When and where does Santa Cruz switch on its Christmas lights?

Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez presses the switch on the Plaza de La Candelaria at 19:30 on Thursday 19 November 2026. The evening is planned with a musical opening, a light show and a concert with guest artists.

The city has not yet named the guests. Villancicos (Christmas carols) and magic acts are also planned.

The date falls a day earlier than in 2025, when the lights went on at 19:30 on 20 November, also on the Plaza de La Candelaria. The city then counted more than 100 programme items across all departments and the five districts.

Nobody has published road closures or travel advice for 19 November so far. Visitors from the south should check the festival site fiestasdesantacruz.com before the evening, as it is meant to show the current programme.

According to a programme notice, the Santa Cruz–La Laguna tram and the TITSA guaguas (buses) run in the centre. Car parks and short-stay parking zones are there too, but the notice gave no prices.

What is new about the two cabalgatas?

Santa Cruz gets its first Cabalgata de Papá Noel on 24 December 2026, as councillor Javier Caraballero announced. It is meant for children and should hold some surprises.

The city has not published a time or a route. Families from the south should therefore check the programme before they set off on Christmas Eve.

The Cabalgata de Reyes (Three Kings parade) winds through Santa Cruz on 5 January 2027. The Three Kings arrive beforehand at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium, and no time for 2027 has been set.

Last year’s parade, on 5 January 2026, gives a hint of what to expect. According to the traffic notices at the time, it started at 19:00 on the Avenida de Bélgica.

The route ran via the Plaza República Dominicana, the Avenida de La Asunción and the Calles Ramón y Cajal and Galcerán to the Plaza de La Candelaria. Road closures began at 15:00 on the Avenida de Bélgica.

Parking bans applied in stages from 07:00 on the Monday. The city has not said whether the same route and times apply in 2027.

In 2026 the authorities recommended public transport. Double trams ran every 10 minutes, and buses ran until 02:00 with a strengthened line 1.

What does entry cost, and what else is there to see?

Santa Cruz plans more than 600 decorated sites across its five districts in 2026, 200 more than last year. Garlands will also hang on trees in the centre, along the Ramblas and on the avenidas.

A giant tree of more than 30 metres is due to stand on the Plaza de España. The budget for supplying the lighting is 6.4 million euros, and installation has been under way since August, according to a report.

That sum cannot be compared with the 2025 figures, because it is unclear what each one measured. For 2025 the report gave more than 900,000 euros for around 400 sites.

All events are free, a programme notice says, but this claim has not been checked. The list covers an institutional and a living Belén (nativity scene), Christmas markets, choir concerts, a children’s park, the San Silvestre run on 31 December and New Year’s Eve on the Plaza de España.

Where and when the nativity scene opens is still open. A calendar period of 1 December 2026 to 6 January 2027 is circulating, but the city has not confirmed it.

Councillor Caraballero announced that the festivities will take place in all districts, not just the centre. His department receives 500,000 euros more than last year, shared between Christmas, Carnival and the Fiestas de Mayo.

Which concerts are on in November and December?

Jay Wheeler plays at 21:00 on Friday 4 December 2026 at the Palmetum in Santa Cruz. According to the organiser, it opens his world tour “La Voz Favorita”, and San Fernando de Maspalomas on Gran Canaria follows 24 hours later.

Presale ran from 7 October, and general sale began at 11:00 Canary time on 9 October. Tickets were sold through jaywheelertenerife.es and vivaticket.com, and buyers could pay with the bono cultural (a culture voucher) or in instalments.

Other sellers include Ticketmaster, El Corte Inglés, Entradas.com and Fever. It is not confirmed whether tickets are still available, so buyers should use only the official sellers.

Pedro Pastor performs at 21:00 on Saturday 21 November 2026, with tickets from 22 euros. The venue is still listed as “Sala por confirmar”, and other hints point to the Sala Gekko, though this is not confirmed.

What is still open, and what should visitors do?

The Jay Wheeler tour has ten dates between 23 October and 8 November, with Barcelona, Zaragoza and Murcia among those named. Anyone planning to go should ask the organiser before travelling.

An Auserón page from 2025 does not apply to this year. The times and routes of both cabalgatas are also open, as are the place and date of the Belén and the guests on 19 November.

Road closures and travel advice are still to come. For the Cabalgata de Reyes, a programme notice advises arriving early to secure a place in the front rows.

A search summary puts the crowd at more than 150,000, but this has not been checked. The next fixed date is 19 November, followed by Pedro Pastor on 21 November and Jay Wheeler on 4 December.

The city has announced that it will refine the full programme. Until then, the official festival site is the best place to look.