Christmas lights in Malaga's Calle Larios: how they've changed since 1999

From floral motifs and shiny bells to a gothic cathedral, a starry sky or enchanted forest. The Christmas lights in Calle Larios are now one of the city's tourist attractions, but they haven't always shone so brightly. In recent years, the Christmas decoration in Malaga's main street has gone from classical garlands to light and sound shows. Here's a look at the lights from 1999 to this year.

Calle Larios, before it was pedestrianised, with its festive lights.

Malaga got the same decorations out as the previous year.

Even though the street was still open to traffic, the lights were brighter and more impressive, with stars formed by tiny light bulbs.

The first Christmas lights above the pedestrianised Calle Larios had a more sophisticated design with bells, holly leaves and pine cones.

In 2003, the city council decorated the street with white, red and green flowers.

In a similar style to previous years, in 2004, blue was the dominant colour and the lampposts were decorated with poinsettias.

The flowers designed for the illuminations of Christmas 2003 returned to Calle Larios in 2005.

Calle Larios shone again in 2006 with similar colours to the previous year but in a different style. Poinsettias accompanied the lights for the third year running.

White stars, this time with eight points, were back in Calle Larios in 2007.

2008 saw a change in the lights. Instead of flowers, bells or stars there were angels.

The switching-on of the Christmas lights in Malaga was starting to attract more crowds in Calle Larios. This was the first year that LED bulbs were used.

Calle Larios was decorated with the same red and white arches as the previous year. The switch-on was marred by rain.

In 2011, the street was decorated with 18 arches made with an aluminium structure which stretched up nine metres from the ground.

The same lights from 2011 came out again for 2012.

There was a new design for 2013, once again using LED bulbs.

The 2014 design was a turning point for the Christmas decorations in the street. The pointed arches, which stretched up from the ground, looked like a gothic cathedral.

In 2015, the lights came in the form of a starry sky full of moons and stars.

A bright tunnel shone in the centre of Calle Larios.

Another design made to look like a church. Stained-glass windows and domes were reproductions of some in Malaga cathedral.

The music show changed but the lights were the same as the previous year's.

Calle Larios became a Christmas forest in 2019 with three music and light shows every day.

The first Christmas in Malaga in the pandemic saw the same lights put up again in Calle Larios.

En 2021, with another Christmas affected by the pandemic, the same lights were used again in Calle Larios. The music and light shows returned after being cancelled the previous year.

Sixteen celestial angels watch over Calle Larios, shining in white and gold, with a music and light show three times every evening.