Everything you need to know about Malaga's spectacular Christmas light shows: These are the dates, times and new features for 2024

Malaga city's spectacular Christmas festivities kicked off on Friday 29 November with the magical switch on of the famous festive lights on Calle Larios. Over the next few days, thousands of people will flock to the city centre to get a close-up view of a spectacle that has become a tradition.

These are the details and timetables for all the Christmas light shows in Malaga as well as the schedule for other features such as the city's videomapping show on the façade of the cathedral.

In Calle Larios, the lights and music shows are staged at 6.30pm, 8pm and 10pm (except 24 and 31 December). The festive decorations in the city centre can be enjoyed between 6.30pm and midnight on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays. On weekends (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) and the eve of public holidays, it will be extended until 2am. On 24 and 31 December they will be on until 6am.

As in previous years, other streets in the city centre as well as the cathedral are also decorated, with 500 streets lit up this year in total. This is what the lights look like in other parts of the city centre.

The south tower of Malaga cathedral, visible from Calle Molina Lario, once again is the setting for the Christmas videomapping show entitled in Spanish Manto de Estrellas (Mantle of Stars). The story, created exclusively for the people of Malaga city, has a very Malagueño protagonist: El Biznaguero.

The shows will be at 7pm, 8.30pm and 10pm every day from 1 December to 4 January, except 24 and 31 December. The show lasts approximately eight minutes.

For the first time, the trees in the Paseo del Parque are illuminated, with the lighting in this location decorating seven more arches. A Christmas projection on the façade of Malaga town hall also made its debut, while a unique decoration was unveiled on Calle San Juan. This last street is divided into three stages: Salón Chandelier (chandelier room), Cielo Thai (Thai sky) and La Cueva Mágica (the magic cave).

All streets running perpendicular to Calle Larios have Christmas decorations lit up with the lights made with Ecogreenlux, which reduces light pollution by 93% and saves up to 60% energy.

Another Christmas attraction is staged in the botanical garden of La Concepción, which once again hosts a light show. This year, it has been entitled; Illusion: Christmas has many faces but only one heart. It kicked off on 29 November and can be visited until 6 January.

Tickets can be purchased on the website www.lucesdelaconcepcion.es and cost 15.50 euros for adults and 11.50 euros for children. There will be several shows every 30 minutes every day from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, with a maximum capacity of 400 people at a time.

The other highlight of this Christmas in Malaga city will be the Parque del Oeste, which is hosting for the first time the celebration of a Chinese-inspired lantern festival. Although this is not strictly a Christmas event, it also opened last weekend and can be visited until 15 February.

Tickets can be purchased on the website www.festivaldelaslinternasmalaga.es. During the days of the show, tickets will cost between 15 and 20 euros, depending on the day and the number of people.

This festival will be held in the central part of the west park, in the area of the pond, over an area of three hectares. the festival features 600 lanterns and 4,000 points of light and will include a series of traditional Chinese activities such as a grand New Year parade, a wishing mural, lantern-making workshops and traditional oriental theatre, music and dance performances.