Christmas 2023 in Cádiz

The switching on of the lights will mark the start of Christmas in the province.

In many streets of the province of Cádiz, since summer officially said goodbye, technicians have been setting up Christmas decorations. Town halls are increasingly bringing forward the installation of the extraordinary lighting. They have also long since left behind the old tradition of unveiling the lights on the Immaculate Conception long weekend.

Almost as soon as Halloween is gone, the shop windows are pushing towards Christmas. With that, also the local governments, which are speeding up the preparation of their Christmas agenda and are setting a date earlier than ever before for when the first light bulb will be switched on.

Opening dates of the 2023 Christmas lights in Cádiz

A month and a half before Christmas, many squares and streets already have some decorations up. This is the case in Jerez, where two giant angels can already be seen in the Plaza Belén, waiting to give light. Jerez and the city of Cádiz will be among the first to bring magic to their streets and squares with the extraordinary lighting.

Jerez is one of the most Christmas-like cities in the province par excellence. The tradition of the zambombas brings thousands of visitors to this town. This year the City Council has decided to bring forward the opening of the Christmas lights to November 24, taking advantage of Black Friday. This commercial tradition imported from the United States is already a classic in the Spanish calendar and for years has been the starting signal for the Christmas season.

In the city of Cádiz, after a 2022 where the premiere was delayed more than usual, Christmas 2023 will also begin on November 24 with the switching on of the lights. The idea is to give this event a festive character, with live shows and performances. The Craft Fair for Christmas in the Cathedral Square in Cadiz will also be open between November 24 and January 9 with over 20 festive stalls.

In other towns in the Bay, such as San Fernando, the flamenco singer David Palomar will perform on December 1 to kick off the Christmas lighting. Nearby, and on the same day, Puerto Real will also kick off its Christmas celebrations. In El Puerto and Chiclana, dates have not yet been confirmed.

The Christmas spirit

Bruno García, Mayor of Cádiz, announced that switching on the Christmas lights early is part of a wider plan to stimulate economic activity and encourage the Christmas spirit among residents and visitors alike.

The Mayor said said that, “on November 24 we will inaugurate the lighting and we also plan a show or concert so that there will be activity on that day. Our intention is to generate many reasons for the people of Cádiz and visitors alike to enjoy the city”.

On the relationship between the lighting and the local economy, García said: “It’s an economic issue, it’s an employment issue, people go out into the streets with their children and families. We are going to try to give reasons for Christmas to be very exciting”.