The Madrid City Council has begun this Monday, coinciding with the celebration of the Virgin of Almudena, the installation of the traditional Christmas tree at Puerta del Sol. With these works, the City Hall guarantees that everything will be ready for the Christmas lighting to be switched on on November 21.
Days earlier, the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, said that residents of Madrid and visitors could witness this Monday the start-up of the installation, once the square was cleared after the dismantling of the encampment over housing.
The councilor told citizens that the Sol tree "will reach the switching on of Christmas lights on November 21." It will be, as he pointed out, with "a show that will be well worth it."
From the City Hall, a show is being finalized that "will bring together thousands and thousands of residents of Madrid for a date that has already become a landmark event on the calendar of the city of Madrid, such as the switching on of the Christmas lights."
Tree in Cibeles and a nod to the Xacobeo year
Madrid will officially welcome Christmas with a large tree in Cibeles, the illuminated Palacio de Cibeles, and a nod to the Xacobeo year in Atocha, in addition to the 164 kilometers of chain garlands already placed, a distance similar to going to and returning from Segovia.
The approved contract amounts to 5.9 million euros for the installation, maintenance and dismantling of the Christmas lighting, which will remain switched on until the day of Reyes. In total, this year’s lighting is around 7.3 million euros and will reach more than 250 points in the city, spread across the 21 districts.
Sustainable lighting and at the expense of the awardee
The Christmas lighting has been designed with sustainability criteria, incorporating more than 14 million LED bulbs to promote energy savings and reduce light pollution in the new proposals. As has been happening in recent years, the agreement provides that the expense arising from electricity consumption will be borne by the award-winning company.
For the third consecutive year, part of the lights will reproduce designs created by first and second grade Primary school students who took part in the drawing contest organized by the City Council, whose winning proposals are already being transformed into light motifs.
In addition, there will again be creations by designers and specialists of recognized prestige, to which will be added new firms thanks to the agreement between the Consistorio and the Asociación Creadores de Moda de España (ACME).
More than 130 cherry trees, 7,458 garlands and 14 fir trees
The main avenues of the capital will be decorated with 131 cherry trees and 7,458 garlands, which reach a combined length of 164 kilometers, equivalent to the journey from Madrid to Segovia and back. To this will be added 14 large illuminated fir trees and other elements typical of these dates.
During the Christmas campaign 2025-2026, from the lighting-up to the Day of the Kings, the city of Madrid recorded an estimated return of 4,109.4 million euros, with an average daily spending of 89.3 million euros, according to a report from the General Directorate of Economy of the Madrid City Council.