Until January 5 Christmas, New Year and Three Kings in Cartagena

Cartagena Town Hall provides parades, entertainment for adults and children alike on an almost daily basis, and top concerts throughout the festivities

Bizarre elements include a giant cuddly toy and a family of giraffes wandering around the old centre of Cartagena!

As usual there is a very full program of events going on in Cartagena over the festive season, with plenty of entertainment both in the city and in outlying districts including activities for children and the all-important arrivals of Father Christmas and the Three Kings, whose major parade takes place on the evening of 5th January.

Children’s events are held almost every day in the Plaza de España, and a few highlights of the schedule published by the Town Hall (click here to see the full version in Spanish) are as follows:

December 20 to January 5

Christmas market on the seafront promenade, continuing the tradition which began in northern Europe in the Middle Ages.

The market opens on December 20 at 18.00 with a concert by the group Stolen, and from then on there are children’s activities at 12.00 and concerts at 13.00 on December 21, 22, 23, 27, 28 and 29 and January 3 and 4.

Wednesday December 18

10.30 to 13.00: Christmas carols in the streets of the old centre, sung by children from local schools (venues Plaza del Icue, Los Juncos, Juan XXIII and Plaza San Sebastian).

Friday December 20

20.00: The season of concerts in the Plaza de España begins with a show by The Gospel Christmas Show Russingers.

20.00: Christmas concert by the Escuela Coral Sauces and Coral Polifónica Cartagonova in the church of San Francisco Javier in Los Barreros.

20.30: Christmas concert “Hakuna Cartagena” in the parish church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen.

Saturday December 21

12.00: Viva la Navidad, a Christmas show with Mickey Mouse, snowmen and other and other festive characters in Los Juncos.

12.00: Olaf and Friends, children’s theatre in the Plaza de España.

12.30: Scrooge y la Navidad at the Centro Cultural Luzzy.

17.00 and 20.30: La Movida, the Musical of the 80s at the Auditorio El Batel. Tickets from 30 to 40 euros, click here for online bookings.

19.00: Divas Acoustic Show in the Plaza de España.

20:15. The Christmas Soul with Belter Souls, free concert in the Plaza del Icue.

Sunday December 22

12.00: La Reina del Hielo (The Ice Queen), family theatre in the Plaza de España.

18.00: Father Christmas parade, the first time this has been held in Cartagena, a procession full of magic and spectacle. Route: Palacio Consistorial, Calle Mayor, Plaza San Sebastián, Puertas de Murcia, Plaza del Icue, Calle Sagasta, Tolosa Latour, Puerta de Madrid, Calle del Carmen to Plaza del Icue, where Santa takes delivery of present letters.

19.00: The Nutcracker ballet with the Classical Ballet of Cuba at the Auditorio El Batel. Tickets from 22 to 30 euros, click here for online bookings.

Monday December 23

19.00: Navidad Rock concert in the Plaza de España.

Tuesday December 24

13.00: Concert by La Trama in the Plaza de España.

Thursday December 26

20.15: Villancicos Pop, pop versions of traditional carols in the Plaza del Icue.

Friday December 27

20.00: Fina Estampa in concert in the Plaza de España.

20.15: Popular carols in the Plaza de Icue.

Saturday December 28

9.30: Ruta de los belenes, a guided tour of the main nativity scenes on display in Cartagena, starting at the Centro Cultural Ramón Alonso Luzzy. Further details by email from festejos@ayto-cartagena.es.

17.00 and 19.30: Musical version of Alice in Wonderland at the Auditorio El Batel. Tickets 16 and 18 euros, click here for online bookings.

19.00: For reasons which are not clear, a giant cuddly toy parades through the streets of the city centre!

19.00: Un Viaje por la Música, concert in the Plaza de España.

20.15: Flamenco Zambomba with Curro Piñana in the Plaza del Icue.

Sunday December 29

12.00: Christmas concert in the Plaza de España.

19.00: Los Intocables in concert in the Plaza de España.

Monday December 30

19.00: More unexplained events as a family of giraffes takes a walk around the old centre of Cartagena, courtesy of Xirriquiteula Teatre.

20.15: The Uganda Sticks and the drums of Rwanda in the Plaza del Icue.

20.30: Cartagena Youth Orchestra at the Auditorio El Batel, tickets 15 euros.

23.00 Radio DJ David Álvarez plays party music in the Plaza del Rey.

Tuesday December 31

10.00: The annual “San Silvestre” New Year’s Eve running race, starting with younger age groups and the main event at 11.30, starting on Paseo Alfonso XII and finishing at the Palacio Consistorial.

11.30: Children’s New Year party in the Plaza de España.

13.00: Tocadiscos Cover Band in concert in the Plaza de España.

Thursday January 2

20.00: The Adoration of the Magi is performed outside the church of Santa María de Gracia in Calle del Aire.

20.30: New Year’s concert by the Region of Murcia Symphony Orchestra at the Auditorio El Batel. Tickets 20 euros, click here for online bookings.

Friday January 3

19.00: La Gran Noche, a musical spectacle in the Plaza de España.

Saturday January 4

17.00: Giant Roscón de Reyes cake and entertainment in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

Sunday January 5

12.30: The Three Kings are officially welcomed to the city after arriving by boat and making their way to the Palacio Consistorial and the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

18.00: The Three Kings Procession, one of the largest in the year in Cartagena, as Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar are accompanied by all kinds of music and spectacular visual entertainment. Route: Alameda de San Antón, Plaza de España, Paseo Alfonso XIII, Calle Juan Fernández, Plaza Juan XXIII, Calle Santa Florentina, Plaza del Icue, Calle del Carmen, Calle Tolosa Latour, Calle Jabonerías, Plaza del Icue, Puertas de Murcia, Plaza de San Sebastián, Calle Mayo, Plaza del Ayuntamiento. When the procession ends a firework display takes place.

For more upcoming events in the Region of Murcia go to the What’s on section of Murcia Today.