiences in Europe, celebrated most famously in Seville, Málaga and Valladolid.
What Is Semana Santa?
Semana Santa is Spain's Holy Week, commemorating the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. At its heart are the solemn processions of brotherhoods (hermandades or cofradías), which have wound through the streets since the 16th century. Each brotherhood carries enormous pasos through the city: elaborately decorated floats bearing life-size statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary, adorned with flowers, candles and intricate gold and silverwork. These platforms are shouldered by hidden carriers, called costaleros in Seville and portadores in Málaga, who bear the full weight from underneath for hours at a time.
Semana Santa in Seville
Seville is widely considered the capital of Semana Santa. More than 60 brotherhoods with around 50,000 Nazarenos (penitents dressed in long robes and pointed hoods) process from their home churches to the Cathedral and back. All brotherhoods pass through the Carrera Oficial, the shared official route through the city centre, where ticketed grandstand seating is available. The emotional pinnacle of the entire week is La Madrugá, the early hours of Good Friday morning on 26 March 2027, when the city's most revered brotherhoods take to the streets: El Silencio, Gran Poder, La Macarena, El Calvario, Esperanza de Triana and Los Gitanos. The entire city stays awake until dawn.
Semana Santa in Málaga
Málaga's Semana Santa is visually spectacular and often more accessible for first-time visitors. Unique to Málaga is the participation of the Spanish Legion, whose march through the city adds a military dimension found nowhere else in Spain. The city's population roughly triples during Holy Week; hotels sell out months in advance. The biggest procession days are Holy Wednesday (El Cautivo), Holy Thursday night and Good Friday.
Semana Santa in Valladolid
Valladolid's Semana Santa is markedly different in character: more austere, more silent and more visibly penitential than the Andalusian celebrations. The city houses some of the finest religious sculpture in Spain, with 16th-century masterworks by Gregorio Fernández carried in procession through the streets. The Museo Nacional de Escultura in Valladolid is particularly worth visiting during Holy Week.
Program 2027
- Sunday, 21 March – Palm Sunday: Opening processions in all cities.
- Monday, 22 March – First major evening processions in Seville and Málaga.
- Tuesday, 23 March – Processions of legendary brotherhoods; eve of the great days.
- Wednesday, 24 March – In Seville: El Carmen, La Sed, El Baratillo and others.
- Thursday, 25 March – National public holiday. Evening and night: La Madrugá begins.
- Friday, 26 March – Good Friday: National public holiday. Afternoon and evening processions.
- Saturday, 27 March – Silent day; Procession of La Soledad.
- Sunday, 28 March – Easter Sunday: Closing celebrations and final processions.
Tickets & Seating
Processions are free to watch from the street along the entire route. Reserved seating along the Carrera Oficial in Seville is available through the Consejo General de Hermandades y Cofradías de Sevilla (phone: +34 955 099 845). Prices for individual chairs (sillas) range from approximately €85 to €187 for the full week depending on location; loge boxes (palcos) cost considerably more. Most seats are held by long-term subscribers; new allocations are rare and decided by ballot. Arriving early along the daily procession routes remains the best free alternative.
Visitor Tips
- Book accommodation as early as possible; prices double or triple in Seville and Málaga and the best options sell out months in advance.
- Travel by high-speed train (Renfe AVE); parking in city centres during Semana Santa is extremely limited.
- Rain causes immediate cancellation of a procession with no rescheduling; check the daily forecast and follow brotherhoods on social media.
- For La Madrugá in Seville, secure a spot along the route early and be prepared for large crowds.
- Observe respectful silence during the processions; avoid flash photography directed at the pasos.
- Semana Santa 2027 falls in late March: evenings in Seville can be cool; bring a light jacket.
